The Pearl Booklet relates: ‘Among the participants was Helga from East Germany who was then the title holder for the 125cc class in her country. Also in evidence was Ellen Pfeiffer, captain of the Continental division, who had managed to collect over a hundred cups and trophies won in all forms of motorcycle sport.’
In an article for Das Motorrad, Ellen Pfeiffer wrote about the 1972 rally. Participants from Finland, Austria, France, East Germany, West Germany and Czechoslovakia met in Červená for the 1972 WIMA Rally in Czechoslovakia.
Ellen described one of the consequences of gathering at an idyllic sounding venue next to the Orlík reservoir, with its deserted sandy beach surrounded by the Bohemian Forest and subtropical summer weather.
The girls who had travelled halfway through Europe on their motorcycles to attend the WIMA meeting could not be persuaded to swap their bikinis for motorcycle clothing before the afternoon. So it happened that human contact, water sports of all kinds and motorcycle stories were more in the foreground than competitions or rides in the surrounding area. Lida (Abrahamova) had put together a nice programme for us and it is only thanks to her that we saw a little bit of the scenic beauty between Pisek and Prague. She also had to literally wrestle a few smaller competitions from us, because she had to drive us out of the water every time to make a start. And as soon as the skills course was over, the whole club plunged back into the water and was only ready to leave it when it was time for the campfire and the sausage on the spit. We sat around the campfire every evening.
Despite the attraction to the water, they did manage to complete some competitions, including motorcycle orienteering and a Fox Hunt (Shirley Tarrant described this in the 1971 report). And on the final night they held a ball with an award ceremony. Ellen confirmed, ‘Jana got the wreath around her freshly washed neck and the big Otto-Pokal. Jo (Johnen) was second, Edda third, level on points with Raila (Rinna). There was a lot of silver and many, many gifts.’
