In a few days, Sandrine Mignol will be in southern Morocco for the rally reserved for women. A real adventure!
The Saint Pauloise Sandrine Mignol and her friend Sarah Vally are preparing to participate in the next Aïcha des Gazelles rally which will take place from March 18 to April 2, in southern Morocco.
Sandrine, what motivated you to take part in such a project?
It was my childhood friend Sarah who offered it to me more than a year ago. At the time I was surprised but after a time of reflection, I made the commitment to participate with her in this adventure: it was going to get me out of my daily grind.
What stimulates you in this adventure?
First, it’s working on the whole organization with Sarah, then it’s the content of the rally. This is reserved for women aged 18 to 71, of any nationality. It’s not a car race, but the objective is to find beacons by covering the least number of kilometers. Regarding navigation, there is no GPS, everything is done with maps and compass. This rally complies with environmental rules, it has the ISO 14001 standard. The safety of the competition is also at the heart of the project.
How long have you been preparing for this rally?
We have been working on it for more than a year, and this in different contexts: field study, various learnings, reading maps, using the compass, but also looking for funding, to pay for registration, and the various costs of the rally. Sarah personally bought the vehicle to do this race, and we also participated in a driving course to introduce us to the terrain of southern Morocco.
A few days before the start, where are you with the preparations?
We finish checking everything we need to bring: our personal belongings, but also everything that we will need, for the repair of the vehicle, and the smooth running of the competition. We are still looking for sponsors or people who could help us financially, because we still lack funds. We have put a kitty online and we hope to have more generous donors.
And when is the departure?
We must be in Nice on March 18, for the control of the vehicle, and the next day, we will take the boat in Sète for Tangier. After a final gathering in Meknes, direction Erfoud for the start of the rally.
Are you ready ?
My mind is transposed little by little in this great event, I settle the last details, while waiting for the big departure.