RtG The Daily Dispatch - Carrera Riviera - WEB - Flipbook - Page 12
Day 5: Saint-Émilion rest day, 9 June 2023
Photos: gerardbrown.co.uk
On the only rest day of the rally we woke to low cloud,
cooler temperatures and bursts of heavy rain. No doubt
the vines loved it as much as the vegetation of the
Australian bush but, for the rest of us who’d become used
to wall to wall blue skies, this was a bit of a shock. Despite
the boules piste in the grounds, for at least half the day
we were pretty much confined to indoor games.
There was still work to be done though and the
complimentary umbrellas from the hotel were put to
good use throughout the morning keeping the rain off the
sweep crews as they fixed and fettled their way through
the downpour. Adrian Hodgson and David Gainer’s
Chrysler Lancer had enjoyed a spot of late night welding
for a snapped exhaust bracket. This morning the crew
were attending to the rest of their so called “courtesy car”.
Josef and Heidi Dillier’s Jaguar had its front wheels off
and was receiving attention from Charlie Neale and Russ
Smith. The brakes were feeling spongy, so the entire system
was bled and, as a precaution, a new master cylinder
ordered. It turned out to be the day for adjusting brakes,
with Gavin and Diana Henderson’s Frazer Nash-BMW having
similar treatment from Jack Amies wielding his spanner.
Jack found himself in the thick it, tackling the clutch slave
cylinder of David and Jo Roberts’ Jaguar whilst Andy Inskip
gave Robert Collinge’s Mustang a good going over.
The rest of the crews busied themselves with swapping
tyres, cleaning windscreens and checking fluids before
they packed the tools away and went in search of some
dry clothes. With the cars taken care of and the laundry
safely delivered, a trip into nearby Saint-Émilion, a
World Heritage Site, to sample some of the local produce
appealed to many of the crews. For dinner there was
plenty of choice, the Gironde is well known for its food
and bistronomique experiences among the vineyards.
www.rallytheglobe.com
