Ten Teams from United States Competing in Rally Aicha des Gazzelles

[UTVUGJake]

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Largest Participation Ever for American Teams

Monday, March 23rd, 2015 (San Diego, CA) Excitement reaches new levels for the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles as 10 teams from the United States will compete in this year’s edition – slated March 20 – April 4. The grueling off-road rally has gained the well-deserved reputation as the toughest all-women’s sporting event as competitors drive and navigate across southern Morocco’s challenging landscape with only a compass, set of outdated maps, a ruler, and their strength as a team. A bucket list event, the field of American teams has doubled since 2014.

Teams are comprised of a driver and navigator. The object is not fastest speed, but driving the shortest distance between checkpoints. Navigators are not given the exact checkpoints. They are given either a latitude and longitude or a distance and heading. Navigators must plot the CPs using math or geometry using plotters and rulers on maps from the 1950s and 60s. No outside assistance or private support teams are allowed during competition. It is a test of one’s precise navigation skills, smart driving, and vehicle durability.

This year’s rally welcomes 158 teams from 13 countries competing in 4 vehicle classes, with the United States representing the largest participation this year second to France. New for 2015 is an expert class – designed to further challenge the most experienced teams with more difficult terrain, additional dune challenges, and more difficult strategic decisions. The average day for the regular classes already spans 10-14 hours of competition, assuming no problems occur.

2015 marks the 25th anniversary of the rally. Founder Dominique Serra, who originally worked for Ford Motor Corporation, has built the rally around several key tenants – women’s empowerment, environmental commitment, and dedication to supporting the people of Morocco. The rally has received several awards including the United Nations’ Plant for the Planet and is the only sporting event with ISO 14001 certification for it’s strict environmental practices. Serra was decorated as an Officer Wissam Al Alaoui in Morocco by King Mohammed VI for the positive impact the rally has on the country.

For the first time, American teams will be competing in all rally classes. 6 teams are entered in the 4x4 class, which are stock four wheel drive vehicles with low range. This is the largest class in the event. 1 team competing for Kawasaki is entered in the UTV/Moto/Buggy Class. 2 teams competing for Mercedes in the new 4-wheel drive Sprinter are entered in the Crossover Class. One team will compete in the new Expert Class.

Teams run the gamut in backgrounds from a Hollywood stuntwoman to Dakar class winner, former Wall Street trader, and a Los Angeles producer. A strong Southern California contingent is also participating this year, with 14 women representing the region.

Technical and administrative verifications concluded on Monday for the North American teams. Tuesday will mark the ceremonial start in Rabat for all 158 teams, with the much-anticipated Prologue scheduled for Wednesday the 25th.

For a full bio on all US teams and to track teams live, please visit: www.rallyeaichadesgazelles.com

Team # 23 - Sara Price/Erica Sacks, Canyon Lake, CA (Side by Side)

Team # 107 - Susanah Hoehn/Jo Hannah Hoehn, San Diego. CA (4x4)

Team # 175 - Susie Saxten/Sarah Saxten, San Diego, CA (4x4)

Team # 180 - Nicole Vaughan-Pitell, Corona, CA/Jessi Combs, Long Beach, CA (4x4)

Team # 182 - Patricia Klishevich, Delaware County, PA/Véronique De Sybourg-Siffert, Fribourg, Switzerland (4x4)

Team # 183 - Rebecca Donaghe, Marina Del Rey, CA/Barbara Fiorentino, Los Angeles, CA (4x4)

Team # 218 - Rachelle Croft/Rhonda Cahill, Bozeman, MT (4x4)

Team # 316 - Susan Mead, Williamstown, MA/Shennen Marschner, Los Angeles, CA (Crossover)

Team # 317 - Alyssa Roenigk, Venice, CA/Chrissie Beavis, San Diego, CA (Crossover)

Team # 400 - Amy Lerner, Bergen County, NJ/Sabrina Howells, Los Angeles, CA (4x4)





About: The Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles is a grueling test of driving skill and navigation across southern Morocco’s most beautiful and challenging terrain. The rally is unique whereby teams are not allowed technological assistance. In the absence of GPS, communications and service crews, teams must find the shortest distance between the checkpoints over nine days of competition with only the aid of traditional navigation – compass, outdated maps, and plotters. The event is an incredible test of endurance, patience, and teamwork, pushing competitors to their limits.

Follow the Teryx girls, repping UTVs! Our story on them is HERE

 

[Muddy Microphone Podcast]

Check out my interview with Sara Price from the #Teryx Girls race team on the Muddy Microphone Podcast in iTunes or at www.muddymicpodcast.libsyn.com

 

[JoeyD23]

Awesome!

