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A request for comments on the 2023 Guernsey Rally flooded our inbox with 'revved up' supporters out-numbering those opposing motorsports entirely. We've collated some of those comments below to share a flavour of the thoughts around the weekend's event.
Some have been shortened for brevity and some syntax has been ammended, but the content has not been edited.
I used to race up until 20 years ago when I had my son who is now 21, and last year when I heard they were short of marshalls, offered to help to give something back to the sport i love. I did the same this year with my partner.
I also volunteer for the Guernsey stroke society in support of my dad, the Guernsey marathon, the Investec fun run for MIND, and I have also volunteered for the week of the Island Games in July, so I am not being biased.
In all of my volunteering I have never been so disappointed with a very small minority of people who swore at me and totally disrespected the event and me. I was embarrassed and sad that people that live on our lovely island could be so vile and unaccommodating.
The rally committee have done an amazing job and I truly hope they get the green light again for 2024 and that the handful of protesters are warned in advance that their actions will have consequences.
This is a perfect way for the island to get more revenue in many ways, and let's get Guernsey back on the map for having things to do and see. There were literally hundreds and hundreds of parents with kids at the stages I marshalled both days and the huge positive support was quite overwhelming. People in wheelchairs, elderly, couples, teenagers, they were all there supporting the event.
Please think twice before damning and cancelling this event.
Pictured: Images provided by Jono Robilliard.
I’d like to voice my thanks to the organisers of the Guernsey Rally 2023, for staging such a well managed event. I was disappointed not to have seen much action Friday evening due to the protestors, but that was more than made up for on Saturday. I live on the Felconte stage and was delighted to have the rally speed down the road, we had over 25 on our lawn watching the racing, including a couple from Jersey. Everyone had a great time even the ones for whom this was their first experience of a Guernsey Rally.
It takes a great deal of effort and time from a large group of people who are passionate about their sport to run events like this. I am glad that we have such a diversity of sporting events on this island, which many people enjoy. Motorsport is expensive to run and compete in, yet due the public nature of the sport is free to spectators.
Well done, roll on next year.
First of all I would personally like to thank all the Constables of all the above parashies for their understanding and allowing the Guernsey rally to go ahead in their area. Also thank you to traffic for allowing the roads to be closed.
I was an official as a safety car driver/ passenger at this event. It is not a job I take lightly. We had to sit an intensive course to gain our motor sport UK (MSUK) safety car driver licence. As we drove through the stage it became apparent that there were more people watching than was expected as it was a cold night and day.
We were pre warned in the briefing that there may be some residents who might cause a bit of trouble, but I must say I was not expecting what we witnessed. First of all on the Torteval stage, we stopped at one property close to the Imperial hotel. The resident was quite nasty and was not even willing to listen to reason, this led to the 30 odd cars traveling at road speed on their first run. There must have been 150 plus watching from the Imp carpark who only got to see one run at speed out of the four that was planned that included parents who had their children along to watch. What a disappointment to them all.
On getting to the St Saviours stage, the same sort of problems were there with an irate woman again who would not listen to reason, even to the police. In the same stage we witnessed a family who were delighted it was passing their house and were even in the front garden with a wood burner sipping wine.
We had a few minor problems on Saturday with one or two but on the whole it went like it should have with many people watching and the feedback I have received that they loved it.
So in closing, the Guernsey Rally committee work tirelessly throughout the year to put on this event. It is not a bunch of kids racing around willy nilly, it is professionally organised and overseen by a safety delegate from MSUK who travels around the UK to run much bigger rallys than ours; in our debrief he congratulated us for putting on a first class rally and dealing with the troublemakers in a professional and polite way. If any of you have access to Facebook just go on the Guernsey rally page and watch a few of the great videos of racers and the public enjoying themselves , the evidence is there. I also believe that the Trelade hotel was full, the Peninsula was half full and some stayed at St Pierre Park; so good for tourism in cold February.
I do hope you can support us and keep allowing us to have a few fun once a year.
Pictured: The view from inside one of the cars.
I would just like to express how enthusiastic I was to follow the Guernsey Rally, all be it from the main land, to read all the positive feed from the residents, competitors and organisers.
As a Rally driver, and fan for many years, I was fortunate to compete in Jersey a few times and now Guernsey will definitely be a place on my list to visit during the Rally weekend, and who knows maybe compete. Well done to everyone involved and I best get booking.
