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Latest NewsPRINT PAGEPRESS RELEASE No. 006 - November1 2009 Three Weeks to go................... Spectacular stages are in store for the forty-five crews on the start list who will tackle the ten-day route the Kenya Airways East African Safari Classic Rally starting on November 23rd. The organizers have just completed the production of all the final documents including the essential route notes that are all the crews have to guide them along the 4,500 km route through Kenya and Tanzania. In addition, all the arrangements are now in place for the hotel accommodation to house the drivers and officials at the ten night halts along the way. Part of the route includes a spectacular stage west of Arusha in Tanzania where the rally cars first of all circumnavigate Lake Manyara - by road ! - and then climb to the top of the Mbulu Escarpment ascending 900 metres (2,950 feet) in a road distance of some 17kms (10.5 miles). It is one of the most spectacular stages of the whole event and certainly one affording some of the most amazing views back across Lake Manyara to the Ngorogoro Crater. This year, the rally does not stay in Nairobi for a night but concentrates on using Safari lodges for its halts. This enables it to use rally roads that take the crews to less-visited places as well as to the normal tourist sights. "Almost everything from route notes, through to hotels and the logistics needed to run a major international rally are ready," says Event Director, Surinder Thatthi. "Of course the route notes cannot be released to the drivers until a day or two before the start of the rally as we don't want people to go out recceing. It is one of the most painstaking jobs to organize an event of this length which is also spread across two countries, Tanzania and Kenya. I will have eighty-nine senior officials in twenty-eight different vehicles to ensure that something over three hundred and twenty-nine persons directly involved with the rally are well looked after in hotels and relevant places as well as at all the rally controls dotted round the route." Thatthi adds: "Kenya stands to gain a lot from the Safari Classic in terms of revenue from the competitors, spectators and tourists. The hotels alone will earn US$ 39,5000 (Kshs 30,810,000) over the period of the rally. In addition to the accommodation, Kenya Wildlife Services will be paid US$ 20,000 plus Kshs. 350,000 for entering the National Parks. Direct spending by teams and their crews will amount to US$ 2m and the value to East Africa of worldwide television coverage of the event is estimated at US$ 12 million.'' With Kenya Airways on board for the third year as the main sponsors of the rally, the East African Safari Classic is able to run an event not only beneficial to the competitors and organizers, but one that can contribute economically to the country. Although the details of the actual 2009 rally route are secret until just before the rally starts, the Safari organizers have released an outline of the rally on their web site with locations of the night halts and map showing the general scheme of the route. The major innovation this year is that no less than three of the night halts are used for two consecutive nights, namely in Arusha, Amboseli and Naivasha. And for those people following the rally from home, Access Kenya will be providing Internet connectivity all along around the rally route to beam out the latest stories and rally news to the world. For press enquiries, contact E-mail: info@eastafricansafarirally.com East African
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