JERSEY DRIVERS once again stamped their authority on the Little Big Group Guernsey Rally as Ross Le Noa, partnered by Derek Le Bailly, retained the winner’s laurels for a remarkable seventh consecutive year at the wheel of his fearsome Ford Escort Mk II.
In a fiercely contested event featuring 24 stages across two demanding days, 15 crews from the Jersey Motorcycle & Light Car Club made the trip to the sister isle, enjoying close competition across every class. Spectators turned out in force despite fierce winds and torrential rain, lining the closed roads — many tighter and more technical than Jersey’s lanes — to witness another thrilling chapter of inter-island rallying.
Friday: Fossey strikes early
Friday afternoon’s opening loop saw Ed Fossey, partnered by Guernseyman Will Rutherford in the rapid Proton Satria Millington, stamp his authority on proceedings with three stage wins. He edged into a slender five-second lead over Le Noa, who matched him with three fastest times of his own.
British champion Damian Cole, co-driven by Sarnian Ian Hislop, held third at that stage, although he was already finding the narrow and slippery lanes a stern test. Darry Morris and Kieran Gregory placed Jersey fourth in their powerful four-wheel-drive Skoda, just two seconds ahead of Dave Oliveira and Victor Nobrega.
The leading Guernsey crew, Nick Duquemin and Phil Ferbrache, were firmly in the mix and would ultimately secure an impressive fifth overall by the rally’s end.
Drama unfolded as darkness fell. Fossey lost approximately 50 seconds when his car cut out, handing Le Noa the initiative. By the overnight halt, Jersey crews filled the top three positions — Le Noa leading from Morris, with Fossey recovering to third.
Another eye-catching performance came from Joao Rodrigues and Guernseyman Fraser Torode, who lay sixth overall on Friday night in their striking Toyota Starlet on its first outing. Unfortunately, their promising run ended in retirement before the finish.
Saturday: Storm conditions and decisive moves
Saturday dawned with warnings of heavy winds and monsoon-like conditions. Le Noa drove with trademark composure to consolidate his advantage, while Fossey launched an all-out attack, claiming 11 fastest stage times across the day’s 14 tests.
Despite Fossey’s pace, Le Noa’s consistency proved decisive. He secured victory by 57 seconds, with Fossey second and Oliveira completing the podium a further one minute 20 seconds adrift. Morris held on to fourth overall and claimed the 4WD class honours.
Jersey strength in depth was clear. Richard Le Marquand and Trevor Rabet guided their evocative early Escort to eighth overall, while Mark Syvret and Chris Fox brought a similar machine home in ninth — six Jersey crews finishing inside the top 10.
Strong class performances
The Escort marque enjoyed further success. Dave Truscott and Andrew Simpson delivered 12th overall and sixth in class, while Paul Vibert and Nick Le Masurier took first in class and 13th overall in their 1400cc example.
Tim Alderson and first-time co-driver Mark Galvin admitted Friday night was a baptism of fire, but 14th overall and seventh in class represented a strong return. Keith and Matthew Pinel’s Sunbeam proved a crowd favourite and rewarded them with 16th overall — their best result in Guernsey to date.
Dan Gallichan and Will de la Haye battled the demanding stages in their BMW to finish 22nd, comfortably beating their seeding. Paul Carre and Zak Simpson, late entrants on their first Guernsey outing, enjoyed the experience despite the weather and climbed from a seeding of 40 to finish 25th.
Nathan Nicolle and Romany Stephens endured an off-road excursion that hampered their charge, ultimately finishing 26th overall in their BMW-powered machine.
Inter-island collaboration continues
Alongside the competing crews, many volunteer officials travelled from Jersey to support the event, underlining the strong collaboration between the islands in delivering these major motorsport occasions.
Once again, Jersey emerged victorious on Guernsey soil — but the true winner was inter-island rallying, as competitors, officials and fans combined to produce a memorable and hard-fought event in the most testing of conditions.