 

[UTVUGJake]

Update on the american teams:

American Teams Have Successful Second Leg
Friday, March 27, 2015 (Erfoud, Morocco)—It was a long day for Gazelles who covered almost 190 kilometers during Friday’s second leg. Competitors left the bivouac in Mech Irdane at 6 a.m. and cars were still pouring into the bivouac, which moved just southeast of Erfoud, well after dark.

Terrain: Competitors encountered one of the classic challenges of the Rally: the "cauliflower field", a strange desert plant that looks like a giant grey-green cauliflower and which, in addition to being inedible, is as hard as rock. There were few clear features along the route, and even the best features were often so far away that they were easily lost in the heat haze. Points of reference were uncertain at best and frequently nonexistent.



Cars take the line at 6 a.m. sharp every morning

Team Updates

Team Hoehn

After posting an impressive 16th place finish after the first leg—the highest finish for the American teams--the Hoehn sisters of Team #107, Jo Hannah and Susanah of San Diego, carried their momentum into Friday’s leg. They were the first American team back to the bivouac after completing all eight checkpoints. That didn’t mean their day didn’t come without some ups and downs.

“We went up this difficult pass, which was not a real trail, but more like a rocky, terrifying, mule nomad path,” said Jo Hannah about the day’s terrain. “It took years off my life. Susanah had to put her confidence face on and told me that the car could do it, and I could do it. When you have to place your tires so specifically in one place and you can’t see below the hood, you trust that person 100-percent.”


Back to the bivouac! Competitors had to reach the final checkpoint by 7 p.m.

First Time Participants

Jessi Combs and Nicole Pitell-Vaughan

There are five American teams competing for the first time in the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles. Leading the way for the first time competitors was Team #180--Jessi Combs, a TV personality with a strong car racing background, and her driver Nicole Pitell-Vaughan, owner of Total Chaos. The team finished second in the Prologue behind former Gazelle winner Armelle Medard, and then put up a solid performance during the first leg where they finished 24th. During Friday’s competition, the team made some mistakes—including mapping the wrong checkpoint, which cost them eight kilometers--but they ultimately made all eight checkpoints and were back to the bivouac as the sun was setting.



Susie Saxten waves on her driver at checkpoint seven

Dark Horses Step Up--Sarah and Susie Saxten

The best surprise performance of the day went to Team #175 Sarah and Susie Saxten from Encinitas and San Diego, California. (Sarah is married to Susie’s brother.) The Saxten’s took their time on the course, but kept moving. “I got out of the car a lot more today,” said Susie, the team’s navigator, “and the terrain started to make a lot more sense.” The team just squeaked into the final checkpoint at the cut-off time of 7 p.m., but they were dead on for most of the day—an impressive feat for their first Rally. A graduated of Stanford University, Susie said, “Nothing I’ve done could prepare us for this.”



First time competitor Sarah Saxten at checkpoint seven

Winner of Best Adventure Team #23: Sarah Price and Erica Sacks

Yes, the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles is a race, but often it’s the team with the best adventure that gets the biggest props. Winner of the best adventure so far in 2015 is Team #23: Sarah Price and Erica Sacks. The first American team to compete in a Side-by-Side, Price is a former X Games medalist in motocross, while Sacks is an accomplished gymnast with desert racing experience.

Their adventure began before the race even started. Their vehicle didn’t arrive in time for the Prologue because of a snowstorm in the Atlas Mountains. Then when the team took the line for Thursday’s leg 1, they made a navigation error and went to the wrong checkpoint. Because of this, they missed one of their potential fuel spots and eventually ran out of gas. The women had to spend the night in the desert, until rally officials were able to deliver fuel. They didn’t return to the bivouac until 3:30 a.m.—just 30 minutes before Friday’s wake up call.



Sarah Price and Erica Sacks, Team #23, are the first Americans to compete in the Quad/Moto/SSV class at the Rally.

Expert Class--Sabrina Howells and Amy Lerner

The only American team competing in the “Expert" class, Team #400, Sabrina Howells and Amy Lerner also had a good second leg. “The checkpoints were really spread apart and there are more of them, so you really had to be strategic with your time,” said Howells. After a rough start to their competition, Howells, who is competing in her third Rally, said she finally felt like she “belonged” on Friday. The team made all of their checkpoints, while some of the more experienced teams didn’t. 2014 Rally winners Jeanette James and Anne Marie Borg led the expert class after the first leg, but said they struggled during Friday’s leg and that the day was “really long and hard."



