Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles

As the light starts to fade, 77 teams are still out on the course. For those who have reached the bivouac, exhausted from this first leg, the reactions are varied: some are satisfied with their performance, others are delighted to be back before dark, or simply filled with the beauty of the landscape and by this first day of action in the dust. Whatever the reaction, our Gazelles are far from being finished. On the program this evening: taking care of the vehicle, a good shower and, time permitting, sharing the excitement of the day over a glass of wine in the big tent. Hang in there, Gazelles!

Half an hour after the arrival of Team 132 (Nathalie CAMPAGNA and Nicole TURCOT - ACTIMAX), Isabelle GERMAIN-PAILLARSE and Karine PIERRE of Team 193 - LULU DANS LA PRAIRIE reach the bivouac. For this first participation, their objective is to "have a good time!".
Hesitant when it comes to plotting and following their route, preferring to spend their time keeping close track of their position on the map, it took them 4 hours to find their first CP. After feeling their way along to a first success, they become more self-assured, reaching CP2 in just... 45 minutes!
Satisfied with the progress they have made today in being more and more efficient with their maps, they decide to head back to the bivouac and get some rest. The result of their first leg? "A lot of pleasure and excitement!"

To see the team info sheets, click here

After a very late start this morning, Alexandra and Stéphanie have reached their first CP, 4 hours after starting. They spent 1.5 hours crossing Takhbtit Nemzani, a tricky sandy zone that they could have gone around to the south but that they decided to attack head-on. They then headed straight for the CP, no navigation errors, no problems.

Team 192 (Sophie TAKENOUTI and Anne LE GOUAIS - A2B Collections) call for mechanical assistance after a wheel comes loose. As there have been no other calls, the problem is being quickly dealt with at the time of writing. As stated in the Sporting Regulations, any intervention by an assistance vehicle earns the team 200 penalty points...

The beginning of the competition means the beginning of the problems… Teams 138 (Florence and Corentine - Toyota France), 312 (Emmanuelle and Véronique - La Poste), 136 (Claire and Muriel - Marithé+François Girbaud) and 168 (Elizabeth and Françoise - Idex) hav e got their shovels and sand ladders out, after being surprised by a zone of sand. Dig, push, let's go!

The Patrol belonging to Team 146 (Caroline and Aurore - Sevacrème) was able to continue the race this morning after repairs by the mechanics during the night: according to the Race PC, the Gazelles are following the right heading and are just 6 km from CP1.
Meanwhile Team 157 (Stéphanie and Alexandra - Groupe Pujol)'s Isuzu is sitting immobile in the mechanics area for the time being: the cause, a defective clutch and a lack of replacement parts. But all is not lost: the mechanics are attempting makeshift repairs that will allow Stéphanie and Alexandra to start the leg before 12:00, official start line closing time.