The Vincent Results on the 2016 Classic TT

Here are the results of our Vincent boys from the 2016 Classic TT.

It has been a while that we did not see so much Vincents on the starting grid of the TT at the IoM, and in fact we must go back to 1950, the last year where the 1000 were authorized to enter a TT race.  In 2016, no less than four Vincents from three different teams were taking the challenge in the Classic Senior TT class:

• Cam Donald (MotoGallur, Australia) on Egli-Vincent Grey Flash (Plate #7)
• Bruno Leroy (Patrick Godet Competition, France) on Vincent Grey Flash (Plate#32)
• Horst Saiger (Egli Racing, Switzerland) on Egli-Vincent Grey Flash (Plate #46, then #13 for the race)
• Lancelot Unissart (Patrick Godet Competition, France) on Egli-Vincent Grey Flash (Plate #64)

The practices sessions

The weather was awful most of the week, starting on Saturday the 20th with the cancellation of the first practice sessions. Monday the 22nd, Horst (#46) made a first lap and the 14th best time (23:31:840, 96.206mph). On Tuesday, Horst was not able to do better while other team were still working on the bikes. On Wednesday Lancelot closed a first lap in 23:10:090 (97.712mph) while Cam has some mechanical issues but succeeded to come back to the pit by his own means. Thursday the practice session again was cancelled due poor weather conditions. Finally on Friday, the four Vincents were on the track and qualified for today’s race: Horst (102.065mph), Cam (97.822mph), Bruno (96.610mph) and Lancelot (95.495mph).

The race

11:30am on Thursday the firsts two riders took off side by side. Overall the combination of the practice sessions ranked Horst 15th, Cam 30th, Lancelot 32nd and Bruno 33rd.

• Lap 1: Bruno (Plate #32) has to give up on a fuel problem while Horst, Cam and Lancelot averaged respectively 102.501mph, 98.306mph and 97.551mph.
• Lap 2: Horst improved his time (21:50:921, 103.613mph – the best ever for a Vincent on the TT), Cam passed the ton at 100.341mph and Lancelot staid constant with 97.975mph.
• Lap 3: Horst remains very fast at 103.355mph followed by Cam and Lancelot at respectively 99.847mph and 98.251mph.
• Lap 4 and final: no change in the ranking. Cam (102.413mph), Cam (99.084mph) and Lancelot (96.124mph)

After only two years of development and only three TTs, the Grey Flash engine designed and prepared by Patrick Godet continue to improve its performance. Indeed Bruno made a fastest lap in 2014 at 98.538mph (Egli chassis) and in 2015 at 98.495mph (Vincent chassis). With 103.613mph Horst Saiger and the Egli Racing team demonstrates that the bike has made great strides, signing the best lap ever on a Vincent on the IoM. However the Senior TT Class is very competitive with many multi-cylinders (Paton, MV and Honda) which are awfully fast, and on a fast circuit like the TT it makes a big difference!

The results are nevertheless more than honorable and very encouraging and the GreyFlash continues to close the gap. Horst finished in a great 10th position (4th in his category) behind three Patons, one MV Augusta, two Hondas and 2 fast singles: Coward’s Norton and Lindsell’s Enfield. Congratulations to the Vincent boys and also to John McGuinness who won magisterially the race with his Paton at 111.559mph.

Philippe Guyony © 2016

 

NB: as new photos come, I will add them to the the thread.

Added on 8/27 4am IoM time