DD - Flipbook - Page 22
28 June to 10 July 2026
Pre start & scrutineering
Copenhagen
28 June 2026
Alfie and Valerie Cheyne9s Bentley had a slight issue with its
magneto, but most of the problems down in the garage were
minor faults with brake lights, trip meters, and horns. They
were quickly sorted by the spannermen, giving the entire
field a clean bill of health before the mid-afternoon drivers9
briefing brought an end to the official pre-start process.
A well-timed, three-hour break gave the crews time to
brush up their navigation skills, with the aforementioned Gill
Cotton, or enjoy the tail end of the latest European heatwave,
have some lunch, and prepare themselves for the evening9s
drinks party and welcome dinner in an air-conditioned
sanctuary overlooking the bustling shores of the Sydhavnen.
As usual, Dick Appleton and Paul Heal saw none of this;
the 48-hour car crew were well up the road in Sweden this
evening, engaged in the vital work of looking for problems
and finding solutions.
Text & photos: gerardbrown.co.uk
For our third event of the year, and the third RtG
Challenge event, we9ve assembled in Copenhagen,
the capital of Denmark, land of pastries, Lego, and
Hamlet, for the 2026 Nordic Challenge.
Design: K-Design
This is just about the most northerly rally that Rally the Globe
has organised, with only the early days of the 2023 Alaska
to Mexico Marathon edging it for overall latitude. We9re very
much looking forward to some subarctic action on the threedimensional roads often seen on the WRC circuit.
Our line up ranges from iconic 1920s Bentleys to
the modern classics of 1973. Six ferries will whisk the
competitors between the landscapes of four beautiful
countries across 4300km, 600km of which is gravel. The
37 Regularities, involving 62 Timing Points, and 19 Tests
will give the Results Team something to get their teeth into
every evening. The route is designed by Deputy Clerk of the
Course, Anthony Preston, and applying the rules is Clerk of
the Course and rally director, Mark Appleton.
Whilst everyone was keen to get going, today was taken
up with the pre-event formalities at the waterside Marriott
Hotel; these included signing on and paperwork collection,
along with scrutineering and last-minute fettling.
Gill Cotton, Karen Gaffney, and Audrey Rudd dealt with
the bureaucracy, while Andy Inskip, Peter Banham, Charlie
Neale, and Russ Smith took on all things mechanical and
checked the cars for safety and compliance.
www.rallytheglobe.com
