2010 Sunseeker Rallye 26-27 Feb

[y2blade]

I have just heard that the Friday night opening Bournemouth parkland stages have been dropped this year

if it is the case it is A real shame as we have been heading down to see the night stages for the last few years, always a good atmosphere and A great spectacle as the cars head through the park down by the sea front

can anyone confirm this for me please?

[Trackside]

Looking on the website it doesn't make any mention of competitive stages on the Friday, just a ceremonial flag-off from 19:30. http://www.rallyesunseeker.co.uk/spectators.html

I'll be coming down on the Saturday with my brother and meeting up with a few mates to take in probably 3 stages throughout the day. I went down 2 years ago for my first Sunseeker and loved it, so can't wait to go back again. There's some fairly big names and quick cars lined up so it should be a cracking spectacle.

[Allyc85]

yea it has been dropped im afraid, think its something to do with saving money for the competitors who would change bits on their cars to tarmac spec just for a couple miles.

Still should be a great event, it always has a good entry list and its great to not have to get up at 6am to get to a rally! we usually go to Somerly Park but i think we will try and do a few different stages this year and chase the top runners around.

[Allyc85]

yea it has been dropped im afraid, think its something to do with saving money for the competitors who would change bits on their cars to tarmac spec just for a couple miles.

Still should be a great event, it always has a good entry list and its great to not have to get up at 6am to get to a rally! we usually go to Somerly Park but i think we will try and do a few different stages this year and chase the top runners around.

[Jon_Bmw]

Yeah it has been dropped as said above, a shame for us spectators, but if it means the 'sunseeker' still runs, that is good enough for me. I'll be spectating on the saturday for sure. I missed last years Fridays stage as I was at a trackday and although I made it back in time, I was just too tired to attend. Y2_blade, I think that was the one I met you at, although you'll have to forgive my ageing memory as it has forgotton your real name!

I am usually parked somewhere near the stages with a pushbike in the tourings boot!

[Futuo]

Allyc85 said:

it always has a good entry list

Struggling at present

[mat205125]

Allyc85 said:

yea it has been dropped im afraid, think its something to do with saving money for the competitors who would change bits on their cars to tarmac spec just for a couple miles.

A convenient reason. Much better than them admitting that they were pissed off with the decorative fences in the garden being destroyed by out of control Land Rover Discoverys like last year. IIRC last years stage through the garden was stopped after an accident somewhere along the seafront.

Its a shame, as stages like the garden section are a great advert for the sport, bringing the action to a much wider audience who then may decide to take the time to come along to the following days action in Somerly, for example.

We never did ANCRO, so never got to tackle the gardens .... The Porlock Toll Road remains a highlight for me. There is always a place for a token tarmac stage on a forest rally.

[Allyc85]

Futuo said:

Allyc85 said:

it always has a good entry list

Struggling at present

Really, shame to hear

Will still go anyway I expect.

[abarth16v]

Shame about the friday spectator stage been dropped but it was really busy and to get a good spot you had to get there early and not move! as for the cancellation of this stage last year it was due to a car hitting a lampost further past the pier,mind you the discovery that hit the railings in the winter gardens was a mess i think it is on youtube?

[y2blade]

Thanks for the info guys

that is a real shame, tbh we won't be going down on the Friday night now

[Futuo]

Allyc85 said:

Futuo said:

Allyc85 said:

it always has a good entry list

Struggling at present

Really, shame to hear

Will still go anyway I expect.

From memory it struggled a bit last year too, esp for an ANCRO round.

[Allyc85]

Yea that true now you say it, think there was only about 50 cars.

usually go to Sommerly Park but I fancy a change this year, which stages are recomended?

[Nic jones]

Unfortunately I think competitors are voting with their wallets at present and doing the cheaper/less time consuming events.

This is a real shame as I used to to love going to watch the Sunseeker with Dad, it always had a cracking entry when I was a kid in terms of numbers and standard of machinery.

Best of luck to them

[Futuo]

Nic jones said:

Unfortunately I think competitors are voting with their wallets at present and doing the cheaper/less time consuming events.

Yes and no, really good events are still full.

[Nic jones]

Futuo said:

Nic jones said:

Unfortunately I think competitors are voting with their wallets at present and doing the cheaper/less time consuming events.

Yes and no, really good events are still full.

True.

In particular the BTRDA events are successful, the same happened in the Tarmac championships, last year the National Tarmac Champ struggled (can't remember it's full name) but the smaller events were often quite full, although I think the number of rounds in Ireland that involved ferry crossings didn't help much.

Although rallying is struggling across the sport at the moment it seems from RR'ing right up to full Internationals.

ETA, just cottoned on who you post as on other forums, you're quieter on here!

Edited by Nic jones on Friday 5th February 14:47

[Futuo]

Tarmac events on the whole doing okay

NW Stages
Pendragon
Mull
Otterburn
Epynt
Croft
Weeton

all healthy entries

Forest stuff is getting mega rip off.

Quiet moi, nahh never

[Allyc85]

Maybe not a huge entry but theres some top machinery entered and some nice older stuff like an F2 Escort, a Lancia Integrale and a Fiat 131!

[delS1]

Hi All,

If I don’t have to work then I really fancy getting along to this. However I have a couple of questions.

How far apart are the stages, can I get from stage to stage with ease?
Do I pay at the car park for each stage?
As a budding photographer with new kit, is there a best stage viewing wise?

As you can tell I have never been to a propper multi stage rally before


Thanks,

delS1

[Trackside]

Del,

I've only done this rally once before, 2 years ago, and managed to get 3 stages in throughout the day. Our group stayed and watched every car through but I expect if you only watched the top cars then you might get more in.

We went to stage 1 which is Uddens Water, stage 5 at Wareham and then stage 8 at Ringwood. Managed it all quite comfortably timewise. Looking at the rally website I see that the postcodes for each stage are on the Spectator page so maybe that'll allow you to plan your routes during the day.

Photographically, they were all pretty good, in my opinion, as they're fairly open tracks which allow you a good look at each car before you shoot it. My photos from '08 are here which'll give you some idea what you can get. FYI, I used a Nikon D70 with a 70-300 zoom.

As far as paying at the gate goes, I guess that's available but we buy a Forestry Car Park pass in advance so I can't really comment on that.

If you do go, enjoy it. I know I will!

[delS1]

Thanks Gary,

Fantastic pictures, they are just the type of shots I would love to achieve, however I fear I'm a long way off anything of that quality just yet. (have to get familiar with the new kit)

Well looking at the web-site I recon I could easily get to at least 3 stages in the morning.
Looking forward to this, fingers crossed for good weather.

Thanks again

delS1