Aïcha des Gazelles rally
The Aïcha des Gazelles rally is a rally that takes place in the Moroccan hinterland. The specialty of the rally is that only women are allowed to participate.
In 2009, the 19th edition took place from March 18 to 26, in which 119 teams competed in the three categories of quad / motorcycle, 4 × 4 off-road vehicle and truck, and SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle). The rally led from Meknes to Essaouira on the Atlantic .
mode
The rally goes over 2,500 kilometers, including through dry river beds and the dunes of the western Sahara foothills. The rally consists of seven stages, two of which are marathon stages over two days. The teams are only allowed to use a compass , trip counter and map for orientation, so no GPS , binoculars or mobile phones. It is not the fastest team that wins, but the team that has the least number of kilometers between the checkpoints on the clock within the given timeline. Penalty points, on the other hand, are awarded if a further distance is driven, technical support is requested or checkpoints are missed.
history
The boss of the organizing agency Maienga, Dominique Serra , organized the first women's rally in 1990, way ahead of its time in male-dominated motor sport. Originally planned as an image campaign and to dispel prejudice, the rally is now one of the most important motorsport events in France . This year's rally was under the patronage of the Moroccan King Mohammed VI. who, among other things, liberalized family law in favor of women in Morocco during his ten years in office .
Coeur des Gazelles
There is no wage or prize money for the participants. “The rally is not just a car race - it is a commitment,” says Dominique Serra. The proceeds from the rally are used to finance medical teams, who meanwhile care for nomads and the inhabitants of remote villages and settlements in the southern part of Morocco all year round . During the rally, a medical convoy with a mobile clinic drives through the country. Eight doctors take care of the local population and in 2012 4582 patients were treated free of charge. In addition, schools were financially supported and an orphanage was set up.
Winners
2009
- Category 4WD: Team 138 ( Corentine Quiniou and Florence Migraine-Bourgnon, Toyota Land Cruiser )
- Category Crossover: Team 307 (Anne-Marie Ortola and Jeanette James, Mercedes-Benz Viano )
- Category Quad: Team 24 (Isabelle Castel and Elizabeth Kraft, Polaris Sportsman 500)
2010
- Category 4WD: Team 125, Christine Laloue and Claudine Amat on Land Rover Discovery
- Crossover category: Team 315, Isabelle Charles and Dounia Bennani in a Dacia Duster
- Quad category: Team 23, Betty Kraft and Anne Moisans on Polaris Quad
2011
- Category 4WD: Team 124, Carole Montillet and Syndiely Wade in a Nissan Springbok
- Crossover category: Team 319, Andrea Spielvogel and Anneke Voss in a Mercedes-Benz Vito 4 × 4
- Quad category: Team, Betty Kraft and Caroline Couet-Lannes on Polaris Industries Sportsman 850 xps
2012
- Category 4WD: Team 187, Carole Montillet and Julie Verdaguer on Buggy Jugand
- Crossover category: Team 310, Sylvie Husson and Sophie Goset in a Dacia Duster
- Quad category: Team 20, Dorothée Langlois and France Cleves in a Polaris Industries RANGER RZR 800 S.
Rally and the environment
For a motorsport event, the rally attaches great importance to protecting the environment and reducing CO 2 emissions. For example, at the rally, a so-called emissions monitoring solution, or EMO for short, is used to continuously measure the driving behavior of the participants, analyze them daily and add individual savings tips and evaluate them graphically. Logica , the technology partner of the rally, provides the hardware and supports the analysis. The Logica Eco Drive was announced for the first time in 2012, and economic driving in the sense of low fuel consumption is awarded.
2012 winners
- Category 4WD: Team 107, Amy Lerner and Tricia Reina on Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon
- Crossover category: Team 320, Marie Le Neillon-Quesseveur and Susanne Ehmer in a Mercedes-Benz Vito 4 × 4
Web links
- Website of the rally
- Explanation of the emissions monitoring tool
- Subpage of the official rally page on environmental protection
Individual evidence
- ↑ Franchise hôtelière: Choice Hotels soutient l'équipage Aïcha d'Anjou sur le Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles
- ↑ Mercedes-Benz Viano 4MATIC takes class victory in women's rally
- ↑ Aïcha des Gazelles rally: Mercedes-Benz Vito 4x4 impresses in the desert ( Memento of the original from May 14, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
