After 7400 miles, 10 countries, one prang and some substantial Nigerian potholes, the first brave team of The Adventurists Africa Rally have made it to Kribi, Cameroon. The team, Battlestar Africa, consisting of two Ford Fiestas and five certifiable Brits, confounded expectations and made it to the heart of Central Africa in a mere nineteen days. Lounging under the palm trees in Kribi, cool beer in hand, the team said that despite running out of clean underwear over a week ago they are thrilled to have made it to the finish in five whole pieces.
Battlestar Africa undertook the challenge in two Ford Fiestas, saved from a Buckinghamshire village for a few hundred pounds. The extremely unsuitable cars took to Africa admirably and completed the odyssey held together by cooking foil and tin cans.
While the Battlestar heroes enjoy the fruits of success in Kribi the other 41 teams are still battling their way through minefields, impenetrable jungle and military coups. Twenty days into the adventure, the challenge has already proved too much for some. The Scottish team, Macaroon Cameroon, had to sell their 1976 engine-less Austin Allegro for 1 Euro to a Mauritanian policeman. Great Balls of Fur were forced to abandon their fur-covered ‘cheetah’ Bedford Rascal in the Algerian desert and Mali proved one step too far for Team Big Fat Mess’ Austin Metro. The rest of the teams are in various states of disrepair in Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Benin, Algeria, Mauritania and Morocco.
Most of the teams are aiming to reach Kribi, Cameroon, by Saturday August 16, in time for the official finish party. After this the cars will be sold at public auction in Douala, Cameroon on August 20 and 27. Given the vastly inflated price of cars in Cameroon the battle-hardened vehicles are expected to go for substantially more than they were rescued from the lower echelons of ebay for in the UK. The money from the auctions will be donated to Cameroon Wildlife Aid Fund.
Teams can be tracked via the On The Road page. SMS messages sent from their phones place a marker on the map as to where they are.
If you would like to view photographs from the launch then please see the Gallery
Each team taking part has pledged to raise at least £1,000 for the official rally charities; Send a Cow, Cameroon Wildlife Aid Fund and Frank Water Projects. The 2008 rally is set to raise at least £60,000 for these charities.
The Africa Rally has the full support of the Cameroonian government and is being officially partnered by Cameroon’s Ministry of Tourism.