I am not generally a motor sport fan, but this is the third Rally I’ve watched and really enjoyed. It is quite a spectacle and the atmosphere at the spectating points is lovely, seeing all sorts of people enjoying this and a lovely community spirit in people coming together, braving the cold and being thrilled by the skilful driving. The organisation is slick and the stages are over quickly, it is not excessively noisy and having walked some of the lanes yesterday you would not have known that there had been racing taking place.
Guernsey is small and there are no non-residential routes; it would be such a shame if a few complainants stopped future Rallies purely because they don’t want them to pass their property. They seem to use different routes each time, so the chances are that this would only inconvenience some residents for a few hours every 4 years or so!
I understand that there were also concerns about livestock; but there can be large vehicles, noisy motorbikes, road works, out of control dogs, or general commotion which happens alongside public roads that livestock owners are not aware of or able to intervene. There is probably a good reason why the full route is not published too far in advance, perhaps in future when the parishes which will stage the Rally are announced concerned livestock owners could request route details from the constables to check if it would affect them.
Sally Robert (pictured top)
We were delighted to volunteer as timekeepers for the Guernsey Rally despite being out in the cold.
Rally drivers that come over to our Island bring with them co-driver, crew (mechanics), family and friends, all staying at hotels, Trelade, Peninsular, St Pierre Park etc, hire cars, fuel, restaurants, ferries, airlines, the amount of money spent is huge, and it was such a shame there was a few that tried to stop the rally.
The amount of spectators that was shown via Facebook shows the amount of support. We will volunteer next year despite the cold.
The Guernsey Rally is a great event for all ages and families to go and watch and to see some amazing talent from every individuals.
I went to last years and this years (2022/2023) as my partner was navigating for both of them. I go and support him and his friend who is driving and I love the atmosphere of seeing all the cars and everyone’s different talents on how they race.
The organisers work extremely hard; with all the notes for the drivers/navigators, training for new marshals and people who help out throughout the weekend, planning each individual route; from Beaucamp School (services) to each stage and plan each route for the stages and finding the best places for spectators to be able to watch in a safe environment.
I went and watched Friday evening by the Auberge Hotel and seeing the amount of families and individuals out and watching was lovely, and seeing many happy faces when the cars finally started and the same by Fairfield on Saturday morning. There were so many people out watching and supporting all the drivers. I even saw some people who had a house near by bring hot drinks and food to the marshals and let them use their toilet which was very heartwarming, seeing as it was such a cold morning. Everyone who is a part of the rally is always very friendly and helpful and it was lovely seeing so many people enjoying the event as much as I do.
There were some absolutely fantastic stages this year, with some difficult lanes to race through but everyone did amazingly and there were some amazing racing over the weekend! I really hope the rally can continue and not let everything that happened this year turn it into a bad event, as I know a lot of people really enjoy the event, and seeing as it only happens for a few hours a year it’ll be a shame if this was the last event, as I know how much hard work is put into it each year.
My husband & I are great fans of both the Jersey & Guernsey rally & we travelled to Guernsey from Jersey on the Friday lunchtime flight.
It was very disappointing that a minority spoilt the Friday evening stage, we were at the Imperial hotel where the atmosphere was brilliant, a really large crowd including parents with young children, all very excited to see the cars.
The Saturday stages made up for the Friday debacle. The organisation was faultless; a big thank you to all involved. I must also thank a wonderful Guernsey family who not only allowed us to watch from their garden but also supplied hot cups of tea & toilet facilities on what can only be described as a bitterly cold afternoon.
As you know, the cost of an inter island flight is quite expensive, along with accommodation food and car hire it's not a cheap weekend, however, despite the minority who thought that they could spoil everything, we thoroughly enjoyed our weekend. The Les Douvres hotel was exceptional & the people of Guernsey we met during our short stay were lovely.
We will be back next year for sure.
I was competing on the weekend. Dale Crowsley and I were the top Guernsey seeded crew and we were winning the rally until unfortunately the car broke down on Saturday lunchtime.
I am a local resident here in Guernsey and I compete nationally and internationally on rallies, in fact I am a 2-time national English Rally champion.
Unfortunately, in 20 years as a competitor, I have never experienced scenes like Friday evening which really disheartens me on my 'home' event.
The support from the majority during the weekend was incredible and I really think the negativity will almost bring a stronger will for the event to continue.
Pictured top: Image provided by Sally Robert.
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