Bouley Bay Hillclimb Guide

Wiscombe Park Hillclimb is situated in picturesque Colyton in Devon and was opened in 1958. At 1000 yards this course has been hosting rounds of the British Hill Climb Championship since the 1960’s, most of the course is under tree cover. Believed to by drivers to be one of the most challenging hill climbs in the national calendar with challenging camber changes and two very demanding hairpins. The course was extended in 1961 to the current layout we know and love today.

Bouley Bay is a speed Hill Climb venue in Trinity, Jersey, organised by The Jersey Motor Cycle and Light Car Club. ^[1] The course on Les Charrières du Boulay was "first used for competition in 1921" ^[2] and since 1947 has hosted a round (latterly two rounds) of the British Hill Climb Championship. Bouley Bay and Val des Terres hill climb in Guernsey are normally held in July and provide a two-stop tour for UK drivers contesting the series.

Of the 1947 event Raymond Mays said: "My E.R.A.'s time counted as a record because, although it was  slower than the figure set the previous year by Bainbridge's 1½-litre  E.R.A., the 1947 climb was run for the first time from a standing  start." ^[3]

The 2008 meeting included rounds 17 and 18 of the British Hill Climb Championship, both being won by Scott Moran.

http://maps.google.com/?saddr=&daddr=Le%20Val%20Des%20Terres%2C%20St%20Peter%20Port%2C%20Guernsey%20GY1%201%2C%20UK

The first hillclimb was held in 1920 when the road surface was  concrete and the club had just been formed at a meeting attended by  seven people.

Today the club organises four hillclimbs a year and has a membership  in excess of 500. Many different venues were used in the early years but Bouley Bay remained the favourite for competitors and spectators alike. The idyllic setting on Jersey’s north coast, with the French coastline  visible on a clear day is unsurpassed for its atmosphere and spectacle  in British hillclimbing. The hillclimbs stopped briefly during the  German occupation but the club was quick to start again, by organising  an international event in 1946. The following year Bouley Bay was one of only five venues in the inaugural British Hillclimb Championship and  has held championship events ever since. Jersey Evening Post reports  from the 1950s remark on regular crowd attendance’s in excess of 7,000

The original course was 1065 yards in length but this was reduced to  the current 1011 in 1949. Demanding, technical and challenging are just a few of the descriptions used by the UK competitors who visit each year  for the British National Hillclimb championship. Unlike many UK events  the JMC & LCC hillclimbs are open to all types of machinery from  cars to sidecars and motorbikes to karts all are welcome to entertain  the crowds. With it’s mixture of blind bends through high banked tree  lined corners to the tight hairpins towards the top, Bouley Bay has  everything to challenge the best in the business. For spectators the  high banks above the top half of the hill are a natural amphitheatre  looking down the hill as the competitors race up.

The first Bouley Bay hillclimb was held in 1920 when  the road surface was concrete and the club had just been formed at a  meeting attended by seven people. Today the Jersey Motor Cycle and Light Car Club organises four hillclimbs a year and has a membership in  excess of 500. Many different venues were used in the early years but  Bouley Bay remained the favourite for competitors and spectators alike.  The idyllic setting on Jersey’s north coast, with the French coastline  visible on a clear day is unsurpassed for its atmosphere and spectacle  in British hillclimbing. The hillclimbs stopped briefly during the  German occupation but the club was quick to start again, by organising  an international event in 1946. The following year Bouley Bay was one of only five venues in the inaugural British Hillclimb Championship and  has held championship events ever since. Jersey Evening Post reports  from the 1950s remark on regular crowd attendance’s in excess of 7,000

 

The original course was 1065 yards in length but this was reduced to  the current 1011 in 1949. Demanding, technical and challenging are just a few of the descriptions used by the UK competitors who visit each year  for the British National Hillclimb championship. Unlike many UK events  the JMC & LCC hillclimbs are open to all types of unusual machinery  from cars to sidecars and motorbikes to karts and sand racing specials - all are welcome to entertain the crowds. With it’s mixture of blind  bends through high banked tree lined corners to the tight hairpins  towards the top, Bouley Bay has everything to challenge the best in the  business. For spectators the high banks above the top half of the hill  are a natural amphitheatre looking down the hill as the competitors race up.

From the steep start line on the doorstep of one of The Waters Edge  Hotel a short straight leads in to the first corners at Café. A tight  left is immediately followed by a tight right hander leading on to the  fastest part of the hill. Up through the gears towards Slemens corner  taken at 80mph + by the top drivers. If you are brave enough at Slemens  chunks of time are there to be had, but be warned if you are too brave  the large trees at the side of the course have won many a battle with  racing machinery. When they come out of slemens it’s a question of how  late do you brake for the long left-hander at Les Platons. From Les  Platons the hill snakes up towards the famous Radio corner hairpin where most of the spectators assemble. Another short straight leads up to the top corner with a quick blast on the throttle to the finish line and if your name is Martin Groves a time of 38.47 sec the outright hill  record.