With four regularities and five tests before lunch, the stop at the Lake Vyrnwy Hotel was a welcome respite from the intense competition. The area was still showing signs of recent storm damage, numbers of fallen or felled trees in evidence on every approach to the hotel. After a packed morning of competition with fewer calamities than the first day, the stories told over lunch had a generally positive tone, even the weather being kinder than feared.
The day began with the test at Lleweni Airfield which led on to the first regularity section, running down through densely wooded land towards Llyn Brenig. A road section via Cerigydrudion saw cars arriving at Glan Y Gors for two tests and coffee. Like those at Lleweni and Brenig, the times for the tests were very tight, the fastest cars in each only a few seconds above the carefully set test minimum times. The Fiat 124 Spider that escaped serious damage yesterday, registered a small protest by overheating but was only delayed, though it repeated the misbehaviour after the last test of the day.
A short hop led competitors to the second (map based) regularity and much higher ground before cars descended again for another brief road section to reach regularity three, travelling from the River Ceirw to Llandderfel and the River Dee. A longer road section with some spectacular views connected regularities three and four which included the approach to Vyrnwy and the last test of the morning - using the old road going up to the hotel.
After lunch, the route followed the Vyrnwy valley until turning south and the fifth regularity, using map orientated Tulips. A long transit section followed but on a wide sweeping road there was time to take in the views once more, much of the hills and farmland almost glowing green in the sunshine that had come as a welcome surprise after a cloudy start. After passing Dolgellau, while the rally clung to the side of the Mawddach valley, the sun continued to surprise but once the route turned off to the beginning of regularity six, cars began to climb into the Coed y Brenin Forest and the temperatures dropped. Once they reached the open moorland there was a blustery wind to contend with as well and ominous clouds visible over nearby hills.
Delays at the Ranges Motorsport Centre were the product of cars bunching up on the preceding regularity as a result of a small incident on a narrow road. Regulariy six ended and became the last test of the day at the Ranges Motorsport Centre. Once the test was completed, cars clear of both the risk of unexploded ordnance and then the shores of Llyn Trawsfyndd, the route of regularity seven, the day’s longest at ten and a half miles, took competitors along roads flanked by open moorland then lush green fields. That just left a short road section to reach the final regularity of the day that carried the cars over open rolling countryside and some spectacular views. These were marred for some by the rain everyone had been anticipating for most of the day. It had made infrequent appearances throughout but in late afternoon its patience was clearly exhausted.
Caer Rhun Hall, built next to the site of a Roman fort, was the final stop and control; a perfect tonic for those feeling the effects of the day just coming to an end. At the lunch break the top two, Graham Walker and Sean Toohey's Elan and Mark Godfrey and Ryan Pickering's Escort, were still in close contention. Provisional results for the end of day show the gap having widened slightly to twenty four seconds with David and Sally Ward's Lancia Fulvia in third place, leading the Intermediate Category. There is one more day to come and the Three Castles has seen several last day upsets. Who knows?