DD - Flipbook - Page 11
28 June to 10 July 2026
Day 5
Jyväskylä to Umeå (345km)
3 July 2026
Text & photos: gerardbrown.co.uk Design: K-Design Jari photo: RtG Team
As time and tide wait for no man, we
enjoyed a shorter day today as we
said näkemiin ja kiitos to Finland - the
world’s happiest country and one with
more saunas than cars. The route led
us from the 1,000 Lakes to another
ferry bound for our Swedish reprise.
From Jyväskylä we set a course to a
Regularity at Humalamäki which followed
the route of another famous 1,000 Lakes
stage, known for being fast, and packed
with tricky jumps. This was quickly followed
by a second Regularity at Jukojärvi which
continued the theme of using top-class rally
roads requiring precise navigation but, this
time, with a vicious squall thrown in that hit
the last quarter of the field.
Joe and Maggie Hayes, 1973 Porsche 911
Jari-Matti Latvala
This was a very localised downpour, however,
and by the time we saw the Route Check in
Liesjärvi our tyres were kicking up the dust
once again. This made the refreshments at the
morning Time Control in Tuuri all the more
welcome and gave us the chance to join with
the Finns - the world’s biggest consumers of
coffee - in taking a welcome cup of Joe in the JMRally Parc Fermé. A small motorsport museum,
housed at the HQ of the Jari-Matti Latvala rally
team, gave the crews something to chew over
with cinnamon buns and pastries. Jari-Matti
and his parents were all in attendance.
A Route Check in Läntisranta swept the Rally
out of the Lake District and into the Test at
the Ala-Talkkari Areena for two laps of an
all-tarmac circuit combining a wide hill climb
piste and a narrow kart track section.
The honour of being the final Finnish
Regularity went to the Kyrönjoki section which
used a variety of surfaces including tarmac,
Nigel and Sally Woof, 1961 Volvo PV544
www.rallytheglobe.com
