1. Special stages for competitors
2. Transfer routes for team service and organizers service
3. ORGA – road books with lots of additional information as a professional working base for the CP teams, the sweeper trucks and the medical rescue teams
4. reserve special stages

In total, more than 2,500 road book pictures on 260 pages!

Related to this is the first of several planned improvements:

• For classes E1 – E4 the road books will prepared as a role, not as a book.
• In addition to the transfer of GPS waypoints (coordinates) prepared routes for each day are available upon request.

The previously announced GPS recorder will come. Unfortunately we have not found a standard GPS logger that met our requirements. Therefore, the company EXPLONA has developed a GPS recorder that is tailored to the required use:

• dust and water protected
• independent power supply for the entire duration of rally
• can not be manipulated / no data upload possible
• automatic personalization of the read out data

This is the basis of a fair evaluation; the same hardware for all participants, independent of individually user errors.

Also new in 2012:

• European catering service (breakfast / dinner, small snacks) in all camps
• A whole rest day – to bring late teams back to the main field, to perform necessary repairs and to allow a small break for organizations and service employees.

Not new, but still worth mentioning:

• All camps are reachable for service without 4×4.
• The special stages in the dunes have exit opportunities before particularly difficult passages.
• The EXPLONA tracking system shows the location of each participant at any time on the screen. It allows to the teams to send an emergency call in case of accident or other emergency case. All important information, such as race number and coordinates, will automaticly submitted to the base station and from there to the sweeper truck or to the rescue service.

A great pre-tour is behind us!

Apart from minor repairs to our vehicles, there were no incidents. All planed routes are done, roadbooks are proofed, modified, or written new. With three vehicles, we have covered a total of almost 10,000 km in Tunisia. And no matter where we went, we met friendly and cheerful people. Tunisia is on the best way to become once again a popular holiday destination for individual and expedition travelers also.

The only downside: At the moment there are no permits for the special stages south of El Borma. But even in this case, no entry into the restricted area for the rally, we have taken precautions: 4 full-fledged replacement stages – including one from Ksar Ghilane to the “Lost Lake” and, of course on different route, back to the oasis. Another highlight will be the last special stage. After spending the night in a great hotel in Kebili, it goes on ultra-fast tracks directly over the Chott and then through the mountains – both very impressive.

Conclusion: With or without the approval for the southern restricted area, we will enjoy a fantastic rally on challenging special stages – fast tracks just as impressive dune crossings.

Joerg Schumann

A long day was expected. From Kebili to Hammamet, including a brand new special stage. Take the pin and let’s go! The first part leads directly through the Chott, the largest salt lake in the Sahara. Who exactly goes on the fixed path, experiences a natural spectacle of an exceptional kind. This gigantic plain without the slightest elevation makes you feel like flying off. Unbelievable. But beside the pist it could be uncomfortable. Iris and Heiko write a track around the Chott for the case the salt lake should be to moist in autumn.  Which would a real shame.

The next part of the special stage leads us over a small pass through a fantastic mountain scenery. Certainly nothing to find the lost hours from the days before. Here, everyone should take the time, to enjoy the beautiful scenery on the last rally kilometers in 2012 and to take home this experiences. The finish line with the rally portal is in the plane, so that all service teams can be there. A great ending.

Now we are in the Hotel Le Sultan in Hammamet, the traditional end of our Tunisia rally. Jorg is still in negotiation about the “party suitability” that could improved in 2012. 😉 But we have already considered alternatives, so that a proper ceremony is nothing in the way.

So, that it was from the pre-tour: The routes are written. With or without El Borma, it will be really good on the El Chott 2012!

Greetings from the desert.
Christian

(translated, on 25 march)

Life returned into the south of Tunisia.

We could not sleep well in the oasis of Ksar Ghilane; up to six in the morning, the party of about 100 Tunisian tourists was running. Drumming, singing and dancing, lively party atmosphere around the huge campfire. Also the countless single cylinder have strained our nerves, but in true, really delighted. And the arrival of the Libya Rally with over 150 people is a clear signal also, that they get better.

Now in the hotel Tuareg, after the 10th Special stage, which actually ends in Kebili, we are surprised that the hotel is fully booked. At the buffet we had to queue up and fight for a  dinner table. It blooms the life here in the south, and if this continues, it will better than it ever was.

Tomorrow it goes to the last special stage, so that we will have controlled, written or improved together 16 roadbooks until Thursday. Everything will be well prepared for the autumn; with or without El Borma.

Greetings from the desert.

Christian

(translated, on 25 March)