Rally Archive
Rali Goffa James Trenholme
Sponsored by SJ&S Williams + C Evans Electrical
Harlech & District Motor Club
15th/16th November 2025
Winners: Tomos Lloyd Jones/Leighton Walker (Mazda MX5)
Photograph: © Duncan Littler
Organiser: Harlech & District Motor Club
Date: 15th/16th November 2025
Clerk of the Course: Mari Lois Evans & Carwyn Evans
Route: 80 Miles (Map 123)
Base: Sarn Mellteyrn
Starters: 52
Fifty-two cars took the start of the 2025 Rali Goffa James Trenholme, Harlech & District Motor Club's annual event aimed at novice participants. Thirteen of the crews were in the Beginners Class, these were competitors who had finished fewer than three rallies. Also, thirteen navigators were eligible for the Under Age 17 Award.
There was a Mentor Class where an experienced crew member was paired with a Novice. There were nine cars in this category; these didn't qualify for overall positions.
The route was the traditional mix of an intricate 80 mile course in the southern half of the Llyn Peninsula starting at Sarn Mellteyrn. The navigation being made more demanding by the addition of 36 three metre/diagram controls.
Proceedings opened with an eight mile section that had an intermediate time control, timed to the minute at the mid-point. The start was at Rhos-ddu, with the ITC near Madryn Castle. It was a gentle warm up and all but four cars arrived on time.
The second half of the section was more demanding and only two Mentor cars were clean at SF1, these were Dewi Williams/Nanw Williams (Toyota Corolla) and Andrew Baines/Cian Jones (Ford Escort). Tomos Lloyd Jones/Leighton Walker (Mazda MX5) were best of the Novices, eight seconds ahead of Jac Wyn Roberts/Math Williams (Peugeot 206). Unfortunately, a drunken resident, who had been PRed, blocked the route for a dozen cars; the penalties at SF1 had to be scrubbed and most crews were therefore still on zero penalties.
The second section took the route to its most northerly point, starting at Boduan and finishing near Pentreuchaf. Again there was an ITC, but this one was timed to the second and all dropped time there, while most were also late at SF2.
Rhys Williams/Aron Williams (BMW E36) were fastest to the ITC, five seconds ahead of Lloyd Jones/Walker, but the BMW pair only had a brief tenure at the top of the leader board. For 2025 the organisers had introduced a 30 second penalty for an incorrect recorded code board letter; Williams/Williams got one letter on the first code board wrong and, despite having the least amount of time penalties at SF2, they were now in seventh place.
Lloyd Jones/Walker were clean at the section finish and moved into an eight second lead, with Llion Williams/Steven Jones (Toyota Corolla) in second, one second ahead of Osian Gwyn/Gruffudd Huws (Toyota Yaris).
Most of the leading crews cleaned the short third section, which ran to the outskirts of Pwllheli, but all dropped time on the next; this was a slippery five miler to the north of Llanbedrog. It saw the demise of the top seeds, Huw Manion/Owain Strain (Ford Fiesta ST); they hit a rock, this broke a wheel and forced the pair out. The incident blocked the road for the following cars, therefore time penalties for the Mentor Class were scrubbed, but SF4 still counted for the main field.
Williams/Williams were fastest of the Novice crews and, despite their code board penalty, moved back into the lead, as they beat Lloyd Jones/Walker by 36 seconds. Roberts/Williams were only a second slower than Williams/Williams and this propelled them up to second place, three seconds ahead of Lloyd Jones/Walker.
One section remained before the halfway halt, this began at Inkerman Bridge, then zig-zagged its way to Rhos Botwnnog. Lloyd Jones/Walker were the only Novices to drop less than a minute at SF5, this meant that at the break they held a lead of ten seconds over Williams/Williams, who had been exactly a minute late at SF5; this time had been matched by Rhian Jones/Ianto Rhys Jones (Toyota Corolla), who were now in fourth place, 20 seconds behind third placed Roberts/Williams.
In the Mentor Class, Dewi Williams/Nanw Williams led Baines/Jones by almost a minute, the latter having been penalised for two incorrect letters on code boards.
Eight cars failed to make the halfway point; as well as the top seeds, Rhys Glyn/Euron Plough were out after their Peugeot 206 suffered a broken gearbox, and E Rhys Edwards/Richard Owen (Peugeot 205) had had to withdraw just after the off as the driver started to suffer a migraine.
A short four minuter taking a circuit of Llandegwning opened the second half. Lloyd Jones/Walker were fastest, as they would be on all the remaining sections, and started to establish a solid lead that they were to maintain to the Finish. Their speed was almost matched by Jones/Rhys Jones and this promoted the pair to third place; this became second on the following section when they were again just behind the leaders as the route took in a demanding trail around Treheli and Bryncroes.
As the course moved towards the southern tip of the Llyn for the eighth and ninth sections, the battle for the runner up spot developed into a close fight. Robin Glyn Williams/Tomos Wyn Roberts (Vauxhall Corsa B) moved up the order here; they had been fifth at the halfway halt, but passed Jones/Rhys Jones for second at SF9.
The rally finished at Tudweiliog and the final section ran parallel to the coast from near Rhydlios to just short of the finish venue.
Arwel Jones/Alan Adams had been consistently in the top ten throughout, but they failed to make the Finish when a drive shaft broke on their Vauxhall Nova; they had been in ninth place at the time.
Lloyd Jones/Walker were quickest once again and came home with a victory margin of over two minutes. In contrast, the fight for the runner up spot was close, with Jones/Rhys Jones beating Williams/Roberts by just one second. Roberts/Williams were two seconds further back in fourth place.
Huw Jones/Tony Jones (Ford Fiesta ST) dominated the Beginners Class, coming home over ten minutes ahead of their nearest rivals, Owain Williams/Iestyn Griffiths Parry (Citroen Xsara). Catrin Bowness/Iwan Bowness had been in contention for a category award but withdrew at the halfway halt with their Citroen Saxo suffering from a severe misfire.
Despite a further code letter penalty, Baines/Jones came through on the final section to take the Mentor Class win, as long time class leaders Williams/Williams lost time.
Conditions had been extremely treacherous with flooding and slippery roads to contend with; however, 36 crews made it to the Finish.
RESULTS
- Overall Positions
- Award Winners
- Class Positions
- Time Penalty Details
- Fail & RC Penalties
- Overall Positions at Petrol
- Non-Finishers
- List of Starters