Those watching the Yellowbrick tracking page (www.londoncapetownrally.com/cartrack.html) will notice that Owain Lloyd and Peter Scott are making good progress catching the event after fitting a replacement engine in Gedaref. At 10pm Saturday they were north of Addis Ababa, about 320kms from Awasa. Eric Claeys and Ben Deleye still have some distance to drive before reaching Awasa…they were delayed after filling their Toyota with petrol instead of diesel. They are travelling quite close to the Peugeot 504 of Jean-Pierre and Mireille Demierre.
Unfortunately the parts needed to fix Ben and Mike Dawson's Escort missed the overnight plane from London. They were seemingly left with an almost impossible task to repair their car and catch the rally, though an update by a relative on Facebook suggests they’re underway with some improvised solution while the new stub axle wings its way to Africa.
By contrast, Day 15 was short and easy - for a change – bringing the crews from Awasa to the Kenyan border at Moyale. Rapid formalities completed, they were soon driving what the Chairman of the Kenya Motorsport Federation describes in his letter to us all as "God's own rally country".
‘God’ was a word that came quickly to our lips as we hit the giant ruts that took us up the dirt track to the very basic Al-Yusra hotel... no beer, and for 38 drivers the mattress is on the floor - and these are mattresses we bought this afternoon, cost: 600 dollars.
It was an easy day for all except the two Datsun 240Zs. The Tromans & Russell Datsun has been coping with a broken suspension upright after hitting potholes, while the Thistlethwayte & Hiscox's car is having a troubled time with overheating and currently still in Ethiopia making very slow progress towards the border. The border is now closed until tomorrow morning.
Day 16
Petrol supplies have run dry but more is expected at midnight.
While there is a party atmosphere in the campsite beer tent tonight the day’s dramas are not yet over for some.
Cars that have not yet reached Marsabit, ...rescue has been dispatched, include…
• Ralf Weiss & Kurt Schneiders, Mercedes 230E - have a holed sump.They are trying to fix it with local help and a fibre glass kit, but remain close to the Sololo
Junction control point, 170km from Marsabit tonight.
• Alex Thistlethwayte & David Hiscox, Datsun 240Z – Have no spare tyres left. They are near the Lonely Tree checkpoint 95kms from Marsabit.
• Renger Guliker & Pim ‘t Hart, BMW535 – holed sump for the second time. At 23:00 they are on the move again 65kms from Marsabit .
• Jean-Pierre & Mireille Demierre, Peugeot 504 – have broken suspension 47kms from Marsabit.
A few of the problems suffered by others…
• Martin & Josephina Aaldering, Volvo PV544 – have broken axle links but limped in to Marsabit at 23:30
• Andy Actman & Andy Elcomb, Toyota Hilux – had a puncture.
• Jane Edgington & Gill Cotton, MG Maestro – fuel pipe leak - fixed, and accelerator cable tied up with cable ties.
• Paul & Diane Unwin, MG ZR – rear shock problems.
• Owen Turner & Matt Fowle, MG ZR – burst all the shock absorbers and stopped to fit spares.
• Alastair Caldwell & Hayden Burvill, Porsche 912 – changed a shock absorber, but the top mount is also broken.
• Paul Carter & John Bayliss, Volvo 144 – two shock absorbers failed.
Nairobi and the prospect of a day off beckons ...we are at the Safari Park Hotel tomorrow night.
James Elliott
James Elliott is a former Editor of Classic & Sports Car