This morning was a first unusual loop, close to the waves of the Beach of Sidi Kaouki then in the hills covered with argan trees and cultures carefully concealed by stone walls.

The sixty kilometers of this morning will have been punctuated by the first ERR scheduled today: 14.9 km who will have seen the winning crew C.GHISTELINCK – L.DAVID on Mercedes Coupé 350 for the Classics category, and the crew AIN IFRANE (Toyota Prius Hybrid) for the category Prestiges.

A chance that all the crews did not have: J.NEKMOUCHE-R.ESFANDIARI lost the radiator cap of the Mercedes 190 SL during this first stage. It was caught by the mechanics at the end of the race, ERR, the incident could be repaired. Unfortunately, this afternoon, mechanical problems have come to the end of the Mercedes, the crew returned by courtesy car …

The Rally then returned to Essaouira for a much appreciated lunch on the Taros terraces that overlook the skala of the port. An ultimate ocean scent before the first ascents and winding roads of the Amazigh region between Essaouira and Agadir, via the magnificent beach of Imsouane.

It is not far from this little paradise that was launched, along a cliff overlooking the ocean, the second special of the day. The proposed exercise was not simple: achieve a good time of regularity on a narrow and winding road. TOUHLALI and O.VERGER (Porsche 911) are the winners on the Classics side, while the TOTAL (Maserati Gran Cabrio) crew stand out on the Prestiges side.

The competitors will barely have recovered their emotions by returning for a few kilometers on the national 1, which connects ESSAOUIRA to AGADIR, that it will already be time to face the 3rd ERR of the day: «the Dam of Moulay Abdellah “. This event will undoubtedly remain one of the key moments of this 24th Morocco Classic Rally.

On a route virtually devoid of traffic, the multiple pins, brakings supported and raises follow each other without interruption. Category Classic, the crew of E.WIEDERIN – A.HÖFER (Porsche 356 A) was the best on this uphill and downhill rally. For the Prestiges, once again the TOTAL crew prevails.

Before returning to the Atlantic coast, the competitors set off for a final special stage leading to Tamri, the Moroccan banana capital, with its dizzying descent towards the bottom of the valley.
This configuration will have given C.FIGARET and A.RAYNAL (AC Cobra) the chance to take first place in the ERR-7 in Classics, as well as the TOTAL crew, which dominates the category Prestiges. A hat still to the car Aïn Ifrane (crew 200 – Toyota Prius Hybrid) who ventured into the high averages to run the ERR of this 2nd stage, they are the only ones to have made this sporty choice!

Finally, the Rally left behind the massifs to face the Atlantic, the last efforts of this second stage. Direction the SOFITEL which welcomes the caravan for two evenings. These two consecutive nights in AGADIR will allow participants to relax and discover, or re-discover, the largest seaside city of the Kingdom.

Tomorrow, the third stage will represent a loop to the south-east of Agadir, with the highlight of “Tafraoute” and its painted rocks!

The day’s summary in pictures

---

[masterslider id=”8″]