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Desert Champions Trophy - 2021


Gaurav

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2 hours ago, Zed said:

I was gonna comment the same thing after the draw, but put it on hold after the real event... when your supersonic leader @Lorenzo Candelpergher followed by his devout 2nd lead @Mus_hus78 "cut in" and separated our convoy, i said "Let's yield and give them the way, they seem to be in a rush..." Then we wait... and wait... and wait... until the Black FJ Sweeper showed up, whose pace looks like it's exploring for a picnic area instead of a rally race 😂😂😂 Next year, no more Mr Nice Guy, we'll handle junction crossing like in Vietnam, move forward with eyes closed 🙈 i'm sure Jeepie & @GauravSoni were making coffee while waiting for our convoy to regroup 😅

Absolutely hilarious Zeddy....maybe next time Lorenzo can put a rope to Niki's car and take him along at supersonic speed

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16 hours ago, Chaitanya D said:

Whatever @varunmehndiratta; as a convoy routine we were bundled up betweeen @Wrangeldas lead and @Jeepieas sweep.  Great to see everyone’s enthusiasm, in a area which is a test of your tolerance, maneuverability, communication, compliance and improvisation. 

Awesome 👏 
 

 

 

Hahaha @Chaitanya D nice observation, however can't let you take it away from me....though @Jeepie tried a lot to cut me off and leave me stranded somewhere between waypoint 4 and 5, I made it through 💪💪.  .and ended up as the last driver to cross the line...So I am the official Sweep of the event and m not sharing it with  @Jeepie 😂😂😂

@Gaurav as righly pointed by @Chaitanya D this should be counted as sweep for 6 drives during my next assessment 😂

Edited by varunmehndiratta
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3 minutes ago, Wrangeld said:

Post (Winning!) Drive Report: Arabian Red Fox

When you are not the fastest (Leopard), Apex Predator (Wolves) or desert train (Camel) planning for the Desert Challenge depended on and excellent team effort, thinking through key focus areas and our strengths and potential weaknesses. 

How can I explain a drive which resulted in our arriving 11 minutes faster than the exceptionally close 2nd & 3rd teams on what I think was officially my 80th lead in Carnity? 

While still somewhat surprised (and undoubtedly delighted) us that we came in first, I think it's down to this: 

Teamwork: I may have 'led' the drive but without the agreements in the team that other drivers direct me if I was going off track, that we would deal with all recoveries through assigned team members and the trust we managed to build up over a few days of WhatsApp discussions, this would never have happened. From start to finish, the team operated like a perfectly oiled machine. Everyone looked out for everyone else. Everyone supported the decisions we made and everyone played an essential role in getting us across the line - especially once we knew we were ahead of other teams that left before us. There was a massive amount of trust in each other because we knew that we had each other's backs. 

Pancho Buitenhuis: I was channeling the Pancho in me yesterday. I can see the smile on the face of anyone that had the pleasure of driving with Pancho as I write this. I think our route map shows, the route that we navigated in the end was Route 1. The number of crests I broke over 90 minutes was incalculable. More importantly, and because in so doing I also had in mind that the team needed to follow me where ever I went, the team trusted me when I said that they could follow. And they did. We were not particularly fast across the sabkahs or through the long range dunes. We did not need to be because we had made up all our time through the 54321 route and making some creative choices through the technical dunes.

Letting Go: In the week leading up to the challenge I was personally not in a great headspace. This was exacerbated by something that happened literally minutes before the start of the event. By the time we finally lined up, the briefing was completed, the team had agreed that we would follow the agreed route, and I had made my way into the driving seat despite a troubling bad back, I was so grateful for the team that had got me there; the result became unimportant. We were just going to have fun. After all, it's just driving in the desert and we do that every week. I checked in with the team that they were all OK and that all we wanted was to have a good time and get back safely.

It all worked because @M.Seidam followed me like a hawk (or fox) and made any corrections needed without hesitation, @Bernard Kalaani was outstanding in following the lead and jumping out without hesitation if needed [total stopped time was less than 7 minutes], @Ruan van den Heever and @Mario Cornejo were course correcting from the rear of the convoy throughout, so we were almost pinpoint in our accuracy as we got to the waypoints. 

What were the highlights? 