ESPN journalist Alyssa Roenigk competes in her first Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles

Crossover Class--Beavis and Roenigk

Chrissie Beavis and Alyssa Roenigk, Team #317, had a solid day in the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and made all eight checkpoints. When Crossover class leader Andrea Spielvogel made a mistake before the finish, the American team likely moved into the top position. (Final results from Friday aren’t available until noon on Saturday.) No American teams have entered the class before, although Beavis competed in the Rally in 2013 with professional surfer Bethany Hamilton and finished 8th in the 4 x 4 class. Roenigk is a journalist for ESPN, and 2015 is her first Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles



The dunes are the best place to catch some air

Spirit of the Gazelles--Cahill and Croft

After breaking their shock mount at 11 a.m., Rhonda Cahill of Team #218, along with Rachelle Croft, said, “We hit rock bottom when we thought we were going to have to call for assistance.” The team relied on a ratchet strap for a solution. “We had to drive really slowly so we could get all of our checkpoints, and we tried to not loose courage,” said Cahill. “We had several women that stopped to try and help us, though. People kept stopping and offering assistance.” The team, who finished 29th on Thursday’s first leg, went on to make all of their checkpoints on Friday despite the mechanical failure.

 

[UTVUGJake]

First Marathon Leg Proves Challenging

Tuesday, March 30, 2015 (M’Hamid, Morocco)—The first of two marathon legs kicked off near Erfoud, Morocco on Sunday morning and competitors traveled 335 kilometers south to the next bivouac just outside the town of M’Hamid. There was no mechanical assistance during the overnight and no refueling between checkpoints. Competitors also slept outside under the stars in makeshift camps on Sunday night, which truly completed the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles experience.



Here come the Hoehns

“I love the outdoors,” said Patricia Klishevich from Team #182, who was ranked 16th overall with her partner Véronique DeSybourg-Siffert before the start of the marathon length. “The Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles takes you places you would never be able to go to as even a tourist. We were driving through areas during the marathon leg I think only camels have ever been through.”

Course Description

Mech Irdane / Oulad Drîss - Ideal distance 335 km – Estimated time 20:00

Marathon leg

Competitors started near the Amada du Guir plateau, but after CP4 they encountered rugged terrain made up of harsh, rocky hills and valleys. “The rocks were awful, like big cubes with 90 degree angles,” said Jo Hannah Hoehn. At the end of the day, the teams encountered the legendary Oued Rheris. This dried up lakebed is almost six kilometers wide with many cracked and crevassed arms branching off.

Once they cross the oued, the adventurers were rewarded with a magical landscape made up of pink sand and silvery stone--mountains sculpted over thousands of years. Here they set up camp for the night far from the frenzy of the bivouac. A night without noise, without lights, under a brilliant starry sky is rarely seen anywhere outside of the desert.



The girls pow wow at one of the checkpoints

Day 2.

On day two, Gazelles had to face the sandy plains of Hassi Bou Haiara. There was sand, sand and more sand. While they are not as majestic as Erg Chebbi, they weren’t any less treacherous. The last two CP’s led competitors down a beautiful rift valley and then finally back to the bivouac.

The competition is well underway and the rankings should start to take shape now that the first marathon leg is complete. Official rankings won’t be released, though, until Tuesday morning when teams head into their next marathon leg.



Jo Hannah Hoehn checks a problematic tire

Team Updates

Sisterly Love

“The last checkpoint I felt horrible,” said Susanah Hoehn, who is competing with her sister Jo Hannah. “I took Jo Hannah over so many rocky areas, and she was so mad at me. The hills we encountered weren’t on the map, and it doesn’t say on the map, ‘super rocky area that you can’t get over, no matter how hard you try and you need to have really good tires’. It was one of those areas, even if you know you are taking a straight line, you can’t go anywhere because there are plains of rocks and walls of rocks. Yesterday was awesome, though, and I think overall we did really well.”

The sisters, who were sitting in 13th before the start of the marathon leg, made all of their checkpoints and are likely to move up in the rankings.



The Hoehns head down into the crater

Sightseeing and Donkeys

“We drove one kilometer past one of the flags because we were looking at these beautiful donkeys,” said Alyssa Roenigk, who is competing with Chrissie Beavis for the first time in the Crossover class. “It ended up costing us two kilometers. We are the most focused people I swear, but the donkeys were really cute. Thank goodness they weren’t ‘sort of’ cute. They were beautiful and they cost us two kilometers to look at. Aside from sightseeing donkeys, though, we have had a pretty mellow day.”



