Inka Jet Raid Day 6

Greetings from Day 6 of the 2015 Inka World Jet Raid.  With two days left to go, things are starting to finalize.  The top three finishers in the F1 class (single rider) are getting close to being decided with Alain Martin amassing a 93 point lead over Manuel Cherichi, the current second place position holder.   Cherichi has a 70 point lead over Vincent Thomas, who sits in third.  Thomas has a 139 point lead over fourth place.  Statisticly, the top three overall finishers have been decided but stranger things have happened in PWC Racing.  Today’s double point event really solidified leads and the double points round tomorrow could still provide some spoilers.  22 PWC started today, all finished.

For more information, and pictures of Day Six, please visit www.perujetraid.

Complete results, through Day Six, can be downloaded here:  InkaDay6.

Here are some highlights from the day:

Heat one, the long haul from Paraccas to Cerra Azul was won by Alain Martin.  Heat two was a multi-lap sprint of a surf “triangle” in the Cerra Azzul bay was also won by Martin.  A buoy broke loose after the halfway point of the surf race and it was called finished after course marshals decided that replacing it would cause too much disruption in the field of riders.

 

The Jetraid has been a long event and it isn’t over yet.  Along with the riders’ display of endurance, a hard working event staff has been keeping the show going digesting rider comments, and engaging in the ongoing practice of solving problems and putting out fires.  IJSBA would like to spotlight and recognize some of these staff members:

 

Anibal Aliaga.  Anibal is the president of IJSBA Peru.  Seriously, nobody in Peru loves PWC Racing as much as Anibal.  If someone does, you can rest assured that person does not yell about it as much as Anibal.  He has brought top level racing to all of Peru for the last many years and is a true leader and asset to the sport.

 

Bruno and Claudia Casa.  The hard working organizers of Jetraid.

 

 

Vitto Morales and Jorge Amorreti and Miguel Gonzales, lead assistants at the event.

 

Cesare and the ground support crew.

 

Ggorggo and Christie

Senior Viva!!!  Actually, his name is Walter  (Mascafierro), a well loved sportscaster who is always the lead announcer at the IJSBA Peru events.  However, after four trips to Peru, he was named Senior Viva because he is always viva-ing something at the event.  Sea-Doo, Kawasaki, and Yah-Mah-Hah are regularly viva'd as are other event sponsors and the IJSBA.  (Managing director's note: I am proud that I have even been viva'd a time or two).  What really gets his voice booming is when he passionately exclaims Viva Peru.... which he does a lot.

Here is a quick plug for the Peru Department of Tourism which is a contributor to making a great event like the Inka Jetraid happen:

 

Before leaving Paraccas, Anibal took some staff members (and visiting consultants) on an off-road journey through a Peruvian mountain terrain which lead to a bay on the other side of the range.

 

The road ended at the edge of a large cliff which overlooked a small fishing center off in the distance.

 

The cliff was made of both rock and giant salt deposits.

 

The cliff was followed down to another road which led to the fishing center.

 

Small fishing boats were anchored having already brought in their catch for the day.

 

Scallops come straight out of the sea and into the oven at this fishing center.

 

On the way from Paraccas, to Cerra Azul, those going by land caravanned through this cool town called Chincha which is a farming town that is also full of micro wineries and Pisco distilleries.  Anyone who comes down to enjoy the motorsports life of Paraccas and the natural beauty of the coastline really should stop and enjoy a short stay in Chincha.

 

Roadside vendors sell lots and lots of fresh watermelons.

 

 

Rustic micro-wineries line the roadside

 

Small batches of fermented wine are transferred to large barrel for aging.

 

Bottling here is done completely by hand.

 

 

Small antique stores cater to the visiting tourists.

 

Plenty of charming antiques filled the store to capacity.

 

 

Not all of the craft spirit artisans produced wine.

 

This one distilled their own Pisco.

 

 

Bottling, here, was slightly more modernized.

 

Back at Cerra Azul, watercraft was repaired for the final two days of the Inka Jetraid.

 

 

Beautiful awards were handed out for this leg of the Jetraid.

 

Some kind of very tasty green soup was served at dinner, as were.....

 

 

... a variety of beverages.  Back at Cerra Azul, beer is more the beverage of choice.  This is fine because nonnative visitors, who do not want to have to buy a separate return flight seat for their liver, can use periodic breaks from the generous pouring of Pisco from Peruvian people who are proud of this wonderful spirit.  If you are served Pisco, you really need to be a good guest and consume it.  Sadly, the same rule seems to apply to this nation’s curious beverage: Inca Kola, an outright marriage of cultural history and commercialism.  One might wonder how the spirit of Manco Capac, the founder of the Kingdom of Cusco, feels about his Inca dynasty being reduced, in popular culture identity, to a fluorescent yellow commercial soft drink that tastes like baseball card bubblegum but restaurants and sundries stores sure feel great about it.  Look, you either love this stuff of you don’t.  Visitors should imbibe when offered, you don’t want to offend locals nor do you want to tick off Inti, the Sun God, who, so far, hasn’t jacked us too bad on weather. Inca Kola wont get a viva from me anytime soon but it is drinkable.

More tomorrow.