The 2023 Three Castles Trial enjoyed a perfect week of summer weather, and 82 crews took the start in Llandudno, proving the enduring popularity of this classic three-day, 500-mile event. A novel hybrid results system combined scratch overall penalties with index-based class awards, and competition included 21 regularities and 16 special tests. The rally ran with the expected smoothness, and competitors praised road books, halts and organisation alike. Graham Walker and Sean Toohey’s Lotus Elan had the early edge over Mark Godfrey and Ryan Pickering, together for the first time in Mark’s Escort. Their reward was a slender seven-second lead after two tests and four regularities as crews reached lunch at Portmeirion. Rod Hanson and Clare Grove were two seconds back in third, and Mike and Simon Baker’s Porsche two seconds behind them. Just 16 seconds covered the top six.
The afternoon loop took crews over a high regularity with spectacular views behind Harlech and around the coast via Barmouth to reach the Ranges Motorsport Centre for another test. From here, two more regularities took them to the day’s finish. Walker and Toohey were 18 seconds clear of Godfrey and Pickering, the chasing pack led by the Hanson/Grove Escort and Robert Robinson/Peter Mellor, after a fine day in their Audi Coupé. As day two dawned, Walker/Toohey had to retire with mechanical trouble, and Godfrey/Pickering inherited a lead they were never to lose. After five regularities and three more tests, crews reached lunch at a stunningly blue Lake Vyrnwy. Here Hanson/Grove were half a minute back, a gap maintained at the end of the day. Patrick and Hubert Lynch had risen to third overall with their Cooper S, with the Bakers’ Porsche just behind, joined in the top six by Ken and Sarah Binstead’s Healey 3000 and Peter and Hal Godwin’s beautiful Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint.
Day 3 was even brighter, and the three tests on the closed road around the Great Orme posed an obvious question - could anyone catch the leaders? The answer was no. As crews pulled in to lunch at five-star Palé Hall, the lead had grown to almost a minute, with Hanson/Grove and Lynch/Lynch locked in battle behind. The afternoon promised a sting in the tail. Would it be enough? Again Godfrey/Pickering rose to the challenge, taking another thirty seconds out of the chasing pack. Their winning margin of 94 seconds was the largest in recent years. Just 20 seconds separated the next three crews after three days and 500 miles. Hanson/ Grove led home Godwin /Godwin by 14 seconds. Baker/Baker finished just behind in fourth. Fifth were Binstead/Binstead on their first-ever tulip road book rally, while sixth-placed Duncan and Stephen Wild took advantage of a late switch to their TR4 to net the inaugural Index of Performance Trophy.
In the Heritage category, Malcolm Dunderdale and Anita Wickins (Ford V8 Coupe)triumphed over Rikki Proffitt and Graham Wild's newly acquired MG TA and Sue Shoosmith and Trina Harley’s hard-driven Bentley in a well-supported category for pre-war cars. They would have finished ninth overall on Index, among the leading Classic cars. Judged a success, the hybrid results system will be retained in 2024. Wickins and Pickering won the Nigel Raeburn Trophies as the navigators with the least penalties on Regularities. Proffitt and Godfrey won the Steering Wheel Trophies for the drivers with the least penalties on Tests. Bronwyn Burrell was a popular winner of the Spirit of the Rally award. Among the Novice crews, Dominic Manser and Richard Roberts (MGB V8) headed George and Rosalind Topp (Volvo Amazon) and Clive Moore and Tony Read (Porsche 944).
In the Concours D’Elegance held before the event, The Imperial Trophy went to overall winner Peter Godwin’s Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint. David Ward’s Lancia Fulvia took The Imperial Classic Bowl. Bjorn Schage’s Aston Martin 15/98 won The Imperial Heritage Bowl. Most Original car was a delighted Tim Lawrence’s MGA Twin Cam, while the Judges' Choice was Les McGuffog's Austin Healey 3000. The 2024 Three Castles takes place from June 4-7 and will be the 20th.
Results here