5.30am and we’re up and away, headed out through the early morning traffic to the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi for the ceremonial start. Our cars have to be in position between 7.30 and 8.30am, and while we await our turn to start we suit up. We avail ourselves of the hotel facilities, drawing strange looks from the smartly attired patrons of this exclusive 5-star establishment. Finally we’re away on a short road stage to the outskirts of the city, where the special stage starts. Cesar and Maurice have picked up the heavily loaded VW from our house, and await us at the start. Ian and Gip and the trailer were down at the bivouac the previous day setting up, and they plan to meet up with the service crew at the Service Point, halfway through the day’s stage.
I check the car again, deflate the tyres to 18psi, Sheila reviews her road book and we chat to the various competitors we know – Fadi, Glen, Mabbsy, Mark, Malcolm, and Luc and Luc, a Belgian pair that have been doing the Challenge since forever. It’s a time to renew old friendships and forge new ones – you never know when you’ll need a friend in the desert. There are three vehicles behind us which should be much quicker than us – Mabbsy’s FJ, Mark’s Team Saluki Buggy and a mammoth Kamaz 4911 truck. At some point they will surely get past us, and we just want it to be as painless as possible. Having a turbo-diesel pantechnicon inches away from my exhaust, driven by three homicidal vodka-fuelled Russians, is a bowel-loosening experience which I can do without.
As we line up at the start it’s a bizarre feeling to be on the ‘other side’ from the marshals with whom we’re worked over the years. They are all friends, and they wish us good luck as the seconds tick by towards our start. 3….2….1….and we’re off, the straight-six 4.8 making a lovely sound. We settle into what has been billed as an easy first day, plenty of gatch and sand tracks with a few dune sections. We get passed by Team FJ and Team Saluki , but we in turn pass Wolfgang’s Pajero within the first few km. Arriving at PC1, the Saluki is stuck in some soft sand, clearly unable to re-start from the passage control. We can’t believe our luck! There’s no need to stop at service, the Patrol is running sweetly, and we push on through the stage. Towards the end, we pass a few more autos in the soft HP section, and feel happy with our day’s work at the finish. Back at the bivouac, I’m astonished to find that we’re 15th overall – how did that happen? The Saluki is still out in the desert with engine problems, and sadly Tim has been medevac-ed out with a back injury from a hard landing in the FJ. Neither vehicle will feature in the remaining four days of rallying.
The mechanics set to work changing the oil for fully-synthetic, and discover that the front right inner wing is cracking up, allowing the battery tray to tilt alarmingly towards the alternator. They effect the first of what will be numerous repairs to this area. We commandeer a tent, attend the drivers' briefing, have dinner, and Sheila works on the next day's roadbook. Our inflatable mattress beckons and we sleep soundly. One down, four to go...
These are the voyages of the starship 'Newtrix'. Its multi-year mission: to compete in any rally within striking distance of Dubai, and to acquire shiny trophies. To boldly go wherever this quest may take us, as long as we can be home in time for tea.
