Rhino Charge Tactics
Runners
Top teams' runners spend most of their time out of the car and choosing straighter lines. We need to incorporate this as the next stage in the running team evolution.
Winching
One consequence of this approach is that they end up use the winch more often. Need to consider pros and cons.
Aggressive Driving Line
Another issue is should the driver be more aggressive in taking a straighter line. We have significant bull bar to push through trees and perhaps we need to be more aggressive in future.
Navigator Role
Others expect the navigator seat to be largely empty, except when on long runs. The direction of travel is decided by the driver, following a GPS mounted permanently in front of him, with a large compass screen to show when the car is on or off line. The Navi is a 5th runner, only in the car on longer runs and otherwise the front of car director through tricky spots, winch operator and checkpoint manager. No disrespect to all past navigators - just a different outlook on what is going on and something for us to consider. We may need to think of easier way of the navi getting in/out of the car if we take this on.
Timing
Everyone is very time conscious indeed. Top teams give themselves a strict time limit of 2 minutes in each checkpoint. One past winner team plan to finish the Charge in only 8 hours, giving time for mishaps. We could certainly make improvements on this aspect.