Sarah Price is in the house

Back on Track—Sarah Price and Erica Sacks

“Yesterday and today have been going really well,” said Sarah Price, who spent two unintentional nights sleeping away from the bivouac along with teammate Erica Sacks. “We’ve made all of our checkpoints and usually we are one of the first ones there. We haven’t been too lost and everyday is getting better and better. We are learning to trust our tools and initial instincts. It was nice to sleep outside when you are actually prepared with a tent and sleeping bag.”

Sarah also wanted to give a big shout out to all her friends, family and fans who have been sending all the nice messages and encouragement!



After a rough start, Sarah Price and Erica Sacks made all of their checkpoints during the marathon leg.

Keep That Car Going

Despite some mechanical difficulties as they approached the final checkpoints, Rachelle Croft, along with her teammate Rhonda Cahill, still made all 13 checkpoints. The team had their best day so far in the Erg Chebbi Dunes on Saturday and will likely bounce back with a good day in the Chegaga Dunes during the next marathon leg.



Rhonda Cahill taking a breather at CP 12

“We were driving along and our coil spring just snapped for no apparent reason,” said Croft of Team #218, "and then halfway here our tire was almost flat, so I aired that up. Then my air compressor hose burst as I was airing it up and the spring was compressing so much I was bottoming up. I will never rent again.”

Second Times a Charm

Patricia Klishevich, who is competing in her second Gazelle (her first was in 2013), has been one of the most consistent competitors so far in 2015 and has made all of her checkpoints along with her teammate Véronique De Sybourg-Siffert.



Home stretch

Trials and Tribulations

Trials and tribulations are all part of the adventure on the Rally and several teams experienced this first hand during the marathon leg.

The only team competing in the Expert class, Team #400--Amy Lerner andSabrina Howells—had problems with their tire between CP 5 and 6 and couldn’t complete the rest of the leg.

Team # 175, Sarah Saxten and Susie Saxten, have been having a great first competition but unfortunately on Monday morning they got their car stuck right before CP 7 and it took them over an hour to dig it out. They missed the cut off for the next CP and had to return to the bivouac.

Team # 183, Rebecca Donaghe/Barbara Fiorentino, realized the cost of even the smallest mistake when they plotted one of their checkpoints in the wrong quadrant and never got to CP eight. Competitors get very little sleep on the Rally where the daily wake up call is 4 a.m., which makes it easy to make mistakes.



Sue Mead takes a heading

Team # 316, Sue Mead/Shennen Marschner—who are competing in their first Gazelle in a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter--had a solid marathon leg and made it to the 10th CP before they ran out of time and had to head back to the bivouac.



Team #180 Nicole Pitell-Vaughan/Jessi Combs at CP 12

Up Next

As if one marathon leg wasn’t arduous enough on it’s own, competitors have to get up again tomorrow morning for their second marathon leg which includes the beautiful Chegaga Dunes.

 

[UTVUGJake]

The Desert Bites! Back-to-Back Marathon Legs Prove Tough

Wednesday, April 1, 2015 (Foum Zguid, Morocco)—With barely a moment to rest and recover after tackling the first marathon leg, competitors packed up all of their belongings again and headed out for the second marathon leg. During stage 5, teams tackled the majestic Chegaga dunes and slept outside under the stars before returning to the bivouac just outside of the town of Foum Zguid, Morocco.

Oulad Driss / Foum-Zuid – Ideal distance 280 km – Estimated time 18:00

Marathon leg.





Team #400 Amy Lerner and Sabrina Howells



Course

Day 1

The region of M’Hamid is known for its “blue men”, its sand, its hills, its Oued Draa… and its sandstorms! Navigation in this area is not easy as an endless series of small dunes makes it next to impossible to stick to a straight heading. At sea this phenomenon is known as “drift”, but there is no undertow here, just small piles of sand no more than two meters high that push, push, push. The distance between points is measured in time rather than kilometers. The strongest teams tackled the Chegaga dunes toward the end of this first day.





Team #180 Nicole Pitell-Vaughan/Jessi Combs



Day 2

On day two, competitors made their way out of the dunes and across Iriki Lake, a dried lake bed without a drop of water, just mile after mile of smooth flat terrain where you can almost see the curvature of the earth. The mountains in the distance appear baseless, seeming to rise directly out of an immense watery plain.

The grandiose cliffs of M'daouer, set alight by the evening sun, accompanied them as they approached the final bivouac.





