These ladies will have to put their spa days on hold while they participate in the 20th Rallye Aicha des Gazelles March 13-27, 2010. This is the only all-women rally raid in the world, and is considered one of the toughest. The starting city for the event's administration and technical verifications on March 13 was Sele, France. From there, the teams were at sea for two days and two nights before arriving at northern Morocco's Tangier Med Port on March 15. The actual racing occurred during the Prologue (March 17) and now currently during 6 Legs (March 18-25). Leg 3 and 6 are 2-day legs, forcing these ladies to spend nights under the Moroccan sky.
This 9 day rally is unique in that the winning team is the one that has traveled the least number of kilometers. The goal is to reach pre-defined checkpoints along the course in the least number of kilometers rather than the least amount of time. The ladies must choose their routes wisely, as extra kilometers driven between checkpoints (compared to as a crow flies) and penalty kilometers for missed checkpoints prove costly overall. The teams are provided with a "Road Book" that has geographic coordinates, headings and distances of check points and finish line for the day's course, except for Leg 2 in which the teams were instead given the ideal time, overall distance, and a map with the route marked.
The United States has one team participating in this off road rally. Team Miller Fisher, consisting of Emily Miller and Wendy Fisher, find themselves currently in the top 25 in their #109 Hummer H3 of Hummer France. Rod Hall Racing's Emily Miller has proven herself capable behind the wheel, being the first gal to "ironman" the Vegas to Reno race. Big mountain free skier and two time World Extreme Skiing Champion Wendy Fisher will be more than capable as Navigator. We will keep our eyes on these fabulous U.S. Gazelles, and hope the best for all the teams! There is nothing like watching these teams of gorgeous gals joyously hug and celebrate after singly-handedly digging out their stuck race vehicles in the middle of Moroccan dunes.