31st August Ballasholague Farm, Isle of Man

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Kms today 171
Kms to date 10470

Last race day on the Island and we rode round to Ballaugh Bridge to see the bikes jump.  It was a sunny day, the best so far, but a big cloud over Snaefell delayed racing for an hour.  The first race was the Lightweight/Ultra Lightweight so we knew what to expect.  The 2 strokes sounded crisp and purposeful.  The Senior MGP was the last race on the program.  It had a mixture of 600 Fours and we could hear them coming up at max revs before jumping the famous bridge.  There were a lot of different jumps with front wheel landings, rear wheel landings and belly pan crushing landings.  A few riders nearly went over the bars, but everyone kept rubber side down.  I got lots of good photos.  James Chawke was fastest again and his leap was one of the longest. 
James Chawke, winner if Manx Senior chases a slower rider.
Danie Ingham got it completely wrong and nearly went over the bars

After the race I set off after the "Road Open" car just like I used to do after the Ulster road races and had fun down the Sulby Straight to Ramsey and over the mountain.  I even got used to the V-Strom on the faster bits.  I waited for Alan at Kates Cottage overlooking Douglas.
View of Douglas over Kates Cottage
A rider at Ballaugh recommended that we go to the Calf of Man right down at the southern tip of the island.  So we rode round to Ballacraine and then turned south towards Peel but kept going along a dramatic coast until the road ran out.   On the way we passed Craigneish, an original old IoM village that had been used in a movie.  The Calf of Man was an island just off the coast with a narrow sea sound with fast swirling currents.  There were seals in view on the rocks and a large Cross commemorating a ship wreck.  We had dinner in the café overlooking the sound.  I took a photo of the garbage incinerator on the way back to Douglas.
Calf of Man

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