Three Legs of Mann 2026 - Leg One Rally Report
The weather is always a factor during the Three Legs of Mann rally, this year though, Manannán, the Manx God of the Sea, has been up to his tricks before a wheel has even been turned, as gale force winds battered the Island and forced the cancellation of several ferries, leaving 16 of our crews stuck on the mainland. It takes more than a little swell in the Irish Sea to put off our competitors though, and we’re delighted that all the cars took the one remaining overnight ferry to the Island, arriving at 6am this morning, giving them just enough time to get to scrutineering and then head straight to the start line! A great effort by them, and by our team of scrutineers.
Thankfully, the wind and rain that had been battering the Island had eased, and even the sun had shown up when the cars finally got underway this morning – after another slight delay due to the late arrival of the Manxman Ferry. The time could wait no longer, and the pace of the rally was evident from the outset, as the cars went from the start line at the TT Grandstand and straight into a pair of tests, under the gaze of the famous old building.
Dan Willan and Mark Appleton are the current champions, and had the honour of leading the field away, and whilst their pace and the pace of those around them was blistering, it was Chris and Claire Day that had the best of both of the opening tests in the white Cooper S, though they shared the top time on the first test with a trio of cars, made up of Nick Bloxham and Nick Darkin in a Ford Escort Mexico and Ali and Lynsey Procter in a Peugeot 205 GTi.
A regularity followed on the narrow Manx lanes, and then an early stop for a coffee break, the arrival at which was hastened by the late running boat, with the stop no doubt welcomed by those 16 crews that had missed out on any real sleep as they were thrown about in the Irish Sea.
Back on the road and three closed road tests followed in quick succession, the first of which would claim the first major scalp of the event. The Volvo PV544 wearing the number one plate, that has completed 24 consecutive events without retirement, suffered a broken wishbone, and despite getting the damage welded at a local garage the repair is not good enough for them to carry on. Dan Willan and Mark Appleton, the champions, are out. The test was going better for Bevan Blacker and Niall Frost, as they set the fastest time, though when the cars came round for a second stab at it, the honour’s went to the North East’s fastest kitchen fitter, Ali Proctor.
Another few miles and another test, and on another closed road. This time it was a run on steep descent, with an equally steep ascent as the cars passed the Cringle Reservoir. The views out to the South Coast were impressive, not that anybody would have had any time for sightseeing. Midway through the test there was a tight slot into a car park, with the drystone walls at the entrance doing their best to suck the cars into them. Ricki Proffit, in the Arnold Clark sponsored Porsche 911 came close, but not as close as Martyn Taylor and Phil Savage in the Vauxhall Astra, who gave the rocks the gentlest of kisses. Fastest time through here again went to the freshly assemble Escort of Blacker and Frost, but with the usual suspects finishing first in their respective classes.
Back onto the open roads and back into a regularity to slow things down a touch after the tests, with another following suit after the route had taken the cars back towards the nucleus of the TT Course, before heading towards the west coast and Jurby Airfield, for the first of several visits to the facility this weekend. The first test on the airfield was an opportunity to claim extra bragging rights, as the cars went head-to-head on a slalom course, with some thrilling contests as the opposing pairs attempted to outdo one another amongst the cones.
The cones would cause problems for one of the days faster cars on the subsequent test, as the two Nicks in the yellow Mexico suffered a wrong test, picking up an uncharacteristic 30 second penalty. The Escort also had a broken wheel sensor, that would require attention from the Sweeps at the midday time control.
Whilst some were fighting with the cones, the black and gold Cortina of Angus McQueen and Mike Cochrane were fighting with the tarmac, and the tyres on Ford were coming out second best. The rubber had all but disappeared, leaving the pair to hobble into a scrapyard at Jurby and exchange the canvass for fresh boots, that the proprietor miraculously had in stock. The pair must have had the Manx Fairies on their side, as they were gifted the tyres, an uptick of fortunes after they had been part of the group that had not had good luck with the Manx ferries!
After a jam-packed morning the lunchtime results showed that the bright orange RS2000 of Mick Valentine and Ryan Pickering was in the lead, with drier Valentine showing no signs of fatigue after travelling on the overnight boat. Paul O’Kane and Richard Crozier were in second place, 28 seconds further back in the white 911. Just 11 seconds behind them Darell Staniforth and Pete Johnson had put the Toyota Corolla into third place.
The afternoon program was somewhat shorter, but no less intense, launching straight into another pair of closed road tests to rouse anyone who may have needed forty winks after lunch. The first of these ran down the back of the famous Goose Neck, and the second was a hill climb in the hills above Maughold, with the metropolis of Ramsay and the Point of Ayre visible as clear as a bell in the distance, as the fickle Manx weather held fast.
It was honours even between Bloxham and Darkin and Blacker and Frost for the fastest time on the first of these sections, but on the hill climb the latter of the pairs was easily the quickest car up the hill. However, those around them were also setting the fastest times in their classes, and maintaining their positions, save for Class 1 where the Mini of the Days was imperious.
There were two more regs to finish the leg, sandwiching another trio of tests at Jurby, before the cars reached the final control of the day, situated at the Victory Café at The Bungalow on the TT Course. The cars were observed by the statue of the late, great Joey Dunlop as they parked up, though the navigators may not have noticed as they extracted themselves quickly from their machines to check in at the MTC.
As the sun set and the results team went to work there was the news that there was an orange weather warning on the Island for snow, but as the table of positions were published there was an orange Escort warning for anyone with an eye on a win, as Mick Valentine and Ryan Pickering had finished the day with a commanding 51 second lead. Bevan Blacker and Niall Frost finished the leg in second place, Bevan destroying a set of tyres in the pursuit of the RS2000. Darell Staniforth and Pete Johnson were still in third place, but Paul O’Kane and Richard Crozier had dropped out of the top three after a self-start wasn’t recorded on their timecard on reg 1/6, an error that had cost them a minute.
A banzai day indeed, but with little room for rest as the second leg beckons, and the crews run into the Manx night. Who knows what the evening could hold, as the witching hour approaches.