The organisers left Mull in October 2009 with morale very low indeed. We had been looking forward to a bumper 40th event. Problems during the Rally and various PR issues left us wondering why on earth we were subjecting ourselves to this.
Members of the 2300 Club organise the Tour of Mull in their own time and at their own expense. What they ‘give’ is enormous in these terms and also in terms of their skill, commitment and dedication. The Tour of Mull is our hobby and we run it because we enjoy it. If the enjoyment disappears then we will stop doing it. That is the current position.
The success of the Tour of Mull over 40 years is largely due to the personality and PR skills of my late father Brian. The current organisers do their best to continue his hugely successful approach, not always with the same dexterity.
Since October our efforts have been to solve problems and pour oil on the troubled waters. A lot has been said and written and comments have been made that sabotage our work. Before passing comment, spoken, electronic or in print please consider whether you are helping or hindering us.
Another problem we face is a financial one. We faced some ‘one-off’ costs for the 40th Rally and the underlying trend is that our costs are increasing much faster than our income. The 2009 event will make a very large loss. This is up to the organisers to resolve. I mention this to counter the belief that the Rally is rich, the organisers are getting fat and we, (and Rally visitors generally), are available to be milked by anyone who spots a chance to do so.
Since we have gone public on these matters there is a swelling of support for the Rally. A decision to proceed or not will be made in early March. The only way that we can continue is with full commitment to putting on the best possible event.
Neil Molyneux, Rally Chairman, 20th February 2010
