It is 20 years since the MGP governing body allowed females in the Manx after years of refusal.

The IOM newspapers have recently commemorated the fact but I am unhappy that the spearhead of the campaign has not been acknowledged.

Liz Skinner, at the time from Bracknell, campaigned for a number of years, with our help, before females were allowed to race in the Manx. Females had raced solo in the TT since 1962. When the door was opened to females after our campaign a number of girls sent in their entries. Unfortunately for Liz, Gloria Clarke by her name being higher in the alphabet was classed as the first female.

I would like Liz to get the accolade she deserves since she was the true instigator of female participation in what had previously been a man only series of races.

Please put the record straight.

Whats your problem Wilddog ??

I contacted a number of people on the Island in advance including the MMC who intimated that the subject would be mentioned during the MGP period.

There's no need to respond as you did, is there...............

Let's leave it eh ?

Cheers Wilddog, I am glad we have resolved this amicably.

Even at my age I still do a lot of Freelance work and yet sometimes I wonder, when a piece I have researched carefully and sent in, comes out re-written with bits distorted or important parts left out.

I was part of the "Let Liz Skinner Ride" and we worked jolly hard to get her into the Manx so feel she should have had more publicity this year than she has received.

All the best

Ian TTFan

To say the least, I am rather fed up with hearing about accolades,and how so and so lady was the first to do this and that,but some things need to be put right.The majority of lady competitors race because they simply have a love of the sport,and they wish to compete on equal terms with the men.That was my sole aim when I entered the TT in 1978,and I did it myself,with no one fighting my cause except my husband John.I didn't want or need an "entourage", and my bikes belonged to me, no sponsors except for great help with accommodation. I also "campaigned" for the right for ladies to be allowed to compete in the Ulster Grand Prix in 1982.I was refused that year, but was given permission in 1983.Unfortunately,due to dreadful weather,extreme lack of course knowledge etc., I didn't qualify by a small margin, so I couldn't be counted as the first lady to take part.
No doubt Liz tried hard for ladies to be allowed into the MGP, but Gloria was officially the first female starter.It was nothing to do with the alphabet,lol.As we all know,during practice,you may break a lap record,but it isn't official unless it's done in the race,and the same applies to who starts first.Liz raced in the production TT in 1988,and the rules allowed anyone who started in a proddy TT only,to still be permitted to ride in the MGP.Because of this,Liz was not a newcomer to the TT course,so she could not ride in the newcomers MGP,which was the first race of the week.Gloria however,was a newcomer,hence her being officially the first female.
I clearly remember when Ian Huntley was "helping" Margret Lingen at the TT in 1984,when I was also entered.I tried to speak to him,but was basically snubbed.I guess I was not high profile enough,maybe not glamorous enough,and I was simply English and not part of some big sponsor's team.
As I have stated,we all love the sport,and nothing gives us more pleasure than competing on equal terms,and when you do it all yourself,nobody else can take the credit.
Any comments anyone? Sensible ones,please,as we don't wish to be barred from this site.x

Hilary,don't do yourself down,I have always thought of you as a very glamorous lady.

(31-08-2009, 10:45 AM)Hilary M Wrote: To say the least, I am rather fed up with hearing about accolades,and how so and so lady was the first to do this and that,but some things need to be put right.The majority of lady competitors race because they simply have a love of the sport,and they wish to compete on equal terms with the men.That was my sole aim when I entered the TT in 1978,and I did it myself,with no one fighting my cause except my husband John.I didn't want or need an "entourage", and my bikes belonged to me, no sponsors except for great help with accommodation. I also "campaigned" for the right for ladies to be allowed to compete in the Ulster Grand Prix in 1982.I was refused that year, but was given permission in 1983.Unfortunately,due to dreadful weather,extreme lack of course knowledge etc., I didn't qualify by a small margin, so I couldn't be counted as the first lady to take part.
No doubt Liz tried hard for ladies to be allowed into the MGP, but Gloria was officially the first female starter.It was nothing to do with the alphabet,lol.As we all know,during practice,you may break a lap record,but it isn't official unless it's done in the race,and the same applies to who starts first.Liz raced in the production TT in 1988,and the rules allowed anyone who started in a proddy TT only,to still be permitted to ride in the MGP.Because of this,Liz was not a newcomer to the TT course,so she could not ride in the newcomers MGP,which was the first race of the week.Gloria however,was a newcomer,hence her being officially the first female.
I clearly remember when Ian Huntley was "helping" Margret Lingen at the TT in 1984,when I was also entered.I tried to speak to him,but was basically snubbed.I guess I was not high profile enough,maybe not glamorous enough,and I was simply English and not part of some big sponsor's team.
As I have stated,we all love the sport,and nothing gives us more pleasure than competing on equal terms,and when you do it all yourself,nobody else can take the credit.
Any comments anyone? Sensible ones,please,as we don't wish to be barred from this site.x

Our tent was pitched just below Margret's in the 1984 TT Paddock.

I knew I'd seen Ian H somewhere before, when we met 2 years ago . . . . . . . . . . .

