Page 30 - EA Safari Classic Rally 2019

A Photographer’s Experience continued... for press releases, go and collect
road books for the next day, write
a flash flood to arrive after you've releases, edit photos and try and
passed by and cause all the cars to send them off globally, praying that
get stuck behind you. Occasionally the internet works and that the
you mess up completely and park up computer doesn't crash! (I once had
at an amazing spot only to discover a full computer failure in Tanzania
that you're 5 kilometres off route! (I and lost ALL of the photos from the
did this in Amboseli in 2013 and first five days…. I had to spend a
waited two hours…). fortune recovering the images
Even if you find the best spot you overnight in Nairobi during the rest
still need to be flexible. In 2017 we day!).
found a fantastic mud hole but the After nine days of waking up at
mud car had string for a tow rope 4am and going to bed near midnight
and racing slicks instead of mud and living on boiled eggs and
tyres, so I ended up having to sausages (no room for vegans in a
alternate between taking photos photographers car I'm afraid) that
and working as a mud car. This isn't finish ceremony back at White Sands
ideal, especially when working is very welcome. But then, no matter
freelance as, unless it is your client Crossing a Tanzanian river in my road car how hard you party that night you
that you are rescuing, they don't still find yourself waking up before
care why you didn't get a photo of 5am in a panic about whether you
them on that day! Once you've charged all the camera batteries and
photographed all the cars you then transferred all the images over
head out of the stage, often lending night! And for weeks afterwards you
a hand towing stricken cars to still find yourself craving eggs and
service, all the while mentally sausages and yearning for the sound
preparing yourself for the long night of a howling V8.. this is what makes
ahead. You get to service, the Classic so special! See you guys
photograph clients, interview them Jamie discussing life with Maasai out on the route this year!

Women in Motorsport Five lady co-drivers

on the entry list!

Women as co-drivers, or as drivers, are not that unusual in “they are good at making food whilst we repair the car!”

rallying. Nor is it unusual for them to beat their male But pressed further the common factor amongst everyone
counterparts… just ask Walter Rohrl after Michele Mouton who has had a lady co-driver were some very interesting
beat him, not just once but 4 times in one season! qualities; ladies tend to work well under pressure, are
good at prioritising, they can multi-task and are generally
For the 2019 East African Safari Classic Rally there are more organised than men. It was especially interesting to
already five lady co-drivers on the entry list, quite an note that the defining quality that people preferred in
impressive start, especially compared to Wales Rally GB having a woman co-driver was the pitch of their voice
which only had one lady co-driver amongst 53 entries! makes them easier to hear in a noisy rally car! So there you
go… maybe Ian doesn't need to go faster… he just needs
This begs the question; what makes women so good at co- someone who can make sandwiches, keep time and call
driving. Ian Duncans' answer was typically tongue in cheek notes clearly – maybe even at the same time!

EA Safari Classic Rally 2003

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