Emme Hall and Sabrina Howell are a team in a field of 320 women competing for a podium finish in the 26th annual Rallye Aicha des Gazelles. This celebrated rally race is a multi-day race under the harsh conditions dished out in the desert of Morocco. Hall and Howell are driving the #178 Land Rover Defender and are currently in third place overall after day one of the competition.
Leading the General Classification (GC) category is the American team, #180 Toyota Tacoma, Nicole Pitell-Vaughan and Chrissie Beavis. Second place GC is held by the Swiss pair of Regine Zbinden and Ela Steiner driving the #179 Jeep Wrangler. The other American team, sitting in fourth, are sisters Jo Hannah and Susannah Hoehn piloting #107 Land Rover LR4.
Both days have a marathon stage in addition to the shorter routes. Each team must set up an improvised overnight camp in the desert between checkpoints. If the shifting sand dunes, dry lake beds, rugged terrain, and miles of jagged rocks aren’t enough, there are two marathon stages planned that are meant to test the endurance and willpower of the competitors.
The Rallye Aicha des Gazelles is internationally renowned rally race exclusively for female teams. It is the only rally race where 100 percent of the participants are women. This year 320 women age 18 to 65 years will come from 33 different countries to participate in this annual rally race set in the Moroccan desert.
Image source: Rallye Aiches des Gazelles
