Ducktailing it to the Targa

bjmullan · Post by **bjmullan** » Wed Jun 01, 2016 11:49 pm

Quick update. We have arrived at our hotel which is about 30 miles east of Palermo. Ferry journey wasn't too bad but the traffic out of Palermo was awful. Amazing dinner at our hillside hotel. Promise photos tomorrow when I get connected to the Internet!

23e Heure · Post by **23e Heure** » Thu Jun 02, 2016 1:59 pm

Took the car for a pre scrutineering run out with Mike this morning, up to the old pits.

We are now in the centre of Palermo, signing on and waiting for scrutineering...

23e Heure · Post by **23e Heure** » Thu Jun 02, 2016 6:04 pm

We met the president of the National Automobile Club of Tunisia, navigating this event in a 250 GTO.

I was wearing a DDK t-shirt.
He pointed at it and said: "I like your club very much. I am a regular visitor to the forum"...

Lurkers of all sorts on here!

Post by **Bootsy** » Thu Jun 02, 2016 6:52 pm

Good to hear

bjmullan · Post by **bjmullan** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 4:21 pm

Apologies for so few pictures, this is down to the lack of decent internet. Slow when it is on but seems to be switched off when our wonderful host takes to her bed!

Sicily is a wonderful island but the driving standards leave something to be desired and also the traffic in Palermo can be very busy. Yesterday we drove to the city to see the cars line up for the start of the Giro. Little did we know at the time but we had parked the RS in the very street of the first owner.

Lots and lots of pictures taken and will be uploaded (probably when we get back)! But for now here are some we have been able to upload.

Mike and the RS at the old pits near Cerda.

A ducktail at the Targa.

mean_in_green · Post by **mean_in_green** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 4:31 pm

Palermo is crazy. Enjoy.

Getting back on the boat was entertaining: every man for himself, hundreds of vehicles aiming for a ramp versus one bloke with anger management issues and a whistle.

bjmullan · Post by **bjmullan** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 4:37 pm

Here's a pan shot of both cars at our farmhouse retreat. Nice place!

bjmullan · Post by **bjmullan** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 4:38 pm

Here's the RS outside the second owner's address in Palermo.

bjmullan · Post by **bjmullan** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 4:44 pm

And here's a lovely young lady who we met in Cefalu who sold us beer, water and our street parking ticket. She was a hostess at the recent Targa Florio and met Jean Todt and one of the drivers that pulled Niki Lauda from his burning Ferrari. Therefore she deserves a mention here because of that and nothing else....

23e Heure · Post by **23e Heure** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 11:46 pm

Uploading photos is turning out to be a bit of a challenge from rural Sicily, so those will follow later, and hopefully be plentiful.

While Mike and Brendan have been off tracing the history of Mikes car and drinking in the history of the Targa, Johnny and I have been involved in some unexpectedly serious competition.

What we had anticipated to be a relaxed tour for classic cars around the island has turned out to be fierce and fast road racing... And all the better for it!

Last night the Giro started at 8pm from right in the centre of Palermo.
For the first few kilometres we had to press through an endless narrow tunnel of cheering locals, then headed out of town and up into the mountain roads, west along the coast.

It was dark and fast. A mix of sweeping long stages, punctuated by twisties with sheer drops to the sea.

Every other town we passed had a timed checkpoint, and last night everyone and their mother was out in the streets cheering, clapping and taking photos. A true carnival atmosphere.

In some towns we have special timed stages through the narrow streets: it's pretty good fun getting the back end out on the cobbles, rounding ancient town squares replete with fountains and centuries old churches

Although officially we are meant to be obeying the speed limits, the police seem to be treating it as a legalised road race, holding traffic back and taking photos themselves as competitors push on by. As a result most of us are going flat flat out.

Our car has been running very strong, despite a tendency to backfire dramatically on the overrun. Running a 2.7MFI 911 makes us one of the quickest cars in the line up (of almost 200 runners!), but we can't hold a match to 2 locals in their Stingray, who seem intent on breaking some kind of record for derring do.

Last night we finished about 1am, and I almost fell asleep fully dressed as soon as we got to the hotel.

Today we ran for about 8hrs: fantastic driving roads, with a backdrop of mountains and sea that has to be seen to be believed. We also took in a special stage en route on the Valle de Templi race track.

We are now half way through the event. A full day again tomorrow, and then a half day on Sunday finishing at the Piccolo Madonie circuit.

Despite our performance advantage over a lot of the field, we don't expect to finish anywhere but near the bottom, as it is still on paper a regularity rally, and there are a lot of Halda Tripmaster experts out there letting the rest of us hare off, while they carefully arrive at every checkpoint within milliseconds of the target time in the road book.

I know photos say 100 words, but hopefully this post will help paint a picture of what it's been like, until we can upload something more jpeg shaped.

Have worn a DDK shirt every day so far, flying the flag for the Maverick Massive

johnM · Post by **johnM** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 6:54 am

Wow sounds fantastic fun. This really is living the dream. Can't wait for the photos.

sladey · Post by **sladey** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 6:57 am

Brilliant - just brilliant- please keep the reports coming and add the pics when you can

jeremyg · Post by **jeremyg** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 7:17 am

This has been every bit as good as it promised to be. Thanks so much for letting us share in the excitement. Can't wait to see the photos.

Lightweight_911 · Post by **Lightweight_911** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 9:18 am

Thanks for keeping us updated James (& Brendan) - this has to be one of the 'ultimate' trips ...

23e Heure · Post by **23e Heure** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 1:24 pm

Lunch stop and we are eating with the current leaders, a Palermo couple who are driving a Light Ivory 69 2.2E.

Oh, and you can see that Stingray too.

DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker