Please select your home edition
Edition
Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca 2025

Not a 205 T16

by John Curnow, Editor, Sail World AUS 9 Oct 2023 08:00 AEDT
Fire breathing Group B legend - Peugeot 205 T16 © Peugeot

As that would be the homologation special. There was a LOT to like about it, too. Mid-engined, all wheel drive, and in full Group B spec, F1 (then) levels of ponies due to being brutally force fed. No replacement for displacement, except for boost, and in that era there were absolute lashings off it. Right up close to melt the pistons into the wall, and just shy of throw a rod through the crankcase. That was definitely the ticket. Just add bulbous flares and outrageous wings...

Tame? No. Actually, they were monstrous, and following just a few too many accidents it was all over, almost as swiftly as it all began after Audi got AWD allowed to commence the era of the fire breathing dragons. Hilariously, today's rally cars are faster point to point, for they hold greater cornering speed due to a heap of tech, like computer controlled torque splitting. Safer? Yes. As much fun? No. No way.

So all of that is wonderful, but from whence did it cometh in relation to an editorial on Sail-World? Well it was Peugeot's 205 GTI. Vee Dub might have kicked it all off with the Mark I Golf, but they forgot to trademark GTI. Doh. Soon, any self-respecting manufacturer had to have a hot hatch with three little letters. In Europe, the 205 GTI 1.6 was a riot. Looked snappy, had the road skills to match, a French interior to set it apart, and the acceptable price tag. Great fun. Loved every minute. Thanks for the memories.

Alas, we did not get them here in Oz. Not initially anyway. Years later the 205 GTI 1.9 made it Down Under, but something was lost in translation. The trip over the equator had not gone well, and let's face it, time is the mortal enemy of just about everything. The world had moved on, and the little Pug just did not have a niche anymore.

Don't see it? Well ponder that Hyundai was making cars by then, and I bet no one saw an I30 N coming a few decades later? At that stage, would you have thought Benz would be doing the A45? Let alone a Toyota the size of thimble being held in the same regard as the Sport Quattro, Delta Integrale, Escort RS, and a Lancer Evo VI? No. I don't think so...

So if you take all of that, and consider all the great ocean races; Fastnet, Middle Sea, Caribbean 600, TransPac, and Sydney-Hobart, you realise that they are all so very different, and yet the allure is surprisingly so similar. The other thing that becomes apparent, especially in light of all of the above, is just how crucial timing is. The right crew and the right boat in the right location is just part of the mix.

You still need to master the intrinsic difficulties of each, such as the delights of tide, traffic separation schemes and transitions through weather systems. As I write I can remember so well how different the Caribbean is to the Med, the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea, as well of course, the Coral Sea to good old Bass Strait.

We applaud those who take them on, as just like the roll call of famous rally legends, names like Teasing Machine, Caro, and Sunrise pop into mind so swiftly. And that is just of recent times. The first two are back for another crack at the Southern Mistress, so bravery and determination exist in spades.

Charles Devanneaux is on the way with a fully tricked out Beneteau First 44, to make a statement about the French maker's intent in the space once more. Yes trainspotters, that certainly played into the 205 theme...

There is also a Dehler 30OD from New Zealand racing in the Two-Handed division. This most exciting and collaborative of divisions is doing a lot to see how much they can have charter boats available to owners from other parts of the world who wish to come and see for themselves, no matter which way across the equator that may be, or what line of longitude you have to cross to make it so.

We salute you sailors. Rums all round.

And so with all of that we can officially say, Sail-World's coverage of the Sydney to Hobart has begun. As usual, we will have Bow Caddy Media along as part of the expanded team. Many thanks in advance to Cros, Dale, Wendi, and Jake.

OK. There it is. There is so much more on the group's sites for you. Simply use the search field, or 'edition' pull-down menu up the top on the right of the masthead to find it all. Please enjoy your yachting, stay safe, and thanks for tuning into Sail-World.com

John Curnow
Editor, Sail World AUS

Related Articles

The appeal of offshore
Is there still appeal? Have we made it too onerous? Why would someone take it up now? I had been pondering. Yes. Marquee events have no issue attracting entrants. Middle Sea, Transpac, Cape to Rio, Fastnet, and Hobart all spring to mind instantly, but what of the ‘lesser' races? Lots of boats in pens (slips) a lot of the time Posted on 18 May
Banger Racing, Back Racing and No Racing
Racing on the cheap, a return to racing for young Aussies, and ILCA struggles We start with racing on the cheap at the Colander Cup, then focus on a return to racing for the Aussies at the Youth Worlds, moving on to a complete lack of racing at the ILCA Worlds, and then looking at how SailGP should be back out on the water. Posted on 14 May
Night sailing, Transat Paprec, Congressional Cup
Night sailing, encountering light airs in the Transat Paprec, Congressional Cup We bundled up as the last of the rays sunlight dipped below the Olympic Mountains and night quietly fell on Puget Sound. We'd been racing for about twelve hours in the Seattle Yacht Club's Protection Island Race (April 26), and we were getting tired. Posted on 6 May
For the love of slightly larger, even faster boats
Bring it on. No chicken chutes allowed. Celestial, the newest Cape 31 in Oz is up and racing Thank you. You have let For the love of small, fast boats run before the breeze like a superlight planning hull under way too big a kite, with immense sheep in the paddock, and the Sailing Master grasping the flare gun in his pocket... No chicken chutes. Posted on 4 May
The Allure of Timber
The longevity, and sheer beauty, of boats made of wood In these days of exotic materials, high modulus carbon and ultra lightweight construction, it's possible to overlook the longevity, and sheer beauty, of boats made of wood. Posted on 29 Apr
A look inside the Spirit Yachts yard
A close look at what makes their yachts unique Traditional skills in boatbuilding could be regarded as a lost art from a bygone era. In the world of fibreglass and carbon, the joinery and laminating techniques of wood ribs and cedar strips are a thing of the past. Posted on 28 Apr
Transat Paprec, Classics, US Sailing, Cup news
Some parts of North America are experiencing a faster approach of spring's warm tidings than others While some parts of North America are experiencing a faster approach of spring's warm tidings than others, the offshore racing action is plenty hot in the Transat Paprec. Posted on 22 Apr
Make me smile even wider and brighter
What's better than writing about a great programme to get people into yachting? Only one thing... What's better than writing about a great programme to get people into yachting? Well, how about actually speaking with a former participant who has then gone on to work in the industry. That's what! Posted on 22 Apr
Cup bust-ups; SailGP time-out
A few situations that have been on the build for a while all came to a head within the same week. It has been a tumultuous few weeks on the NZ sailing scene and internationally. A few situations that have been on the build for a while all came to a head within the same week. Posted on 15 Apr
Pro Sailing Drama and Intrigue
SailGP, the America's Cup, and the sailors themselves have all been in the mainstream news What a couple of weeks it has been in the world of professional sailing: SailGP, the America's Cup, and the sailors themselves have all been in the mainstream news for one reason or another. Posted on 15 Apr
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350Vetus-Maxwell 2021 v2 FOOTERPantaenius Sail 2025 AUS Footer