Taking a heading in the Chegaga Dunes



Rankings Going Into Second Marathon Leg

Please note that while the second marathon leg was on Tuesday and Wednesday, results will not be made official until Thursday. Below are the rankings going into the second marathon leg. A record four American teams were ranked in the top 15 in the 4 x 4 class before the second marathon and all went on to make their checkpoints.


Quad bikes / Motorbikes

9th-#23 Sara Price/Erica Sacks



4x4

9th-#107 Jo Hannah Hoehn/Susanah Hoehn

11th-#182 Patricia Klishevich/Véronique Siffert

12th-#180 Nicole Pitell-Vaughan/Jessi Combs

14th-#218 Rachelle Croft/Rhonda Cahill

40th-#175 Sarah Saxten/Susie Saxten

50th-#183 Rebecca Donaghe/Barbara Fiorentino



Crossover

1st-#317 Chrissie Beavis/Alyssa Roenigk

5th-#316 Sue Mead/Shennen Marschner



Expert

14th-#400 Amy Lerner/Sabrina Howells





While competitors can’t get assistance on the course, the mechanics work late into the night at the bivouac getting cars back into shape.



Team Updates

Team #23 Sara Price and Erica Sacks Excel In the Dunes

After a rough start to their first Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles, Team #23-Sara Price and Erica Sacks-who are competing in a side-by-side, bounced back nicely during the second marathon leg when they breezed through the Chegaga Dunes. It only took the team 10 minutes to reach the first CP in the dunes and then they quickly went on to reach the others.





Sarah Price and Erica Sacks excel in the dunes



“I grew up in the dunes,” said Price, who grew up in Southern California. “I practically lived in them when I was a little kid down in the Glamis Dunes. The dunes here (Chegaga) are predictable because the wind goes one way and there are peaks only on one side, so you know what’s coming. Erica pretty much took a heading and whatever dune it was, we would just straight shoot it there. We felt confident in the dunes because we’ve been doing it all our lives. You definitely have to look ahead and crest everything and get a flow. You just can’t stop and go-that’s always a bad thing.”



Teams Work Together In the Dunes

The only place competitors are allowed to work together is in the dunes. For the second time during the 2015 Rally, Team # 107, Jo Hannah and Susanah Hoehn and Team #218, Rachelle Croft and Rhonda Cahill, teamed up—this time for the Chegaga Dunes.





Team Hoehn hangs out at CP 4



“I think the Rally is a competition within yourself more than even the other teams because its such a challenge,” said Susanah Hoehn. “It’s not about winning the Rally, it’s about finishing. It’s such a puzzle. If you finish, you’ve won already, so helping other people out, it’s really satisfying.”





Teams #107 Jo Hannah Hoehn and Susanah Hoehn and #218 Rachelle Croft and Rhonda Cahill work together in the dunes.



It was a bit of a rough one for Cahill and Croft, though, who struggled with some mechanical issues. One of their tires had a slow leak and their coil spring was still broken, so they didn’t have as much compression on the right side. To top it off, Cahill suffered from a stomach virus during the second day and Croft had to both drive and help with the navigation. “I appreciate what she does so much more now,” said Croft about Cahill. Despite the difficulties, the women still made all of their checkpoints.





Cars head from CP 4 to CP 5 in the Chegaga Dunes



Best Wrong Turn Ever

Competing in the Crossover class, Team #217-Alyssa Roenigk and Chrissie Beavis-weren’t supposed to go into the Chegaga Dunes, but an accidental wrong turn put them right into the heart of them.

“It was the moment when you realize that a certain person is drawn to this event,” said Roenigk about getting stuck in the dunes. “We would be digging, towing, running. It was hot! I think most people would think it was miserable, but we just laughed and had fun. We couldn’t stop talking about how good it was to be in there. Later we found out that if we had followed the route on the road it would have only been 15 minutes, but we were in the dunes for three hours. We will always remember that. What if we had taken the road? We never would have had that day. It was the best wrong turn ever.”

Beavis also gave big props to the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van “We just aired down, put it in first gear and it just went. “Honestly, I didn’t do anything differently today that I didn’t do two years ago in the 4 x 4 class.”





Camping in the middle of the Sahara-French style!



Don’t Follow the Herd!

What was the lesson of the day for first time competitors Susie and Sarah Saxten of Team #175? Don’t follow the herd! “There would be hoards of Gazelles going in one direction, and we would still be navigating,” said Sarah. “You start to question yourself then. But we would triangulate, look at landmarks and match them up and we would be like ‘they can’t be going the right way’. It makes you question yourself, but we stayed the course and we made it. Just trust your gut.”