(31-08-2009, 10:55 PM)larryd Wrote:

(31-08-2009, 10:45 AM)Hilary M Wrote: To say the least, I am rather fed up with hearing about accolades,and how so and so lady was the first to do this and that,but some things need to be put right.The majority of lady competitors race because they simply have a love of the sport,and they wish to compete on equal terms with the men.That was my sole aim when I entered the TT in 1978,and I did it myself,with no one fighting my cause except my husband John.I didn't want or need an "entourage", and my bikes belonged to me, no sponsors except for great help with accommodation. I also "campaigned" for the right for ladies to be allowed to compete in the Ulster Grand Prix in 1982.I was refused that year, but was given permission in 1983.Unfortunately,due to dreadful weather,extreme lack of course knowledge etc., I didn't qualify by a small margin, so I couldn't be counted as the first lady to take part.
No doubt Liz tried hard for ladies to be allowed into the MGP, but Gloria was officially the first female starter.It was nothing to do with the alphabet,lol.As we all know,during practice,you may break a lap record,but it isn't official unless it's done in the race,and the same applies to who starts first.Liz raced in the production TT in 1988,and the rules allowed anyone who started in a proddy TT only,to still be permitted to ride in the MGP.Because of this,Liz was not a newcomer to the TT course,so she could not ride in the newcomers MGP,which was the first race of the week.Gloria however,was a newcomer,hence her being officially the first female.
I clearly remember when Ian Huntley was "helping" Margret Lingen at the TT in 1984,when I was also entered.I tried to speak to him,but was basically snubbed.I guess I was not high profile enough,maybe not glamorous enough,and I was simply English and not part of some big sponsor's team.
As I have stated,we all love the sport,and nothing gives us more pleasure than competing on equal terms,and when you do it all yourself,nobody else can take the credit.
Any comments anyone? Sensible ones,please,as we don't wish to be barred from this site.x

Our tent was pitched just below Margret's in the 1984 TT Paddock.

I knew I'd seen Ian H somewhere before, when we met 2 years ago . . . . . . . . . . .

Got told about this thread so came for a nosey, oh Larry you're funny


I think a bit of rider favourism lol, guess wot I used to beat Liz Skinner !
BUt I'm sure a few other riders beat her too

Well theres a female race winner now. WELL DONE CAROLYNN!!!!!!!!!!

...And I would like to add my congratulations to Carolynn for her excellent history-making ride today. Well done indeed.

People in the future will be saying she was the first ever female to win a race on the IOMTT course 20 years after girls were allowed to race..

There's nothing wriong with that, is there !!

By the way, Margrets tent was a very nice tent !!

I thought there was a previous winner of a class in the Manx that was female. I thought Gail Musson finished in first place in the 125 class, or was that first 125 home? Don't know how they class it nowadays. Getting old think my mind is going. Yes I know Larry, it went years ago. Maybe the first time I went in the chair of an outfit....... yadda yadda yadda lol

[quote='DCLUCIE' pid='40149' dateline='1252151461']

Yes I know Larry, it went years ago.

Did I say a word . . . . . . . . . ?

The Ultralightweight race is a class for 125 2 stroke, 400 4 stroke & 650 twin machines... It is not a 125 race, 400 race and 650 twin race that is run concurrently, so, Gail was the first in her class home within the Ultralightweight race that year.
Gail was one of the first people to congratulate me on my win this year.
Sandra Barnett didn't win a TT either... I'm sure we would've heard somthing before now!! (ref: your post in another thread DCLUCIE)

Thanks Ian & everyone else for your support

Congratulations Carolynn. The guys who race here in Australia are in awe of anyone who attempts the TT/Manx course. They are finding it difficult to cope with the knowledge that women ride it but now are absolutely blown away that you took top place on the podium. Brilliant.
Jan

Gail was indeed first 125 home in 2004,in the Lightweight/Ultralightweight race.She also had the fastest lap ever acheived by a lady on a 125,at 100.16 mph.For this, she was awarded nothing,not even a mention at the presentation! Carolynn commented about it at the time.125's have been in decline since and this is possibly because there is no chance of them competing against a decent 400,and now the 650 twins.Sam Dunlop has found that although his lap times have got faster,he is not progressing.
If the classic races are not monitored more carefully,the same decline in entries will be noticed,as, when there are only two replicas awarded for the already depleted Senior,nobody will consider it worth the expense to compete.
However,nobody can take it away from Carolynn,a clear race win which she so deserves.

Fair comment about the replicas but if the third place man is over 10 minutes behind the winner,and on a similar bike,does he really warrant a rep.?

(06-09-2009, 07:44 PM)beepee Wrote: Fair comment about the replicas but if the third place man is over 10 minutes behind the winner,and on a similar bike,does he really warrant a rep.?

IMHO yes. In most of the races the reps go down between 1/4 and 1/2 of the way down the field, and I don't believe it was ever envisaged that a winner would be so far in front of the 3rd place man that he would be outside the 110%. But 3rd in my view it would have been wrong to deny a rep when he had gained a podium.

Whether it is right to permit the entry of a bike/rider combination that is so far ahead of the rest of the field is another matter, of course.

Great class !