After three days of epic rallying action around the UK, the all-female crew of Charlotte de Montmorency and Philippa Bailey took victory in the third running of the Generations Rally.
Organised by Rally The Globe, the Generations Rally is designed to encourage newcomers, families and younger participants into the world of regularity and test rallying, with ease of participation a key factor. This year’s event was based in Cheshire, at the Carden Park Hotel and Spa, with crews made up from differing generations of the same families.
The event began with two tests at Oulton Park, before a couple of regularity runs, then it made a return to Oulton Park and a final section at Carden Hall. The next day took the record-breaking 90-strong list of pre-1986 cars on a 173-mile route across the Welsh border into the Berwyn Mountains and the Eryri Snowdonia National Park, with five regularity runs and two tests. Sunday saw a 95-mile route, four further tests and three regularities.
The all-female crew of Charlotte de Montmorency and Philippa Bailey took victory in the third running of the Generations Rally
The 1938 Triumph Dolomite of de Montmorency and Bailey finished two seconds ahead of the 1926 Bentley Supersports of of father and daughter Nick and Jess Sleep in the Pre-War class, while the 1972 Porsche 911 of Jack and Simon Brien held off Roger and Leigh Powley in their 1972 Porsche 911 E.
“We’ve had class wins before, but this is our first overall – and it’s a big first for me and a big first for Charlotte,” said de Montmorency. ““It’s been such a beautifully run event. We didn’t do anything remarkable; we were consistent and we kept it steady and simple. We didn’t overcomplicate anything, and we tried to have a laugh along the way.”
“This is great for us; we won the Carrera Riviera last year, which was a real highlight, but this one is also special,” said Brien. “It was short and sharp, but very enjoyable. Jack’s navigation was pretty handy, too, and we were on it during the tests, where we split the driving.”
The Spirit of the Rally award was awarded to Wendy O’Donohue, while the Against All Odds accolade went to George and Angus Johnson, who tackled the rally in a 750cc Austin 7 Ulster.
“As well as the fantastic competitors who bring themselves and their remarkable cars, I’d like to thank the entire Rally The Globe team, for their efforts,” said rally director Fred Gallagher. “Mark Appleton and Anthony Preston for finding the roads, and chief marshal Brynmor Pierce for putting together the superb team of volunteers who timed our every move.”
Rally The Globe’s next events include the Vintage Shamrock (May 6-9, 2024), the Carrera Bavaria (June 16-26) and the Austria to Athens Challenge (September 29-October 13). More details can be found here.
