The Continental rally took place in Bumbach, in the canton of Bern, about 25 kilometres from Thun. There were around 100 participants – German, English, French, Swedish, Austrian and Swiss. Most of the information below is from the programme.
Despite there being no Italian participants, the Italian magazine
Motociclismo took an interest and speculated, ‘why the woman-motorcycle combination still causes resistance and amazement, especially in men.’
The male reporter noted: ‘most of the members of the association are keen to specify that they only ride because they love to ride, and not to demonstrate their emancipation from their male colleagues. It is also for this reason that they show a certain, quite understandable, aversion to the press which, in addition to considering them objects of curiosity, judges them to be male-female, viragos.’
There was a full programme of events.
- Monday: a gymkhana, and in the evening a film about previous WIMA rallies.
- Tuesday: Parade ride to a show dairy in Gruyères, featuring a local speciality dessert, meringues with cream. In the programme, the instructions for the parade ride were as follows: Ride in convoy, total length about 1 km! The cantonal police of Bern accompany us part of our way so that we can all ride in a convoy and are not torn apart at the intersections or traffic lights. Even the access to the motorway is regulated. Before we enter, the motorway is narrowed by one lane for other road users, so that we have a whole lane for ourselves. It is therefore very important that you stick to the schedule and follow the following rules: At exactly 9 o’clock set up in front of the village: first the 125s, then the 250s, etc. Ride in a staggered convoy of two bikes. Overtaking is strictly forbidden. It is to be ridden slowly so that all those whose machines reach a maximum speed of 60 km/h can keep up. Keep enough distance. If something does not go well with rider or machine, just stop at the edge; a breakdown vehicle follows! Do not constantly look in the rearview mirror, but at the front vehicle so that you can stay in lane, so everything works out and you have an unforgettable experience. Refuelling is out of the question (Gruyères is only about 100 km away) and everyone rides back by themselves. Have fun!
- Wednesday: a rally of about 200 km where a timed task or question was posed at each stop, ending with dinner, after which everybody was invited onto the stage to contribute something to the entertainment (the first time what would become ‘Trash Nights’ was mentioned).
- Thursday: an opportunity to relax. Swimming, lounging or ride in a convoy to visit to the cities of Thun and Bern.
- Friday: a trial test with the legendary Swiss champion Godi Linder, with real trial machines from Yamaha.
The closing of the event included, in addition to the award to the top winner, Cordula Ziegler from Munich, a special party for the anniversary of the birth of the Swiss Confederation (1st August). The programme said there would be a giant bonfire with all villagers and trial spectators, with wood collected by everybody and after midnight they would roast sausages on the fire. A dance band would play until 2 am.
