The 6th Classic Safari Challenge - 2017

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Particpants on the The 6th Classic Safari Challenge will be exploring some totally new territory within South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe and travelling through some stunning terrain.

The driving days are superb with scenery ranging from forest to desert taking in the Indian Ocean and Namibia’s majestic Skeleton coast. Our route takes you through vast plains, vineyards, beaches and game parks with plenty of opportunities to enjoy the spectacular wildlife. A light aircraft flight will take you to the Okavango Delta where you can relax in luxurious lodges and enjoy a choice of game drives.

A first for the Classic Safari, we will stay in the Marine Hotel, Hermanus, giving you the opportunity for whale watching as October is the ideal time to see them. You will stay at the very best accommodation available with maximum comfort, good friends, fine dining and soak up Africa’s stunning atmosphere.

The month of October is one of the best times to visit South Africa, pleasant temperatures, neither too hot nor too cold with balmy evenings and just a little rainfall. It will be the very beginning of the African summer and a good time for game viewing. We are looking to take 25 cars with us on this experience of a lifetime.

The Classic Safari is a rally with a strong social content, exhilarating driving days, spiced up with an optional Time Trial for those who want to have a bash at some competitive driving. If you simply want to tour around, then a tarmac alternative route will be available. You can drive the test or take the main road.

There will be no trick navigation, no map work or GPS usage, no regularity driving, just a simple Tulip route book making the rally suitable for both newcomers to the sport and for the more experienced who really enjoy driving fabulous roads. We have over 70 international events under our belt, including 12 rallies to Africa. We will give you all the necessary support to get you to the start line and through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Our mobile mechanics and medical team provide you with the backup and peace of mind you need to totally enjoy this unique event. Luxury accommodation in exclusive lodges and game parks, most evening meals, selected lunches on special days, third party vehicle insurance, game reserve and safari park entry fees, internal light aircraft flights, secure parking, rally plates, decals, competition numbers, route books, medical notes and vehicle preparation tips are all included in the entry fee. As this is the 6th edition of the Classic Safari, we intend to take advantage of past experience to dial in to some improvements.

We have a route that concentrates on luxury accommodation with as many places of interest to visit as the schedule allows. More rest days will increase the time available for relaxation, giving you the opportunity to really enjoy all that Africa has to offer. We revisit some favourite haunts; the unique and remarkable Tuihuis, Craddock, The Victoria Falls Hotel, Zimbabwe, and return to the spectacular Phinda Game Reserve, last visited by the event in 2006. We have managed to secure accommodation close enough to the dunes of Sossusvlei to enjoy the sunrise and experience its effect on the dunes, without it being a 4am start!

The Practicalities

Can Anyone Enter? Yes, this route is suitable for both newcomers and experienced crews. The roads are mostly good smooth tarmac with a few tests on gravel sections. A simple and easy to follow route book with distances marked in kilometres and miles is supplied, even useful fuel stops are indicated. We give every novice entrant a booklet packed with hints and tips on navigation and every driver, a car preparation book, with full instructions on how to prepare the car specifically for this route. You do not need a Garmin GPS satellite system, but you may bring a GPS if you wish.

What About The Medal Sections? The medal sections are optional, we don’t have these every day, only where the route and road conditions permit, you can drive these as often or as little as you like, make your mind up on the day, if you choose to miss out a section then you simply head off to the hotel. Medals are presented to the winners at evening meals.

What Equipment Do I Need? Simply, a suitable car fitted with a tripmeter such as a Monit, a Halda or a twinmaster, a 1.75 litre fire extinguisher, first aid kit, 2 x warning triangles, tow rope and an under car mat to catch leaks. You don’t need a competition license, helmets or fancy overalls. Full harness seat belts must be fitted to all cars except Vintageants, although we strongly recommend Vintage cars have a seat belt, and a rollover bar, hoop or full roll cage is strongly recommended for all.The drivers will also need an International Driving License available from the RAC for £5.50 each. Overseas entrants should apply to their own relevant motoring organisation. 

What If I Break Down On The Event? We do expect you to be able to change a wheel, the points, plugs and air filter yourself, but we are taking our own mobile mechanical support vehicle complete with two highly skilled mechanics for anything more complicated. Their vast experience will keep you on the road, even if it means working all night. You simply have to bring the spares from the list we issue and they will do the rest!

What About a Carnet de Passage? The rally office will send you the relevant forms to complete for a 10 page carnet. We gather them together and apply for a group carnet, which is the cheapest way, you are then asked to pay the fee of £185 for the actual book and a separate fee for the risk. The fee is based on the value of your car which you specify, the lower the vehicle value the lower the fee.

What About Shipping? Cars should be shipped to Cape Town six weeks before the event start. You can use any shipping agent but we have used CARS UK for 15 years, they are efficient and slick and can ship your car from anywhere in the world to the start and home from Cape Town. They handle all customs, insurance, import charges, etc, you simply hand over your keys. They personally attend at the port to do the “hustling”. Contact Jeremy Barker: Tel +44 (0)1284 850760 or email [email protected] for a fixed quotation. CARS UK estimate that the whole trip for a car shipped from Europe will be less than £5,000.

What About Visas? UK passport holders do not need visas for the route, except Zimbabwe, which you buy at the border upon arrival. Non UK entrants should check visa specialist website www.travcour.com which lists which nationalities require visas for the countries on our route.

What About Travel and Medical Cover? Peking - Paris Rally Ltd / Endurance Rally Association arrange annual travel insurance for all staff, volunteers and participants who are not travelling against doctor’s advice. Enclosed within this brochure is a declaration form which should be completed and returned to us with your entry form, for underwriting purposes. Those entrants over 75 years or with pre-existing medical conditions may be subject to additional terms. This policy is specifically tailored to the Classic Safari Challenge should you not be able to take part for certain reasons.

What About Vehicle Insurance? Vehicle and Transit insurance is NOT included and you will need to make your own arrangements. We are an Introducer Appointed Representative of Tyser & Co Ltd (‘Tysers’) – an Insurance Intermediary authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, registration number 308648. Tysers can provide vehicle and transit insurance specifically designed for our rallies, including compulsory (3rd Party) motor insurance. The insurance application form can be found by visiting www.tysers.com/publications  Alternatively, you can e-mail them at [email protected] or if you wish to discuss your arrangements you can contact Martin Tinsley, or John Chambers by telephone +44 (0) 20 3037 8000.

What Else Do I Need To Know? Further information about suitable clothing, currency, fuel availability, satellite phones, accommodation, etc. will be sent out to all entrants in regular newsletters. Anything we think you need to know, any forms to fill in are all supplied by us and sent to you. With 12 events in Africa under our belt we know what is needed.

What Is Not Included In The Entry Fee? Fuel, some lunches, carnet de passage costs, visa costs, flights and shipping.