Rally Jordan 2011

[sleenster]

Are you kidding me?!?!
EDIT: Sorry, I just don't see day one happening anymore.

Thanks Mar!

Storm causes new Jordan delays

By David Evans
Tuesday, April 12th 2011, 20:27 GMT

The boat carrying the kit for the Jordan Rally has failed to dock at its expected time in Israel tonight because a storm has hit Haifa and the vessel is not allowed to come to port in the current conditions.

The teams will reconvene at 11am local time tomorrow when it is hoped the boat will have docked and be well on its way to unloading the cargo of service park infrastructure. After a meeting tonight, the teams could make no plans regarding Thursday's opening day, with the boat situation still unresolved.

"This is unbelievable," said one team manager. "You could not make this up now. The boat is now sat one kilometre out of port, waiting for the sea to calm down so it can come in.

"At the moment, there are a lot of plans flying about regarding what could be done for Thursday, but nobody knows. Until the boat is in and the kit is in the service park, we can't really decide anything.

"We'll get together at 11am tomorrow and see where we're at then. About the only thing we can say is that shakedown [rescheduled for tomorrow night] is pretty much certain to be cancelled. As for day one, who knows? But with no boat, trucks or kit, it's not looking the best."

The boat was due to arrive on Sunday, but was slowed by an engine failure. The teams are now standing by in Haifa awaiting news.

The opening day of the Jordan Rally is shorter than usual due to a morning start ceremony in Jerash. The day comprises around half the distance of the opening day on other World Rally Championship rounds at 45 miles, but, crucially, the service park at the Dead Sea is used for Time Control 0B at 0700 Thursday morning.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90668

[Loiste]

Storm causes new Jordan delays

OMG! prophetic signs!

[sleenster]

So it looks like they might have had semi-decent cars to do their recce since the recce cars are borrowed from the Middle East Rally Championship and are not just hire cars..

Recce gets underway in Jordan
12 Apr 11

Despite ongoing delays in transporting essential kit to the Jordan Rally, reconnaissance for the event started on Tuesday morning thanks to the loan of equipment from the local motorsport authority and the Middle East Rally Championship.

“Thanks to the co-operative and open-minded approach of all the stakeholders we have been able to make progress in spite of the logistical challenges,” said North One Sport event manager Simon Larkin.

While the drivers were able to begin exploring the stages using borrowed vehicles and tracking facilities, the arrival of the rest of the WRC’s equipment has been further delayed. The boat carrying the WRC teams and service park infrastructure from Trieste to Italy to Haifa in Israel suffered technical problems en route and bad weather has prevented it from docking on arrival.

Unloading is now expected to begin early on Wednesday morning.

Logistics for Rally Jordan had been planned to be routed through Syria, but security fears following the recent civil unrest there forced a change of plan.

“This has been a 100 per cent collaborative decision, starting with consultation with the FIA, the teams and rally organisers during the last event,” said Larkin. “We chose this route because it was the only realistic option from a cost and timing perspective. Any other option would have ruled out all but the two manufacturer teams from participating.

“We wanted this to be a collective solution so that nobody got left behind. As a sport we have to recognise the needs of all the competitors, not just the ones at the front.”

The timetable of the event will change subject to the arrival of the trucks from Haifa, and the rally organisers will meet with the teams at 11:00hrs on Wednesday to determine a new schedule. The Israeli and Jordanian authorities have been co-operating to ensure a smooth transit for the convoy.

“It’s been a process of collaboration and everyone is committed to making the Jordan Rally a success,” said Larkin.

http://www.wrc.com/news/recce-gets-unde ... ?fid=14505

[icemaid]

I have to throw out some of my plan for the next few days with F1 & WRC happening...
I hope no more hiccups for Rally Jordan.

[Julia]

Storm causes new Jordan delays

OMG! prophetic signs!

just unbelievable!

thanks for posting the news!

[sleenster]

From Tone Nesheim Tonerud's facebook (works in Petter Solberg WRT):

Boat is now anchored outside port, 2nd engine also blown. Waiting for tugs to bring it in!

[Claudie_Schnaudie]

From Tone Nesheim Tonerud's facebook (works in Petter Solberg WRT):

Boat is now anchored outside port, 2nd engine also blown. Waiting for tugs to bring it in!

THis is getting ridiculous

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Tweet:

paddocknews

According to MTV3 #rallyjordan they'll run the 3 SS on Thursday only once, as opposed to twice as originally planned. #unofficial

[Loiste]

From Tone Nesheim Tonerud's facebook (works in Petter Solberg WRT):

Boat is now anchored outside port, 2nd engine also blown. Waiting for tugs to bring it in!

[sleenster]

I'm just waiting for the next tweet to say that the boat got struck by lightning and sank

[miezicat]

From Tone Nesheim Tonerud's facebook (works in Petter Solberg WRT):

Boat is now anchored outside port, 2nd engine also blown. Waiting for tugs to bring it in!

wtf? what kind of boat is this?

[sleenster]

From Citroen Racing's facebook:

Le bateau n’est toujours pas arrivé dans le port d’Haïfa mais il est visible depuis la terre ! Trois remorqueurs sont en train de manœuvrer pour le faire accoster. Les camions n’arriveront pas au parc d’assistance avant la nuit prochaine. Une réunion va débuter lorsque le bateau sera à quai pour décider du programme à venir…

Google translation:

The boat has not arrived in the port of Haifa but it is visible from the shore! Three tugs are now maneuvering for berthing. The truck will not arrive at the service park before the next night. A meeting will start when the boat is docked to decide which program to come ...

[Claudie_Schnaudie]

Courtesy of Wolfie

http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/ralli/uutise ... -torstaina

Latest information: They won't drive in Jordan on Thursday

Sources from Ford-team tell that they won't drive the stages in Jordan on Thursday.

Due to schedule reasons it's a complete impossibility to start the rally on Thursday.

The goal is to get the cargo from Israel to Jordan before Wednesday night. The border closes at 7 p.m. and stays closed during the night. If the row of trucks stays behind the border in the evening, then it will arrive to the Dead Sea on Thursday morning.

According to information MTV3 got from Ford, there is no way they can rally on Thursday. They could only do the shakedown and the festivities on Thursday.

The organiser hasn't yet confirmed that the stages on Thursday are cancelled.

MTV3 – Miiro Koivula

[Kriss]

planetemarcus tweeted

Rally Jordan The boat not arriving in Haïfa now 3 towboats push it to help it...

maybe they should go home
this rally is cursed

[miezicat]

The vessel alongside the port and the ramp is being lowered right now! Unloading of the 37 trucks (teams/TV/Michelin...) will be begin and then customs control for a transport in convoy to Dead Sea Jordan

finally..

[Kriss]

LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS FORCE JORDAN RALLY TIMETABLE CHANGE

Latest News, WRC Apr 13, 2011 The late arrival of vital logistical equipment and vehicles from Europe will give Jordan Rally and WRC officials no other option but to revise the timetable for the three-day, fourth round of the 2011 FIA World Rally Championship.

The all-important shakedown test has been delayed and it looks increasingly likely that the ceremonial start, planned for Thursday morning in Jerash, will also be put back to later in the day, as teams await the arrival of spares and team equipment needed to enable them to prepare the cars for the event.

A final decision and a revised timetable will be decided following a meeting at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre by Hilton today (Wednesday).

http://www.rallybuzz.com/jordan-rally-timetable-change/