Community Event / Creation The Buckyball Racing Club presents: The Colonia Trophy Dash

Raiko · Jan 11, 2022

At long last, I've finally submitted a run for the Trophy Dash. Not a fast one, but Type-9s are fun!

I'm currently docked on a FCOC Colonia-Bubble Shuttle FC, on my way the New Pilots Hustle, but I'll be back in Colonia next week for some more attempts in faster ships, and to hopefully improve my first Type-9 run in Baymax.

Thanks for a really great race @Edelgard von Rhein, I really enjoyed it and look forward to more attempts very soon. o7

Edelgard von Rhein · Jan 11, 2022

Glad you enjoyed the race CMDR Raiko!
With your entry being the first of 3308 the New Year sees the first entry of any of the Lakon Transporters and it is the Type 9, Raiko's Baymax that has been helping out in the current Colonia CG, so not an easy vessel in the challenging gravity-breaking and high-g environments in places. The Baymax had a close call at Brazilian Dream, surviving the plunge from altitude at speed with 22% hull remaining and had to cope with overshooting and three obscured jumps. CMDR Raiko believes that the Baymax is capable of a sub-40 min time, which would mean passing CMDR crotalus' Imperial Cutter but is planning to take part in the current BRC event first. At 34th in the Unlimited table, the Cutter is the next clear target at 39:58, although this run surpassed much smaller ships, including an Imperial Courier, so well done to CMDR Raiko! o7
CMDR Raiko ran this race in Odyssey.

Edelgard von Rhein · Jan 25, 2022

Another update and another Lakon makes an appearance in Unlimited, this time with the Colonia Trophy Dash veteran, CMDR crotalus, bringing his Lakon Type 7 Transporter C Celosia to the course. A good run, with moderate damage only at Brazilian Dream, saw the humble Type 7 leap ahead of both the Federal Assault Ship and the DBS, recording a time of 38:32. This places the run in 29th overall, quite respectable for a ship that is often considered a stepping stone (though if it were a couple of metres shorter it would fit on a medium pad, which would change the view of it!). Well done and welcome back CMDR! o7

Edelgard von Rhein · Feb 10, 2022

Today's update is the first in Classic for a long time - not since 3306 has there been a valid submission! CMDR crotalus has brought his Cobra MkIV C Goldii to the race with a respectable mid-table time of 44:34, placing eighteenth, just three seconds behind his Python time. The shields on the vessel were only dented by a bump in the gravity of Brazilian Dream and this was otherwise a clean run with only obscured jumps preventing a better time. Nice flying CMDR! o7

Edelgard von Rhein · Mar 2, 2022

Today's update see the humble Type 6 Transporter finally making its appearance in Unlimited, thanks to a run by CMDR crotalus a little over a month since he put a Type 7 through its paces on the course. The time of the C Tyger was 38:21, just 11 seconds faster than the Type 7 and places 29th. Well done! There was a loss of the shield at Pedersen's Legacy but the hull was mostly intact - this is what lithobraking is all about! Given the similarity in the time the number of obscured jumps could be the same but CMDR crotalus made no comment on the entry. The time was only ten seconds behind the Type 6's sister ship, the Keelback, which is interesting as the Type 6's boost tends to be quite powerful, so perhaps it is highlighting that the Keelback entry was a very good run.
There are not many ships left now that have not been raced in Unlimited, with the Federal Dropship being the only medium class ship not to have an entry. The Federal Corvette is also absent (both ships are also not on the Classic leaderboard), so perhaps it is Federal rank that is the obstacle to these ships featuring.
Fly fast!

Edelgard von Rhein · Mar 19, 2022

Today's entry sees CMDR Shaye Blackwood make his first entry in the Classic class, with his Orca Nautilus. This run was remarkable for being so highly-tuned that CMDR Shaye did not have enough power to run his life support system and that he therefore had 7 minutes 30 seconds to make each leg or face a rebuy! It was breathless flying as well, with some superb gravity breaking manoeuvres, especially around the gas giants and only at Moore's Charm was there a slight mishap in executing an emergency stop to avoid overflying the station (it looked from the video like the angle to the station was too high), costing a few seconds for a FSD recharge. There were a couple of times the oxygen got to under three minutes, as in this situation obscured jumps are particularly hazardous, but Shaye's lithobreaking was finely judged and even a high-angle, high-speed impact at Brazilian dream only wiped out the shield. The final time of 33:03 places top by more than three minutes from CMDR Horza-Gobuchol's Krait Phantom CLS No Step on Snek and more than ten minutes faster than the previous Orca entry, CMDR crotalus' C Raven. Fine flying and congratulations, CMDR! o7

Edelgard von Rhein · Apr 30, 2022

Greetings CMDRs!
After a break of a few weeks, there is now a new entry in Unlimited, this being the Federal Dropship's debut thanks to CMDR crotalus in the Hecate. This ship was equipped with A-rated thrusters and shields but careful landings ensured that at no time was the shield in danger of being depleted. The time does not seem to have suffered, completing the course in 36:53, a time only 10 secs slower than the Fer de Lance and more than two minutes faster than the Federal Assault Ship. Overall, this places the Hecate 25th on the leaderboard, a very respectable time for a ship that is not known for jump range or normal space speed. Fine flying, CMDR! o7

