Anyone going over to the IOM for the Classic TT and/or the Manx GP. Sailing from Liverpool at 10.30 on Thursday 24th for 11 days and stopping at the Railway Station Hotel, Port St Mary again.
Went to last years event and had a great time. Got to meet and chat with John McGuinness, shame he is out this year. Would loved to have heard those Norton Rotary bikes going around.
Andy do you mean the Manx gp or the Classic TT. Over the last few years the number of people attending the Classic TT has grown year on year. It's not TT numbers but increasing. Quite a few go over just for a long weekend to watch the Classic TT. The numbers watching the Manx gp are therefore lower or usually are. We always book our accommodation as we leave and I book the ferry as soon as the Steam Packet start taking bookings which is usually in October. If you want to watch some good racing over on the IOM try the Southern100 International in July. Run on public roads, 4.75 miles per lap in the south of the island at Castletown. This event is also getting popular year on year. Ferry booking also start being taken in October.
Yes and no, they're run under the Festival of Motorcycling over the same 2week period, practice/qualifying first week with the Classic TT run on the bank holiday weekend with the Manx gp races being a separate event starting on the Wednesday of the second week, only 2 race days. Previously the Manx gp was held over 2weeks with racing run over 3/4 days I know quite a few people who refer to the Classic TT as the Manx but it's not, it's a different event
The Classic TT only started in 2012 or 2013, failing memory Andy. I can remember when I used to compete in the Manx National 2 day trial which was held on the Sat/Sun of Manx gp race week in the 80's that if you finished early enough and after signing off at the Villa Marina you just had enough time to get to Bray Hill for the first lap of the Classic race held on the Saturday evening. The inception of the Festival of Motorcycling and the Classic TT was because interest in the Manx gp was waning with low visitor numbers So the Manx government/tourist board and the ACU came up with Festival and Classic TT and this has helped boost the Manx economy at the end of August. As I said previously quite a few visitors only go over for a long weekend to the Classic TT but more are now extending there stay to take in the Manx gp Over the last 30 ish years the VMCC have held quite a few vintage events during Manx gp race week with member displays and runs also you get one make bike displays taking place around the island
