22eme édition - du 17 au 31 mars 2012
Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles
La référence féminine depuis 1990
Daily Report
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Daily Report
Operation Siphon
From the worst of situations can come beautiful moments of solidarity! We were given an example during the first marathon leg, at the "Bourgnon-Quiniou Refuelling Station".
Posted at CP8, the Gazelles offered fuel to the other teams who were running out. Fuel siphoned from their own
tank into the tanks of their friends. With a "CamelBak" tube and enough
height: mission accomplished!
Fatal encounter with sand
The Isuzu D-Max belonging to Véronique Lefrançois and Lynda Bergeron, Team 158 ICRANE,
spent almost 24 hours stuck in a sand trap yesterday. A classic "stuck
in the dunes" situation that costs them their clutch. Called at 17:30,
mechanical assistance arrived on the scene a few hours later, but was
not able to get the 4WD back on the road (or the trail...)
As hour follows hour, the time limit for the leg approaches...
As hour follows hour, the time limit for the leg approaches...
End of the first marathon
The first marathon is over for the Gazelles, who are now arriving "home", slowly but surely. Located 80 km south of Zagora, the Mhamid bivouac will be home to the competitors for one night only. After 48 hours of driving, mishaps, stress, tears, joy and, above all, pleasure, they have one short night to rest before following on with a second marathon leg tomorrow...
Hit the road, Gazelles!
After
a good night's sleep (or a night of partying), the Gazelles woke up in
the middle of the desert, enjoyed a cup of black coffee in the open
air... They got off to a relaxing start this morning for the second half of the marathon leg. The slower teams still have up to ten checkpoints to find today before heading to the new bivouac in Mhamid this evening, in the Draa Valley.
Yesterday the Race PC noticed that certain teams, well in advance of the pack, camped out at CP 6...
Yesterday the Race PC noticed that certain teams, well in advance of the pack, camped out at CP 6...
An unforgettable first day
It's
what we call a concentrated view of Morocco. Today during the first
marathon leg, the Gazelles had the chance to drive through a wide
variety of different terrains. Vast plateaus covered in black rocks,
reddish hills, a sea of small dunes as far as the eye can see, lush
palm groves...
Despite the beauty of the landscapes, some Gazelles had memorable misadventures...
Despite the beauty of the landscapes, some Gazelles had memorable misadventures...
Did you know?
Why
do the Gazelles spend so much time deflating and reinflating their
tires? It's because a tire with less air pressure distributes the
weight of the vehicle over a greater surface, improving the
load-bearing capacity of the sand. As Eric Lombard, opening navigator, explains it: "When you deflate your tires you go from the surface area of a postage stamp to the surface area of a postcard."
5th leg, first marathon
And they're off on the first marathon leg of the Rallye!
48 hours straight through extremely variable terrain, alternatng between valleys, mountains, rocky plateaus and sandy zones.
The Gazelles have to be autonomous for this 2-day leg. No mechanical checkup in the evening, limited access to fuel, bivouac "in the wild"...
48 hours straight through extremely variable terrain, alternatng between valleys, mountains, rocky plateaus and sandy zones.
The Gazelles have to be autonomous for this 2-day leg. No mechanical checkup in the evening, limited access to fuel, bivouac "in the wild"...
Under the patronage of his majesty King Mohammed VI