  • The incredible banter going on on our radios throughout. When Marion and Ruan were not telling me where to go, they were reminding me in turn @Mario Cornejo that I had kept him in the desert 7 hours on one of my epic technical drives and requesting that I did not do the same again @Ruan van den Heever that the only other drives on which we had seen me were a night drive (so had not seen me) and coming with a group to recover a rolled over Jeep on a drive I was leading. 
  • @Ruan van den Heever comments and joy on telling @Mario Cornejo what a beautiful sight it was to see his car in the air after Mario had 'got some air' over one of the crests.
  • While the referees were holding us in suspense, @M.Seidam concerned that his crest might have cost us the win and the look of pleasure and relief when it was announced that he did not need to worry about that 25 seconds. You had nothing about which to worry brother.
  • @Bernard Kalaani imploring Ruan and Mario to go local with a recovery (definitely not regulation Carnity) instead of using a rope or digging - it worked. 

@Gauravthe organization was impeccable. @Frederic @Srikumar wonderful support. @Hisham Masaad you're my hero!

And thanks to everyone that participated. By far the best part of the day was the face to face interaction, the chats over breakfast an while waiting for the other teams and the awards. This is what Carnity was always about: welcome back. 

See you soon in the sand. 

Well done @Wrangeld. You again proved in an event like this its not the speed that matters. Its always the plan and how its executed. 

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2 hours ago, Warren Flay said:

As the rookie in the mighty Saluki team, I felt it was my role to "just dont get stuck, don't let the team down, JUST DONT GET STUCK WARREN!" so I was running at a nervous number 3 behind @Chaitanya D and @Anoop Nair with mighty @Matt.Tand the esteemed @Hisham Masaad right behind me! It was with some relief that the ace navigation at the rear with sure handed lead at the front allowed me an enjoyable if thoroughly challenging route through the challenging dunes at the start of our reversed trip. It was great fun to pick pocket the dunes and not let the team down other than a go around refusal and a reverse out self recovery which ended up being my only contributions to the delay which allowed @Wrangeldto claim the trophy from us. The day was fantastic fun and I want to congratulate the Carnity team that conceptualised and organised the event and ran it in such a light handed and fun way. BRAVO! Favourite part of the day? the hot run across the sabkha featuring speeds I have never before achieved on the sand... Baja 1000 next year anybody? The Gadjero arrived home, hot, tired but undamaged and with spirits high, ready for next year? HELL YES

Thanks @Warren Flay for your feedback. You were never a rookie , but in fact when I discussed with Hisham I was sure about your driving skills . Of course I remember how beautifully you did a self recovery from a nasty side stuck in a pocket situation- if I am not wrong at Yahar. From there , to how you drove yesterday in almost a super tight technical challenge - awesome 👏.

Yea the Baja racing on the sabkhas was something to do to make up for the extra long technical route I took 🤪

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Good morning everyone. Just got time to go through and write. By the time reached home afternoon, was fighting with my self not to sleep, otherwise will not sleep night, and Saturday morning to the office to clear few things and prepare for the PM drive. A wonderful day, very well organized and managed. Could meet many of @Carnity family, was a pleasure. Thank you @Chaitanya D for leading us through, what an amazing track, and amazing team @Anoop Nair @Warren Flay and @Matt.T. Yes, we crossed a technical track which we could have avoided, and this what makes the differences between teams. I am happy with the our achievement and the fact we had no issues, except the tug given to @Anoop Nair which I don’t think it took more than a minute or two. Thank you @Gaurav @Srikumar @Frederic and @Asif Hussain  for organizing and managing. Congratulations @Wrangeld you are the master of technical terrains 👏🏼👏🏼. Congratulations everyone for joining and enjoying.

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Gentle reminder

Everyone please share your full resolution videos (gopro, dashcam, etc.) whatever you have taken during the drive with wetransfer on my email: [email protected].

We plan to add these drive videos to the master video of the whole event.

@Daniel Rodas @Werno @Javier Lucero @Zed @Alexander Alcala @Mario Cornejo @M.Seidam @Humayun Ghias @varunmehndiratta @Hisham Masaad @Anoop Nair @Niki @JamesThorn @Ruan van den Heever @Chaitanya D @Foxtrot Oscar @Lorenzo Candelpergher @Tbone @Jeepie @sertac @Asif Hussain @Kailas @JeromeFJ @Bernard Kalaani @Looper @Alexanderrr @Mus_hus78 @Daniel Yang @Wrangeld @GauravSoni @Matt.T @Warren Flay @Ale Vallecchi @Mohamad Anwer @Frederic @Srikumar @Jorge Stepniak Felippe @Rizwanm2

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Let's root for each other & watch each other grow.

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