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Six days into the 2017 ERA Baltic Classic Rally, a Tuthill-prepared Porsche 911 SWB 2-litre driven by Gavin and Diana Henderson is leading the classics category at the half-way point of this excellent endurance event. The dynamic duo have held their lead since the end of Day 2. Here’s how the rally organisers report things:
“Our Classics leaders, Gavin and Diana Henderson tell us that they’re both enjoying the rally and the pressure that leading it has brought while not taking anything for granted. They’ve got many long distance events under their wheels now, and a combination of a reliable car, sharp navigation and consistent driving could be the key to a maiden win.”
Following a day off in Helsinki and a ferry to Tallinn in Estonia, the rally restarts tomorrow. The competitors will drive south from Tallinn to Riga in Latvia. Here is the schedule from Riga: still a long way to go for all the competitors, including the three Tuthill Porsche 911s taking part.
Day Nine: Riga to Liepaja
The rally heads west towards Latvia’s premier seaside resort, Liepaja, to experience some of the area’s great gravel roads. The day ends with a smooth gravel time control section.
Day Ten: Liepaja to Kaunas
Another day, another country, this time Lithuania. Continuing south via a couple of tests on private tracks, the rally takes in some of Latvia’s most impressive roads before overnighting at the “party town” of Kaunas.
Day Eleven: Kaunas to Mikolaiki
The day begins with a test over forest roads and a race circuit. Then on to another unseen border crossing into the Polish lake district and the holiday town of Mikołajki.
Day Twelve: Mikolaiki to Sopot
A competition-heavy day, starting with a test on a super-special stage from WRC Rally Poland. The rally then heads north, where the day’s competition ends before a short run to the seaside resort of Sopot, west of Gdansk.
Day Thirteen: Sopot to Szczecin
Heading west, roughly following the Baltic coastline once again, today’s destination is Szczecin. The big challenge is a long regularity section over a disused Cold War airfield. Then onwards to Szczecin, a seaport on the River Oder, for the final night in Poland.
Day Fourteen: Szczecin to Berlin
The rally’s final competitive section is a test at the start of the day which the organisers claim will go down in history amongst all competitors! The rally then follows the River Oder to the German frontier and the final time control. The rally concludes with the gala dinner and prizegiving at a five-star hotel by the Brandenburg Gate.
Photo by official rally photographer, Gerard Brown
