Friday    9.6.2017
  27km Total: 1537km    2.61km Total: 75.69km

The last day of racing.
Today they'll ride the TT Senior race which by far is the one that draws the biggest crowds of the week.

We decide that we better head out early to get a good spot so we arrive at our chosen location at Creg-Ny-Baa around 9AM.
This would prove to be a lot earlier than needed because the race is postponed twice due to the weather conditions.
It's well past noon when they finally start the race and they don't get to do more than two laps before Hutchinson goes down because of some kind of problem with the front wheel.
By this race's standars he's not severely injured (= he's still alive) but in reality he damaged the same leg that already was more metal than bone so a very sad end to the racing for Hutchy's otherwise very successful week on the Isle.

After clearing the track they restart the race but because time is getting short they shorten the race from six to four laps where Michael Dunlop eventually grabs his 15th Isle of man victory.

After the dare devil sidecars it time for the by far least crowd-pleasing race of the week, TT Zero, the electric bikes.
The development costs for a race bike in this class is astronomical so the field is pretty thin but I personally don't get the hate at all.
The current lap record of this class is 18.59 with an average speed of 192km/h so I really think they hold their own.

The Kiwi Anstey grabs the victory followed by Guy Martin who because of Hondas complete fiasco with the new Fireblade completes his only race this year.
Because the electrics sneak up on you without a lot of sound I didn't even get a good pic of one of my personal heroes but at least I've seen him race.

By now our stomachs are just screaming to be fed.
We get the latest lunch in history in Laxey where Nisse has led us because he wants to look at the waterwheel there before we head back to Douglas.
The Laxey Wheel, aka Lady Isabella (named after the wife of the governor at the time) was very impressive. Built in 1854 to pump water out of the mines.
The reason they built a waterwheel for this is because the Isle of man has no domestic coal production.
Fun fact: The Laaxey Wheel has its own song.

TT Zero (electric) Creg-Ny-Baa
Start number: #1 Bruce Anstey, Mugen (winner) • #6 Daley Mathison, University of Nottingham (3rd)


Sidecar Race 2
Start number: #1 Ben Birchall/Tom Birchall, LCR/IEG Racing (winner) • #5 Tim Reeves/Mark Wilkes (DNF) • #3 John Holden/Lee Cain, Honda Silicone Engineering/Barnes Racing (2nd)


Senior TT
Start number: #6 Michael Dunlop, Suzuki/Bennetts (Winner) • #3 James Hillier, Kawasaki/JG Speedfit (4th) • #1 David Johnson, Norton Motorcycles (7th) • #11 Michael Rutter, BMW/Bathams SMT Racing • #15 William Dunlop, Yamaha/Temple Golf Club • #17 Steve Mercer, Kawasaki (DNF) • #9 Dean Harrison, Kawasaki/Silicone Engineering (3rd) • #7 Conor Cummins Honda/padgettsmotorcycles.com • #14 Dan Kneen, BMW/Penz 13 (12th)

There no doubting that Laxey used to be a miners town.

Laxey Wheel

Saturday    10.6.2017       14.03km Total: 89.72km

The races are now finished and people have started leaving the island.
We mainly chill all day and do nothing more creative than shop, drink coffee and eat good food all day and it was pretty good.
I've heard somewhere that this is what normal people do on their vacations.

When the evening comes we meet up with the rest of the SMC gang for a going-home dinner at the Italian restaurant Alessandros.
The food is good and everybody's enjoying themselves and having a good time right up until it's time for the formality of payment.
Me, Nisse and Anders had eaten here previously and where almost lynched just because we wanted to split the check three ways.
So I pretty much already knew what was coming when we wanted to split a check for almost £500 18 ways.
Saying that it all turned a bit sour might be the understatement of the year.

The turn of event displayed after that was completely farcical, threats and insults are hurled back and forth like a game of tennis.
All while a young waitress who is actually doing her best to solve the problem is nearing a nervous breakdown at an alarming rate.
I have to admit I actually though the whole spectacle was quite entertaining, although I in no way could rule out the possibility of it all ending with the manager calling the constabulary.

We do manage to resolve the situation eventually (without involvement from the boys in blue) and we're ready to move on to a pub for a small digestif.
The inside was packed to the rafters so we're left with the outside seats which means I'm freezing my ass off (as per usual) so I settle for just a Guinness before we head back to the homestay.
Considering the whole group had a mandatory assembly in Castletown at 9.30AM the next morning I wonder if a few of the rest of them might not have wished they'd done the same.

