W as it sport? Well, if it was not much like a Rugger match or punting on the Thames, Britons were having a mighty good time just the same. The result was one of the zaniest races of all time. To get things off on the right foot, the paper opened the lists to all comers, said they might start either from London or from Paris and use any form of locomotion. The only hooker was that contestants would have to respect local regulations, e. Added the Daily Mail, tongue only a trifle in cheek: Who knows?
Someone might even find a way to improve the current travel time between Arch and Arc, which now averages about three hours: 1 hr. In all, contestants participated in the fun and frolic. A few tried it in the way. Frenchman Jean Salis, 63, wobbled across the Channel in his lb. Clutching a pet tortoise named Fangio, Health Faddist Dr.
Barbara Moore Pataleewa, 55, set out from Marble Arch on foot, switched to a motorcycle, hopped a plane from Croydon to Le Touquet, on the English Channel, then ran most of the miles to Paris, sipping fruit juice and munching grass along the way.
One competitor used souped-up power lawnmowers to and from his plane; another, wise to the ways of city traffic, tried roller skates, but did not do too well. Glory, Not Gold. The time was fast, but the pros made it look slow. The first man, Army Captain R. His time, including 4 min. At the end, R. Squadron Leader Charles Maughan, 35, got the last bit of ground speed from the motorcycle-helicopter system, picked up precious minutes by flying a transonic Hawker Hunter jet on the long cross-Channel air leg.
His winning time: 40 min. Contact us at letters time. Join Us. Customer Care. Reach Out. Connect with Us. Home U. All Rights Reserved.
