| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Above: A busy car park in Nouakchott today Day 16 Cap Tafarit to Nouakchott After sleeping under canvas last night, having been lulled to sleep by the sound Atlantic Ocean, the rally emerged bleary eyed and a touch dishevelled, for breakfast on the beach. The rally then immediately restarted in earnest for another desert storm from dune to dune and through sandy valley after sandy ridge. The 4x4's where ready for anything and expectedly relished the challenge and ploughed on through. The hatchbacks and classics, also expectedly, where a touch pensive, very tired, and picked away more carefully at the options that lay ahead. Inevitably there where lots of cars getting bogged down in the soft troughs of sand but the 4x4's towed many straight out avoiding the prolonged agony of a physical digging operation. It was a great route and the final part of this morning section finished by running the length of a dry ocean inlet of huge proportions. It was a very fast passage and welcome relief after the energy sapping dunes. The test finally ended after passing along an ocean-side track that was home to the most incredible and dense selection of birdlife. Most notable where Pelicans, Stork, Flamingos, Herons and Clerk of the Course and highly experienced ornithologist, Martin Clark, was pleased to have seen Osprey as well. Leading hatchback team Alastair Caldwell and Brian Johnson had a tense time early on in the test when the Peugeot 205 started running sick, and looked like conking out completely, before sparking back into health and allowing high level business as usual. David Williams and Keith Whyman made mincemeat of this test in the Dodge Ram and Mike Thornton and Jeffrey Bechel put in an impressive effort in the Landcruiser as well with the second fastest time. There was then a regroup alongside huge whale skeletons whilst waiting for the tide to go out far enough to conduct the final 'beach run'. It was a hot few hours wait but allowed time for competitors to integrate with the local kids and community, give away a few gifts and surplus kit, and for Felix Wright and John Hall to temporarily repair the broken trailing arm on the rear suspension of the Ford Focus. The eagerly anticipated beach run started with a tricky traverse of a ridge of dune running the entire length of the coastline. Some immediately became stuck and so the eventual feeling of the beautiful firm waters edge beach beneath the tyres felt even better for them. It was an amazing and unique experience to drive fast for 50km, literally hugging the sea to stay on the firmest and flattest sand, and dodge the incoming surf and the huge flocks of gulls that adorned the sand. The 'high line' was slower and softer sand and included some spine jarring ridges that, in Anna McColl and Paul Clarks case, managed to completely flip their Land Rover 90 over forwards so dramatically that it landed back on its wheels - albeit a different shape. They picked up the debris and finished the test seemingly unflustered - but as the locking wheel nut key had been flung into the surf during the roll, they were forced to complete the test with the flat tyre that had exploded in the roll. Dominic Manser and Jeremy Davies are still pushing hard but nearly blew it all and floated out to sea after overtaking Alastair Caldwell and Brian Johnson right on the shore line. They hit a harsh ridge and spun out clean into the Atlantic. The Jeep Wrangler team scrabbled back to dry land much to the amusement of the Peugeot crew. Robert Belcher and Jeremy Buckler continue to press on well and, perhaps inspired by the film crews onboard camera strapped to the bonnet today, passed many other cars on the beach and continue to keep the Polo in really good shape. Paul and Mary Kane must have literally flown the GT350 from ridge to ridge on this test to have achieved their impressive fastest time. Martin Collins and Mark Potter where fastest 4x4 and their super sturdy Nissan Patrol has suffered no worse than the windscreen washer pump coming a bit lose on this entire gruelling rally. By the time the late comers drove the beach the tide had risen and so the driving line had narrowed to the point where much of the time was spent actually in the shallow surf. Lyndon Swann and David Nadin in an old Land Rover 109 arrived at the finish control absolutely drenched from head to foot inside the cab but as usual found it all a big laugh. By the time all the layers of salt had dried on the cars half the field looked as if it had been iced by a cake maker. Further down the road on the way back to the hotel, Colin Metcalfe and Mark Billingshurst in the oldest vehicle on the rally, where chuffed to have towed the newest vehicle here out of some sandy road workings. Organising team member, Dave Perks, was embarrassed to have beached the Mitsubishi Shogun and needed a tow from the 109 Land Rover - particularly as he had just torn the bumper clean off the front of Ben and Mark Munne's BMW by trying to tow them out. The excruciation will continue for Dave because it was all caught on film. Stephen Cooper and Aggie Foster had a bad day after removing the bonnet of the little Citroen AX to help the overheating engine. It was not the best thing to have done before the beach run though as the engine became duly soaked and 'lost' a couple of cylinders. It never recovered and came in tonight on a rope. It is a fairly euphoric feeling coming into a comfortable hotel after two long and tough days and sleeping rough, so the rally is in good spirits and recharging the batteries for the 'day off' quite possibly to be spent repairing the machines. |
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
