THE Isle of Wight is considering a proposal to begin a motorcycle road racing festival which emulates the Isle of Man TT.
Two weeks after the 100th anniversary TT Festival, celebrating the anniversary of the Mountain Course, a campaign has been launched to create the event on the island in the English Channel.
Campaigners have already received strong initial support, but a mountain of obstacles face such a project, not least of which is having road surfaces in perfect racing condition and choosing a route which will not receive opposition from the 130,000 residents. The idea has already drawn “mixed opinions” on the island.
The campaign group says it has chosen a course which would “avoid any villages” - highlighting another considerable problem facing the Isle of Wight; its size. The island is only two thirds the size of the Isle of Man and its road surfaces have been described as being “in a state”.
The geography of the Isle of Wight could also create problems as its main roads - the most likely to be used for a circuit - cover a near circular route around the coast of the island, which would lock in most of the population inside the course during road closures. Also, it has a limited choice, with only 489 miles of roads, compared to the Isle of Man’s 688 miles.
Another problem is that there would be a need for the Isle of Wight’s roads to be deregulated, in order for road closures similar to the Isle of Man to come into effect. This would require a major change to the Road Traffic Act and would have to be agreed by the UK parliament.
With 2.7 million annual visitors already travelling to the island, and, if the event replicates the Isle of Man TT, organisers will certainly have difficulty finding a fortnight in the existing motorcycle racing calendar where riders are free to take part.
However, its population - around 130,000 - is considerably higher than the Isle of Man, giving it a much higher density, causing considerably more traffic disruption than here.
Campaigner Kara Rann said: "When you see the passion and enthusiasm, it's something the Isle of Wight is missing out on and it would certainly benefit".
A Facebook page set up by the campaign attracted 425 supporters in 36 hours.
Councillor George Brown, Isle of Wight Council deputy leader, said, "We would be happy to consider any proposals for high profile events that would extend the island's tourist season and make a meaningful contribution to the island's economy without compromising the island's natural beauty and charm for which it is famous."
It’s not the first time that someone has tried to cash in on the success of the TT and create their own version of the world’s most famous motorcycle race meeting.
In the last decade a TT style bike racing meeting was proposed in Canada, with a course on public roads. Isle of Man TT officials, and riders including Ian Lougher, visited the proposed site, but the idea seems to have been shelved, apparently because of the prohibitive set-up costs.
