While Wallace Menzies will go down as the star turn of Guernsey’s British Hillclimb Championship event, and deservedly so after setting a new outright Le Val des Terres record of 26.17sec. within his run-off double, the locals also thrived in the near-ideal conditions.
Jackie Le Cheminant was one such Sarnian who reached new heights at the Guernsey Motorcycle and Car Club spectacle and whose performance could have taken headline status on any less of a groundbreaking occasion.
She had entered with a personal best of 30.25 and even her combined sector times from that day would barely have got her under 30sec.
But amid all the magic of the ‘National’, she not only cracked that long-term target but demolished it, coming out with a 29.51. She could barely believe it.
‘I’m over the moon,’ she said while lamenting the death of motorsport-loving father Geoff Guille last year.
‘It’s a bit of a shame because my dad’s not here to see it.
‘It has been a target to break 30sec. To smash it with a 29.51, I don’t know how I did it.’
She thanked partner Bobby Ceillam for his support and noted that they are still working on the OMS PR to make it even faster.
She also credited Emma Rayson, her direct rival and the only woman ever to have gone quicker with her 29.41 from August 2022.
‘We get on well and it’s a nice, friendly battle between us,’ Le Cheminant added.
Even the all-time queen could not match her efforts on the day, but she could not complain too much with her own time of 29.70.
Neither came particularly close to winning their Racing Cars 601 to 1,100 class, though, thanks to Declan Brehaut’s breakthrough performances, going under 30sec. for the first time and then lowering his best all the way down to 28.92.
Empire Evo 3 driver Steve Brehaut’s epic 27.75 for fourth in the second run-off meant that he went home as the fastest Guernsey driver overall on the day.
Otherwise, Nick Saunders would have taken that distinction with his 27.99 outside of the run-offs.
Fellow run-off maker Matt Bougourd also excelled in putting down a best of 28.31.
Tim Tulie also performed to a dependably high level, coming out with a 28.66 in the same class.
Scott Rayson, Ian Le Messurier and his brother Paul, and Simon Carre were also among the show of sub-30sec. talent on the day.
No Guernsey competitor broke any records on the day, but karter Mike Brehaut gave it a very decent go in the 250cc twin class, dropping a 31.56 in his Anderson Maverick.
And then there was motorcyclist Jamie Bacon.
Jerseyman Ollie Holmes’ records have long looked almost untouchable, with his GMC&CC bikes mark set at 33.01, but a 33.39 certainly provided the up-and-coming rider a confidence boost.
‘I’m happy about it – I didn’t think it would happen this morning,’ the Yamaha YZF rider said.
‘I’m more than buzzing with it – no one’s done it on that bike before.
‘It’s boosted it my confidence massively. Start of the season, I thought I was almost at my limit, and then I’ve kind of pulled it out the bag.’
In that same Motor Cycles 351 to 500 class, Reece Hicks took second with 34.27 and Casey Mackrell third another 0.35sec. back.
