RtG Ypres-Istanbul Daily Dispatch - complete - web - Flipbook - Page 40
Day 19: Edirne to Tekirdağ, 2 July 2022
John and Nicole Whitelock, 1968 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL
Design: K-Design
earnest discussions between crew members. Thankfully the
navigators prevailed and all emerged unscathed from this
tangle of tulips and we quickly joined the coast road to the
last two Regularities along the glittering corniche that led
straight into the night halt.
Yeniköy was the first section, climbing high above the
shimmering blue water into the pine clad hills. The second
Regularity headed into the town of Kumbağ and took the rally
back to the Sea of Marmara where, after a day of plain sailing,
we dropped anchor in the Ramada Hotel in Tekirdağ before
rowing ashore for a seafood dinner in the Yelken Restaurant.
The hospitality was superb and the atmosphere convivial,
but tomorrow is the last day and the merriment was tinged
with the realisation that our great adventure was almost over.
Graham and Marina Goodwin, 1929 Bentley 4½
www.rallytheglobe.com
Text & photos: gerardbrown.co.uk
The African Plains Time Control Section was the early
morning wake-up call that the rally had to contend with
soon after leaving the hotel. With four timing points across
7km of gravel roads, a dry river crossing, and stretches of
unforgiving, hard baked, dirt, this section needed a careful
approach to avoid the pitfalls. Much like the wet and muddy
Time Control section we’d enjoyed on our way into Bucharest,
this was one the crews enjoyed immensely.
The fun didn’t cease at the stopwatch, with significant
amounts of rural Turkey to deal with before we hit any decent
tarmac. And, after a couple of hours swapping between
highways and byways, we sat down to lunch at the Time
Control in the cool, calm, oasis of the Troıa Agora restaurant.
After Turkish coffee there were three Regularities to tackle.
The first from Naimad was an all-gravel affair through a 5km
byzantine labyrinth of dusty farm tracks and unmade roads.
The 48-hour car crew of Dick Appleton and Chris Mills were
on the clocks. To add to the fun at one or two junctions there
were some difficult decisions to be made, resulting in some