Thanks Naj.... I'll produce a write-up for Pagoda World and upload at least a couple more pictures. To let the cat out of the bag, I came in second place overall, and won two day prizes. The top 5 were so close in points that the decisions were made on the last day... and between 2nd and 3rd place it was determined on a skid-training circuit (you know, with slippery surfaces), depending on seconds of differences after a full week of rallying, 2500 km's, mountain passes, snow, and thousands of hairpin-bends.
How serious this rally is is shown on the picture. About 10 cars out of 200 starters ended up on the trailer, because the weather in France was unseasonally cold and especially wet, leading to slippery roads. Many more cars had damage to bodywork, but were still driveable, and participants managed to finish. Most common mistake made: braking when an emergency situation occurred, yielding cars uncontrollable. Second issue: not having good enough tires.
The Pagoda on the picture is from friends of mine, they ended up in a ditch. The bodywork damage is pretty extensive, but the transmission linkage bushings broke on impact, so that the car could not be driven anymore. The car was already on the trailer before I could tell them they probably could have continued... The Healey on the bottom is probably totalled, as the chassis is completely bent out of shape and the engine has entered the passenger compartment. During this rally people do anything to complete it... drive without functioning alternators, with two batteries, drive without windscreen wipers to save power for the ignition, people with bodywork damage, single headlights, exhausts tied on with wire, and so on and so forth.
Anyway, it was a great event!
Peter
