Rally Sunseeker tips

[E-racer]

I'm attending my first rally ever this year and have decided to check out Rally Sunseeker as its closest to home and seem to attract a good entry. I'd be keen to hear from anybody who's attended this rally as a spectator before to find out where the best places are to watch, what times you have to arrive at the car parks to avoid getting stuck in traffic, how many stages you can expect to see in a day etc ! Any advice is very welcome.

[sm68]

Hi There,

The Rallye Sunseeker is a great event, especially for those of us living in the south. I have been for the last six years and what ever the weather it has been fab. If you buy a program online before it will show you stages and times etc. I would reccomend the stage at Wareham Forest. Great visability and quick sections. Give youself plenty of time before the cars come through and be sensible where you stand. (again info in Prog) d

Have a fab day.

[brands]

You can usually fit in 3 forest stages during the day and their site shows 3 of the 4 spectator stages are having two runs.

A quick look at the site seems to allow for trips to SS1, SS6 and then over to Ringwood for SS9 or SS10. Best check when the timetable is published though.

A couple of warnings about the car parks:

It's £25 per car for a forest pass
The track to the Ringwood car park B is potholed to hell and the Wareham car park can be a nightmare if the area has had a lot of rain. I have seen a tractor being used, to pull cars INTO the "car park" (rutted field).

Also Wareham and at least one of the Ringwood stages involves long walks to find somewhere decent.

Having said that the entries, while not great in numbers, is usually good quality. The event runs to time, the marshals are helpful and the last two stages usually run into the dark.

[brands]

Closer inspection of the map reveals only 3 spectator stages, car park A for the Somerley speed festival and would be another £25 for entrance.

You should manage SS1 09.00, SS6 12.00 and then either SS8 14.45 or SS10 at 15.50 which will run into the dark.

[Steve Tarrant]

Don't forget to visit the rally's website - http://www.rallyesunseeker.co.uk/spectating.html# - for detailed info.

[NJH]

Many ppl just park up in the industrial estate on the edge of Verwood and walk in. No cost but its a bit of a trek, ISTR well over 1/2 hour. I reckon we will go again this year.

[moyzer]

Don't follow your sat-nav between stages is my tip. Traffic gets a bit crazy at times. Take back routes avoiding A roads as much as you can.

3 stages is achievable and is what I have managed every time I've been.

The price of the car park is not so bad if you fill the car up with friends and spread the cost.

Its a good Rally!

[E-racer]

Thanks for all the great feedback! If I want to be at a good spot ready for the first stage, roughly how early should I aim to be at the car park -8 am or earlier ?

[EllegyTV]

This year we'll return to Rally Sunseeker... after the 2006 edition... I remember fantastic cars and incredible cold!!

[Suze]

Enjoy it - the Sunseeker was the first rally I want to, and something that made me want to start co-driving - one day I will do the event!

[Stephen H]

Any photos of the event?

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Stephen H

Any photos of the event?

I took some. Not professional standard or anything, but I should have them online within the next couple of days!

Great day as ever. Couple of brief showers but weather was pretty good overall. Really mixed field of cars (Group N, S2000 and some older WRC) and some entertaining driving throughout the day. I thought the running order was a bit odd (don't remember it being quite so broken up in previous years), but still a well signposted, well organised event.

[ghinzani]

Was on hols this year, came back Saturday and saw all the cars on trailers and twigged it must be that time. We usually tend to park in Verwood on any available piece of open ground then walk into the Forest. Trouble with doing that these days though is you come back and find someones built several houses on your car. Vervocht town planners must be the richest in Dorset, veritably swimming in backhanders!

[tbtstt]

It taken me all week to get round to it, but I've finally got the pictures off my camera! Not professional quality or anything, but I think some of them came out OK...







Best of the rest can be seen by clicking here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22961613@N06/sets/72157626067972773/

[Stephen H]

thanks for posting the pictures - not been to the sunseeker for a very long time, and wondered what spectating was like on the stages these days.

[BertMk2]

Some nice pictures there

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Stephen H

thanks for posting the pictures - not been to the sunseeker for a very long time, and wondered what spectating was like on the stages these days.

I've only been to Sunseeker a couple of times but, generally, the Marshalls always seem pretty relaxed as long as you don't do anything really stupid. The running order seemed a bit more broken up this year, so there was a bit more standing around waiting then there has been in previous years though.

Went in a mates beaten up old car and enjoyed myself a lot more not worrying about finding a decent parking spot and having to change shoes every time I got in and out of the car!

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Some nice pictures there

Many thanks!

[MikeHoyer]

Here's a few pics of mine. I was only able to get to one stage as I was confined to service in the morning!

http://mdh-photography.co.uk/galleri...ker2011/album/

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by MikeHoyer

Here's a few pics of mine. I was only able to get to one stage as I was confined to service in the morning!

http://mdh-photography.co.uk/galleri...ker2011/album/

That's the problem we find - our service crew don't often get to see a lot of what's going on. That's partly what made Brands Hatch so good - everyone could see plenty of the action.

Those super 2000 Skodas really do look rather good don't they?

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by MikeHoyer

Here's a few pics of mine. I was only able to get to one stage as I was confined to service in the morning!

http://mdh-photography.co.uk/galleri...ker2011/album/

Great set of pictures! I keep seeing great shots from that little bridge/jump, but I've yet to find out what stage those pictures were taken on - any hints please?...

I have to agree with the S2000 Fabia comments; those and the 1600 Swift really looked the part.

[MikeHoyer]

It was on Stage 7 somewhere!