The Final (Final) Shakedown

So we're back into dunes this morning, just me and Sheila, to test the revised set-up in the same area that did the damage last time. The on-road temperature never gets above 80c and even on the sand tracks we're not above 90c - so far so good. But the real test is in the big dunes.

There, I manage to get the temperature up to 100c - but not the disasterous 115c of last week. Now 100c is a bit warm, but as soon as I'm on the track beyond, it's down to 90c again.

So what does this mean? Well, the ambient is similar to what we an expect in Hail - mid 20s - and the terrain in Hail is not as extreme as my test area (based on my recollections of last year's route). So I feel reasonably confident that this set-up is good enough to cope with conditions there. However, adding another 15c onto the ambient will probably cause a similar increase in the water temperature, so we will need to upgrade the fans before we attempt the Desert Challenge.

So Mr Pacet can expect to earn some more from me very soon - and if you know anyone who needs a pair of very slightly used 13" fans, let me know!