This is the state of the pits after a fortnight of rain.

The George Formby statue in Douglas. Formby cemented his place in the Manxers hearts with the movie No Limits from 1935.

I don't think the bike is very fun to ride but whoever rides the sidecar sure has it pretty cozy.

Dividing the check 18 ways took a bit of calculation.
Fredrik the guide borrowed someone else's glasses.
He said it was because he needed them to read but I'm not ruling out that it was tactics so he would be harder to identify if we needed to make a run for it. 😆

Sunday    11.6.2017
  43km Total: 1580km    127km Total: 899km
  7.81km Total: 97.53km

The last day on the Island.
We meet up at the caste in Castletown at half past nine, some perkier then others but I had expected it to be a lot worse.

After assembly march down and into Isle of mans old parliament building Old House of keys where we for the next hour get to sit as (rather corrupt) politicians while making the decisions for some of the key points in Manx history.
Our host for the day assumed a role as assistant to the speaker and played his part like he was born to do it, it was both entertaining and educational.

After the show had ended Fredde takes on a nice country lane to a place called The Tea Barn who as it happens was a gluten free café.
It's the first time in a long while I've had any cake with my tea so that was very nice (and delicious).

Now we split up again as the main part of the group return to Douglas but Nisse and I go to Peel Castle via the mountain.
Because of my bouts with migraine and cold and the racing I hadn't had a chance to see the Joey Dunlop statue and that wasn't something I was going to miss.
I also hade a plan to do a last lap of the entire course but the winds on the mountain where completely ridiculous so that plan went out the window.

We regretfully get lunch at the Tynwald Inn and it's definitely not because of the food that I write regretfully.
Like I wrote, the winds are pretty high today but until now it hasn't been anything spectacular.
Unfortunately that would change.

While we're eating a man comes in to the restaurant and asks if the owner of a black enduro bike is present because it just toppled over into a car.
Quick out to survey the damage, the throttle handle and rear view has gone down into the front fender of the car and the right pannier has dented the rear fender.
Just to make a bad thing worse it's a classic. A Datsun 280Z from 1982 and (until now) in pretty much mint condition.

After respectfully rejecting the suggestion from the local lush to just get on the bike and ride off I get hold of the owner.
He takes matters in their stride and is a real gentleman about the whole thing so we sit down in the pub to trade insurance info.
After re-parking the bike (away from the wind) and adjusting the mirror which seemingly was the only damage done to the Tiger after landing in soft Japanese steel we get back to the restaurant and finish what I guess will probably be the most expensive meal of my life.

We head on to Peel.
It's not just my mood that's turned a bit bleak, the weather is a bit on the sour side as well but we manage to take almost the full tour of the castle before the heavens open up and we take refuge in a pub.
The café culture don't seem all that established here and the few that exist have very strange opening hours so the safest bet to get a cup of tea or coffee is usually a pub.

After the worst of the rain has passed we get back on the bikes and head back to Douglas to start packing and get ready for departure.
After a final meal in Douglas at the Hong Kong Chinese restaurant we load the gear on the bikes and ride to the assembly point at the TT grandstand.

We have loads of time at our disposal as the assembly is at 9.15PM and the ferry is supposed to sail at 11.45PM.
The margin is even greater as the ferry has been delayed 90 minutes but we still ride down to the port and the check-in.
Unlike Liverpool there's at least a terminal building with a café here so we don't have to wait outside.

Which is lucky since we an hour later get the message that the boat is delayed another 45 minutes.
The ferry that was supposed to leave at 11.45 is now scheduled to depart at 2AM.
All of us is now probably counting down the minutes of what was supposed to be a short nights rest at best in Liverpool but as it's looking now it will already be morning until we're there.

That's also what happens. After a very wild boat ride where people sat around vomiting all over the place we arrive at the hotel in Liverpool at 6AM and get told that we need to be checked out at 11.30AM.
After a quick negotiation with Nisse we decide that we'll sacrifice breakfast (that they stop serving at 10AM) for more sleep we set our clocks to 10.45AM.

Castletown castle

House of keys

The Tea Barn

Joey Dunlop statue

Peel castle ruin

The Steve Hislop statue overlooking the Douglas promenade