Kennet Valley TR Group Cars take on Le Internationale Rallye des Charente, Angouleme
Four Kennet Valley TR Group members entered and completed the infamous Internationale Rallye des Charente which runs in conjunction with the equally infamous Circuits des Remparts classic and vintage car races in Angouleme France.
Sue & Eddie Mace TR5, Jackie & John Edmonds in a rare Saab Sonnet, Karl Boulton TR6 and Phil Horsley with his boss Patrice Le Reun TR250 mustered in Angouleme for a typical French breakfast and ready to set out on the morning route.
Supplied with a superb tulip route everyone set off to navigate their way to the first stop, well as you can imagine, with 198+, navigate is a bit of an over statement unless at the very front, it was more follow the car in front and the perils that can come with doing that.
After an hour & a half, we reached the first control point at La Commune de Champagne and took mid morning breakfast which consisted of bread, cheese, pate, fois gras, wine and coffee, there was suitable French entertainment laid on to relax before the next stint.
Off we went again for another hour or so through beautiful Charente countryside, the motor bike Gendarmes amply guiding the car through junctions and weeding out the hangers on who were joining on along the route and to the applause and cheering of the large crowds gathered along the route to see the spectacle and then on to the lunch at the very posh hotel Domaine des Etangs
As you can imagine, 198+ cars, 2 plus people per car, dignitaries, etc., two very large marquees were needed and the service was superb and very precise, as usual, lunch took circa two hours before we were off again to the crowd cheering and beautiful scenery to the next stop for afternoon refreshments at control point near Orgedeuil an a high view point over the Charente again an opportunity to view the other wonderful cars on the run.
It was then on to the finish in the centre of Angouleme to a rally end on a ramp and through the inflated finish arch again to applause from a very large crowd.
My boss & I really enjoyed the day and only had one slight route mishap on the run taking 5 cars with us, ho hum, the perils of following and not navigating! Here we are proudly showing off our TR Register polo shirts.
This was a superb event which I would thoroughly recommend, why not do it next year in your TR?