THE INCA TRAIL
the big South American adventure rally
Day 54: Paranagua - Guaruja (489km)
Stop - Look - Listen ...
Alastair Caldwell's Ferrari at a secret timing point during the 16km 'Stop - Look - Listen' regularity section. |
Just 16 km long, the roadbook showed a large number of bus stops. Experienced navigators who like to try to work their way into the organisers' brains often try to predict the location of the secret Regularity Timing Points. Knowing Deputy Clerk of the Course Peter Rushforth's choice of locations through the rally, most reckoned that his swansong would be the 'Bus Shelter Regularity'. But Peter threw them a googly. It turned out to be the 'Stop - Look - Listen' Regularity: the route was also criss-crossed by a railway line.
The Inca Trail has driven thousands of kilometres and crossed many a line with tracks looking like they've not seen a train for months - or even with no tracks at all. But on this last day of competition here was a working line. Peter judged it fair to put his controls before each crossing: that way a few unlucky crews would not be disadvantaged. For good measure he threw in a couple of bus shelters too.
Paul and Jayne Wignall were glad of his strategy. Without it, they'd have been well down the leader board. They reached a crossing Timing Point just as a train was coming along, and handed over their time card. Then the marshals restarted them on the next minute, after the train had passed on its way. It wasn't a particularly fast train: Paul and Jayne know that, because it reached the next level crossing just as they did. They'd travelled at their strict 45kph between the two - and the train had the more direct route.
But unlike the final Medal Section of yesterday, there were no major dramas. Medal and class placings survived intact for classics and 4x4s alike.
A 15km run on old stone pave along part of the most famous road in Brazil, the Estrada Graciosa, followed before crews headed again for the Atlantic coast and Sao Paulo's seaside resort of Guaruja.
Tomorrow it's the final run for home - and a champagne celebration at Copcabana Fort, our starting place 55 days before.