Le Mans trivia (if there is such as thing)

[racerkeke]

Okay, you Le Mans regulars, I am looking for an answer to the following question. Can you help?

1. When were women first allowed to volunteer as commissaires at Le Mans?

I've only been going since 2004, but I seem to recall a friend who went in the '90s saying she was not permitted to work a poste on Les Hunaudières.

If you've been going for several years, when was the first time you ever saw a female commissaire?

thanks
keke

[jph]

I have a picture of a very photogenic lady flag marshal taken in, I think, 1982. I've never heard before of the ACO not permitting female flag marshals and I guess that such a ban would not have been legally possible for the last few years at least.

[racerkeke]

Well, I understand from folks at my poste that Le Mans is the only event in France where women are permitted to volunteer. In 2007 I was given to believe (by a Spanish commissaire) that the matter was before the EU courts.

JPH, do you recall where the photo was taken (what part of the course)? And do you think she was a real marshal? Up until recently commissaires could bring family members and friends right to their stations, and may yet if the chef de poste permits it.

keke

[Adam43]

[mod]We have a few 24 hours marshals here on 10-10ths, perhaps this will be better served in Marshals.
I'll move it.[/mod]

[Shelagh]

Well, I did my first Le Mans in 1992 and, whilst not being very photogenic, I am certainly a "Lady" (or at least of the female persuasion)! And Bill marshalled with ladies at Pau in 1989/90.

I do know that later on in the '90s I discovered to my disgust that only men could marshal at Monaco - is this maybe causing a misunderstanding as to who was/is allowed to marshal where in France - is it really just a Monte Carlo thing?

When our French Chef de Post told me in '92 that "as a woman you will not go onto the track", Bill tried to explain this attitude away by stating "After all, Monsieur Chauvin - he was a Frenchman".

C'est la vie, n'est ce pas?

[greenbean]

i dont think this can be the case at le man as the person in charge of the marshals is a women . i am sure the wife of are current cheif on post 70 marshalled at le man on post 31 in the late 80 early ninetys

[TimtheHose]

In 1992 and 1993, myself , and my then girlfriend were on Poste 40 bis, as course marshals, and iirc there had been female marshals on that post in the preceding year also

HTH

Tim

[ss_collins]

I have a picture of a very photogenic lady flag marshal

well lets see it...

I can't fully believe that there would have been a restriction.

[JonT]

I am not aware that there has been a restriction on female marshals in France. In my time marshalling in France since the early 1980s there have always been female marshals, more than in the UK. I first went to Pau to marshal in 1984 and our observer was Eliane and she still marshals at Pau and at Le Mans.

JonT

[JonT]

And at Monaco last year I understand that there was the first female marshal working trackside, on the startline. In previous years all marshals were male, with no long hair, pony tails (no chance for the Race Gypsy) and all had to undergo training and a fitness test to measure press-ups, pulse recovery and so on.

JonT

[theracegypsy]

Originally Posted by JonT

And at Monaco last year I understand that there was the first female marshal working trackside, on the startline. In previous years all marshals were male, with no long hair, pony tails (no chance for the Race Gypsy) and all had to undergo training and a fitness test to measure press-ups, pulse recovery and so on.

JonT

Ah, but I did it back in'76, before my hair was grown up!

...and I vowed never to do it again.