Desert race crew needed

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34132, 20 April 1976, Page 16

Desert race crew needed

(N.Z.P.A. Staff Crspdtf LONDON, April 19.

A 23-year-old New Zealander who says the closest he has been to a desert was a trip to the local beach hopes to take part in an 800 km motor race across a section of the Sahara in November.

John Cooke, an auto electrician, of Dargaville, is so far the only New Zealander to have shown interest in the race, which is being organised by an Auckland man, Mr A. Edmond-Jones.

"The challenge has come from New Zealand,” Mr Edmond-Jones said today. “It

would be bad if New Zealand did not enter a team.” He said the .only response

from New Zealand, after announcing his plans several weeks ago, was a letter from Mr Cooke. He needs at least two other New Zealanders, a mechanic and someone who can navigate by the stars. Entries for the race across the Great Bilma Sands in Niger —• described by Mr Edmond-Jones as a “fearful void” — have come from Canada, France, Germany, Norway, and two teams each from Britain and the United States.

An Australian team from Brisbane has also shown interest. Mr Edmond-Jones describes the race as the world’s tough-

est. It was across "absolute desert," he said, and although the official distance was 800 km as the crow flies, the vehicles might have to travel up to 1600 km over the roadless area to reach the finishing point. He estimates the race will take 10 days, after the contestants have travelled to the start in convoy from Tunis. The hazards of the journey are reflected in a list of safety requirements being sent to all crews: each must have a set of day and nighttime distress flares and a minimum of 60 litres of water, and the teams must wait at the finish line until al! competitors have been accounted for.

If a team doesn’t arrive within a set time, the other

crews will double-back in a search pattern. Most of the vehicles in the race are expected to be four-wheel drive. Mr Edmond-Jones will enter a Toyota Land Cruiser. If he cannot get New Zealanders to complete the team, he will find someone in London, "but I hope it will be an all-New Zealand crew.” Mr Edmond-Jones is familiar with the area, having guided "Sahara safaris” there during the last year.

“It should be one of the great adventures,” he said. “It certainly won’t be easy.” And the prize for crossing the desert finishing line first?

“Just the honour and the glory, and the satisfaction,” he said.