Episode 23. Scoring.

Team Four Cliffs and their support team return home to a heroes welcome. Gary's Da gets a lot of the credit for the team's success. On the other hand, Col. Starling loses his position as coach to the Cadet School, due to a change in direction by the starlings' elders. Gary's Da gets another notion. Both he and Gary meet up with Col. Starling and he suggests that they start up an academy to train gannets to compete in future EGGs. The Colonel agrees to the suggestion. Gary says he will be the academy's first candidate as his aim is to retain his title at the next EGG. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The final race begins as fifty-four gannets sprint away from the start line into the first section of the Long Course Obstacle Race. As the race settles down, Gary is in tenth position with Gerhardt close by. Soon the competitiors are out of view heading south to a red buoy. An hour later a summer storm suddenly whips up out of nowhere and buckets of rain fall on the Nine Inlets. Soon squally showers are heading in the direction of the competitors on the homeward leg from the red buoy. The conditions now make it an even sterner test of stamina. Advantage Gary perhaps, after all the training he did with the starlings, or perhaps not ... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It is day 5 of the EGG. The competitors for the Long Course Obstacle Race are up early and are going through their routines. Gary's Da is going over the course notes with Gary and Gerhardt as Tickles works on their muscles and wings. The announcement is made to go to the start line for the final event of the EGG, the race that decides the overall individual title and the team title. Gertrude counts the gannets at the start line, there is one missing. Victor has decided to withdraw from the race. After three earlier victories in the EGG, Victor is the odds on favourite to win the individual title. Gary's Da gets excited, his Gary is in with a chance of overall glory, if, and its a big if, he can win the Long Course race. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The short course obstacle race is the next event in the EGG. Ten heats are required such is the number of entrants. The winner of each heat qualifies for the final. Gary and Gregory's uncle are Team Four Cliffs' representatives in this event. Tickles, Team Four Cliffs' masseur and kit man, puts his athletes through a vigorous prerace warm-up routine. Both Gary and a red lipsticked Gregory's uncle make the final, but so does Victor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Team Four Cliffs have three representatives at the most spectator friendly day of the EGG. Big crowds gather to view the individual and synchronized dive events. Gary goes in the individual dive event, where the standard is very high and the judges' scores stingy. Much to the amusement of the onlooking galleries Gary scores a 9.5 for his dive. It turns out to be the winning score. His father is the proudest gannet ever and there is delight amongst Team Four Cliffs and their supporters. Gertrude and Gerhardt are next up in the synchronized event ... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A week doing practice runs and planning strategies flies by and the start date of the Extraordinary Gannet Games comes round. On an unusually warm day, Gertrude is the first member of Team Four Cliffs into action. After a sweaty, impatient wait, she performs her routine almost perfectly and is awarded second place, the first podium finish for a Team Four Cliffs competitor in years, cue great celebration among the team and their supporters. Gary's Da takes note of the winner though, a big strong gannet called Victor, who soon emerges as a serious rival to Gary and co. Next into the fray is Tiny, to compete in the sprint, the event to determine the fastest gannet on the planet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Team Four Cliffs' traveling party get a rousing sendoff as they set out on their three day journey to the Nine Inlets, the host colony for the latest edition of the Extraordinary Gannet Games. On their first night stop over at the base of a Lighthouse, a strange hypnotic incident occurs with one of the team, and the others have to scramble to prevent the hapless gannet from hurting himself. Gary insists that they all act sensibly for here on, as all five of them are needed to compete in the team competition. The rest of the journey goes to plan and they arrive tired but safely at their destination. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A quick overview of how the events at the EGG trials and at the Extraordinary Gannet Games (EGG) are scored and how the overall individual and team competitions' winners are decided. Each gannet colony holds a trial consisting of six events, the winners of each event are automatically selected on the team to represent that colony at the EGG. The same method of scoring is used in the trials and at the EGG. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The EGG trials continue. Gertrude and Gerhardt put on a great performance and win the synchronized dive competition. Gary's Da has now coached , the winner of the one-legged landing, a 1-2 in the Individual dive, and the winners of the synchronized dive. All three of his athletes, Gary, Gertrude and Gerhardt have won their places on Team Four Cliffs. The short course obstacle race is won in controversial circumstances by Gregory. The final event, the long course obstacle race, is the Blue Riband event and the winner is considered the over-all champion of the trials. Gary, Gerhardt, Tiny and Gregory are among the twenty gannets that take the starting line for this event. Gregory is up to his usual tricks and tries to intimidate Gary before the race starts.The race develops with Gary taking a lead in the run out to the lighthouse, followed by a fast charging Gregory. Gregory attempts an overtaking manoeuvre as both he and Gary approach the lighthouse. Then disaster strikes ... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The next event in the EGG trials is the Sprint. A big, strong, fast gannet, named Tiny wins his place on team Four Cliffs. The next event up is the Individual Dive competition. This is the most spectator friendly event of the trials and the cliff face and rocky outcrops are jammed with gannets wanting to witness proceedings. Thrills and spills ensue as gannets of all shapes and sizes, splash and belly flop into the sea as they try to impress the judges. The final three competitors are Gerhardt, Gregory and Gary. Gerhardt has to fly in between Gregory and Gary to prevent an argument from breaking out. Then it is Gerhardt's turn to dive... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.