Charlie Cope and Louise negotiating Cross Four Ways in 2011 on their way to a fine 7th place on the Windle Imp.
Photograph courtesy of Mike Hammonds

Over a period of twenty-four years, between 1989 and 2012 the Balerno competitor was a regular entry in the prestigious Classic Races on the Colas Billown Course, the curtain raiser for the annual TT Festival.

Always cheerful, Charlie with daughter Louise doing all the hard-work in the chair wrestled the Windle Imp outfit around the 4.25-mile lap with mixed success after an inauspicious debut DNF in 1989.

The father and daughter combination achieved a best two fifth finishing positions, firstly in 1994 and again in 2006, with a final seventh place in their penultimate outing in 2011, unfortunately repeating their debut DNF in their final year 2012.

Charlie and Louise still made the annual pilgrimage to the Pre-TT Classic Races, after Charlie hung up his leathers until a couple of years ago, when ill health prevented him travelling from his home town of Balerno, near Edinburgh.

Southern 100 Chairman George Peach said:

‘Charlie was very passionate about his racing, but was always cheerful, even when machine problems hindered progress to the chequered flag.

‘He and Louise enjoyed their annual visits and were always amongst the early entries to drop through the letter box and continued to attend after he finished racing. He was certainly an inspiration to his fellow classic sidecar racers, and he will be very much missed by all who knew him.’

Southern 100 Racing extend their sincere condolences to his family and close friends at this very sad time.