Edelgard von Rhein · Jun 14, 2022

Greetings CMDRs, time for another update!
This time the action is in Classic, with CMDR crotalus racing in his new Viper MkIII, Angelensis. This is not the first time CMDR crotalus has raced the Viper MkIII in Classic but the previous entry in the C Enyo was from way back in September 3305. This new entry was run in Odyssey and despite a number of obscured jumps, the incredible experience that CMDR crotalus has accrued from racing in a large variety of ships has paid off, with a top 10 time of 41:09. The new Viper's shields just about held throughout, taking a hit at Brazilian Dream and a few bumps elsewhere were minor by comparison. With all the obscured jumps, the Viper MkIII clearly has the potential to rise further up the list. Fine flying, CMDR! o7

Edelgard von Rhein · Jan 22, 2023

The first update of 3309 is here and after six months without an update who else but the resident expert on the course, CMDR crotalus, this time putting the Beluga through its paces in Unlimited. It is fair to say that the big ships struggle in certain parts of the course but the Cetus managed a clean run without losing its shields and recorded a time of 39:18, which is no mean feat considering that it is faster than some small ships have recorded, placing 35th, so well done! o7

Edelgard von Rhein · Mar 23, 2023

Today's update sees CMDR crotalus return to the course in his Alliance Challenger Pearl. After a stunning sub-3-hour A* run in this ship he clearly felt that there room for improvement and his efforts were well rewarded. The Pearl now places equal 18th with a time of 35:07, matching his time in his Alliance Chieftain, Libertas. Those who know these ships will be well aware of their different speed and handling and grasp that this is indeed a very good time, achieved without any shield failures, only the odd bump here and there.

My apologies for the delay in posting this update. This has been due to health issues keeping me away from my laptop. Sadly, I am still frail and related issues are likely to continue affecting me in the short term, such that I could well be required to spend weeks away at short/no notice.
For this reason, I must with regret place The Colonia Trophy Dash on hold until further notice. Hopefully in a couple of months I will have recovered sufficiently to restart it. Many thanks to all and especially CMDR crotalus for your participation. I have much enjoyed watching your efforts and videos and hope that eventually I will be well enough again to continue doing so.
Fly fast! o7

Edelgard von Rhein · May 28, 2023

Good news: The Colonia Trophy Dash is now open for submissions once again!
My health has been gradually improving and I look to be good to keep running the race; there are no current problems that I expect to cause me to put it on hold.

This weekend sees a run from CMDR Raiko, who had been holding off on submitting an Imperial Courier time until I had recovered but he surpassed it during a series of attempts this weekend. If anyone else has been holding on to a time from the last two months, you can submit it if you like - I had told CMDR Raiko earlier in the week that I expected to be able to restart the race this weekend, as he was visiting the region anyway.
CMDR Raiko flew the Spirit of Icarus on a number of attempts with varying success and problems but his submission here had only one obscured jump and a minor collision with the airlock at Jaques resulting in narrowly missing out on being the first person since CMDR Shaye Blackwood to break 30 mins, with a final time of 30:05. He plans to improve on this in the immediate future and reportedly has a number of other ships with him to try Classic as well as Unlimited but for now this impressive run places him 3rd on the leaderboard and the fastest Imperial Courier time, so very well done! o7

Edelgard von Rhein · Jun 3, 2023

Today's update adds another effort from late May, with CMDR crotalus taking his Type 9 Theia around the course, with the customary bump at Brazilian Dream reducing it to 45% hull but the shields held elsewhere, albeit barely. The opposite of a Vogon Constructor Fleet ship, the Type 9 hangs in the air (void) the same way that bricks do, so it is to the credit of any pilot to complete a run with the high-g landings at Brazilian Dream and Fort Mug. The time of this run was 39:17, just one second faster than CMDR crotalus' own Beluga time, set earlier this year in the Cetus, and has taken over the vessel's top spot from CMDR Raiko's Baymax by almost three minutes. Times are getting tight on the leaderboard and this was very nearly the second dead heat. Well done again CMDR! o7

Raiko · Jun 3, 2023

Thanks for keeping this challenge going @Edelgard von Rhein.

That's a great run in Theia @crotalus! o7
(I thought you said it was slow, grrr mutter)

I'll probably take Baymax with me next time I'm in Colonia, to have a go at retaking the record, but I haven't a clue whether I can improve by 3 minutes. It looks like I either didn't record my run, or I erased the video, so I can't compare to my more recent iCourier runs.

Also, Edelgard you're right - I'm already missing the Colonia sky.

Edelgard von Rhein · Jul 4, 2023

One Unlimited entry in today's update, from CMDR crotalus in his Orca Raven. Fresh from almost breaking the 2-hour barrier in the A* Challenge, this ship is not to be trifled with, however the loadout was adjusted for the course, with a strong shield and a shield booster to help avoid awkward rebuys in the high gravity environments. The screenshots showed signs of impact at most stops but only at Pedersen's Legacy did they fall below 50%. The run was a highly respectable 33:53, nestling in between his Imperial Clipper and Asp Explorer times and almost a minute and a half faster than the only previous Orca run, CMDR Aken B.'s GNV Armonia, placing 10th on the leaderboard. Well done, CMDR! o7

Edelgard von Rhein · Aug 30, 2023

Todays entry completes the triumvirate of Alliance vessels in Unlimited class, with the addition of CMDR crotalus' Alliance Crusader, Eleanor. The time of 35:26 is marginally slower than the other two Alliance ships but only 19 seconds separate the three of them, demonstrating a remarkable consistency of performance (although I do not know if there was a difference in obscured jumps between them). The run was fairly smooth and the shields held, even in the higher gravity of Brazilian Dream, though they did have a few bumps to absorb. Although CMDR crotalus remains, for the time being, the only person to have have raced the Alliance ships, the fact that this latest effort is evenly sandwiched between his own Eagle MkII time and that of CMDR sulu's Viper MkIII shows what competitive times these are. o7 CMDR!