High Life

HIGH LIFE 49 这 个风和日丽的夏日清晨，阳光刚开始出现时，巴黎旺多姆广场上已聚集了 不下90辆经典老爷车。车上坐着约180位淑女，全为正副驾驶员，即本 届公主拉力赛的主角。本年，瑞士手表品牌理查德·米勒已是连续第四届协办赛 事。 公主拉力赛至今已举行了19届，本届赛事则是首次向西南部地区进发。为了 增添经典感，查德·米勒为赛事提供了四辆保时捷356、一辆1973年版911以 及另外一辆1969年版梅赛德斯250sl。这六辆经典老爷车，分别由六支队伍驾 驶，可谓赛事的焦点之一。 赛事可不是轻松的娱乐：全副武装的正副驾驶员，在比赛开始前早已深入了 解路线图、管制地带、强制检查点及平均速度等要求，并与所属车队磨合完毕。 此外，正副驾驶员还得在赛事开始后尽快构建默契，因为两人之间的紧密合作可 是比赛表现的关键。 车队首先朝博瓦勒动物园进发，沿途欣赏了闻名遐迩的国道20。在灿烂阳光 的衬托下，风景更见迷人，难怪前往比利牛斯地区或西班牙度假的人，从前大多 选择此路线。此时，车队进入了首个规管区，需尽量跟从平均速度行驶。 为了追回每次转弯和刹车时损失的时间，车手们得一心多用地注意计时器、 速度及路面情况，同时听取副驾驶员不断更新的方向指示，这可难倒了不少新手 驾驶员。 E arly on a summer daywith clear sky above, the slumbering Vendôme Column was roused when no fewer than 90 classic cars fired up their engines as the first rays of sun broke over the city of Paris. On boardwere 180 elegantwomen, drivers and co-drivers, all competitors in the Rallye des Princesses, partnered with iconic watchmaker Richard Mille for the fourth year in a row. For the first time in 19 editions, the rally set off in a southwest direction. Aiming to offer a truly immersive experience, the brand supplied four 1963 Porsche 356s, one 911 from 1973 and one 1969 Mercedes Pagoda 250sl. Six teams were therefore able to experience a rally from the inside. It is certainly no walk in the park. Road book, regularity zone, compulsory check point, constant average speeds: the teams had their work cut out keeping up the pace. Apair needs to get up to speedwith their complementary skills in the first fewkilometers, as thework of one relies heavilyon the directions of the other. Heading towards Beauval Zoo, the competitors discovered the mythical RN20, basking in sunshine, a prerequisite in days gone by for holidaymakers on their way to the Pyrenees or Spain. The teams came face-to-face with the nuances of the rally as they entered the first regularity zone and were obliged to keep as close as possible to the average speed. Powering the car forward at every turn and stop to compensate for these tiny losses, this first challenge was a tough one for novice drivers who had to keep one eye on the timer, the other on the speedometer and a third on the road, while following the precise instructions of the co-driver, nose buried in their notes.