Africa Race.

It is simply to watch from the sidelines: everything is clear, priorities are clear, no doubts where to go, what to do. It is more difficult to be in a situation. Mistakes are unevident, decisions are multiple-valued, but the experience can’t be developed otherwise. If everything is done well, the conclusion is that there weren’t mistakes and if there was a failure, then, of course, vice versa. But after all not everything is so obvious. You don't make mistakes only if there is already something easy. The persistent aspiration not to make mistakes at all brings to stagnation development– what you will learn if you do only the things that you can already do? In general, a question of mistakes is very subjective and it is possible to discuss on this subject a lot and with pleasure. Our crews passed the new stage today, and of course there were new adventures.

 Robert Amatych, the crew 401: "We passed the stage in good cherry mood; we punctured a wheel on stones but replaced it very fast and went further. Morocco stages are very difficult on navigation, but today we succeeded everything".

 Anton Shibalov, the crew 401: "Today it was an interesting day both on length, and the variety of tasks. According to the complexity it was probably the most difficult day: a lot of stones, dangerous, sharp, a lot of narrow places, in the second half there was narrow rocky serpentine, we passed it very carefully. Almost immediately after the start we damaged the wheel, it was very small damage, but noticeable, we changed the wheel, and then moved twice carefully because there was only one spare wheel, but there was more than three hundred kilometers ahead. But it was very interesting, closer to the finish line there were high-speed sections, river beds. In one of river beds our navigator gave us the advantage, we sorted out in confusing situation faster than others, we won the time, of course. Leading jeeps by the time we arrived were already searching the right direction, but Robert oriented faster and after that they followed us. In one place we even overtook one of them, but then gave him way upon demand, they had a very hard fight. And the one to whom we gave way, could come the first."

Alexander Kupriyanov, the crew 404: "Today was a particular day. We saw Anton, who showed us to go on, the helicopter were above us. We coped with navigation, but the special stage was difficult, rocky, many passes, river beds, sharp stones, many narrow places. As a result, after the third CP we punched the left rear wheel, we stopped to change it in very inconvenient place: there was a slope, we rearranged several times a jack to lift the car and we lost a lot of time. We moved further more carefully, understanding that we have only one wheel in stock, but for 100 km before the finish line at the next pass we broke the right rear wheel. Here we changed the wheel without delay, but it turned out that air inflating did not work and we could not see the real tire pressure. Then we drove very carefully, understanding all danger of a situation, tried not to overheat a wheel, our speed wasn't more than 120 km/h though it was a little disappointing, because the last 50 km before the finish were very high-speed, it was possible to go on maximum speed there. After a briefing we expected greater complexity on navigation. There were some such places where you mechanically made mistakes and then it was necessary to recalculate the distance under way not to stray from the road. Also there were high speed sections, but knotty. With rigid sandy hills covered with grass, the road seemed smooth, but hills were very unpleasant, sometimes it was hard to avoid them, so we had to endure the shocks, trying not to get off course. Every evening we filled the truck with gas, yesterday we arrived with thirty liters from 400, we use our resource to the maximum. The car feels the enriched mix already on start; it seems to me, that it has even other sound".

 Sergey Kupriyanov, the crew 404: "Today's special stage was very difficult, there were many stones, narrow passes, jeeps in these places had advantage.  We punched a wheel in very inconvenient place, we lost on it 30 minutes, then just 15 minutes later we punched the other wheel, so we had to drive very carefully, slowly and of course we lost time because of that. We got a unique experience today, difficult experience, but with such experience we grow. But there are always good moments also. My wife, Natalya, with children they are in Sochi, they met New Year there; there is a glass-blowing workshop, so they ordered the KAMAZ truck from glass. Very nice. There is also a fact that the car goes on gas, considering where I’m working, this fact itself warms soul, and that the car goes well, I’m glad even more. It has better dynamics; it goes on low turns better, I think, it will be important for viscous sand".

 The day was really difficult, Elisabete Jacinto reached the bivouac on the route of assistance cars, returning to the start, she had a problem with the suspension. Kovacs transmission has failed, they will continue the race, but with the penalty time. Here their own questions and their own solutions. Whether this experience was a new step to move to a new level? Time will tell on that.

stage results

overall standings