Welcome!Welcome to the site of Team DDR, a participating team in the Amsterdam-Dakar rally. This is a so-called "rust bucket endurance rally". As a team, we're part of the Oostblokcollectief, together with Team Russia. As the rest of this site is in Dutch, this English page is meant to give you an introduction to this rally and our participation in it. For more information in Dutch, please click on the links on the left.
The ChallengeThe Amsterdam-Dakar rally is a so-called "rust bucket endurence rally". Different teams participate in this race with a car which is 500 euros worth at most. The goal of the race is not to set a time, but to get as far as possible in the african desert before the car breaks down beyond repair. The different teams get sponsored for the distance they manage to cross. This money is destined for charitable causes in Africa.
The rally is an unsupported challenge, meaning the participants have to arrange and organise their own trip, and meet on some points. At this point about 40 teams have enrolled for the rally which will start in Amsterdam february 13th 2010.
We will participate in the race with a Trabant we nicknamed "Manni", emblem of our Team DDR (DDR meaning GDR in Dutch). It goes without saying that with our communist machine, we're sure to make it to Dakar!
=== UPDATE ===Due to the thread of terrorism in Mauretania, the organisation decided to cancel the initial rally and offered us two alternatives. We've decided to participate in the Red Sea challenge instead. This means we'll be crossing Eastern Europe, Turkey, Syria and Jordan to reach the Red Sea, and from there we'll be going through Egypt and Libya to Tunis where the rally ends. Obviously Manni the Trabant will have to return home afterwards, so we'll go home by crossing the Mediterranean by ferry and driving him from Genoa back to the Netherlands.
This rally seems even more of a challenge to us. But because it's not the fault of the people in Senegal we're not going to Dakar anymore, we decided to stick with the cause we're raising money for by participating in this race. The CauseAim of the race is for the teams to raise as much money as possible for development projects in the third world, by getting as close as possible to Dakar. This money will go to projects of Oxfam-Novib, a dutch NGO with a long tradition and a good repution in development aid.
Each of the participating teams can enroll for funding an Oxfam-Novib project in western-Africa. With Team Russia we took on the endeavor of raising 6.400 euros in total to fund a classroom in Senegal.
Anyone interested in sponsoring us can do so by funding a jerrycan of fuel which will help us cross a part of the 7000 and some kilometers between Amsterdam and Dakar.
Please do not forget your aid is as essential for the success of out participation as is the endurence of "Manni", our eastern european rust bucket. Help us and help the children of Africa.
For more information, or if you're interested in supporting us, please fill out the form at the bottom of this page. Thank you.
The TeamTeam DDR is made up by Hugo Rinsema, Mannis owner, and his brother Maarten.
Hugo RinsemaHugo just finished his studies in mecanical engineering. With his new diploma in the pocket, he doesn't really know what to do right now. So his days are filled by preparing Manni the Trabant for the trip to Dakar. In the past he also restored a Fiat 600 and a Fiat X1/9.
Maarten RinsemaEventhough he's working in distribution and logistics, Maarten does not have a drivers' licence yet. He's following classes in Spain, where he lives now, but he's not quite sure whether he'll pass the exam before the rally starts.
The Rust BucketThe value of the participating vehicles is 500 euros at most. Another limit of 250 euros has been set for restoring and preparing for the race.
Team DDR will start in the rally with "Manni", a Trabant Kombi bought in Germany a couple of months ago for a mere 300 euros. It has undergone a lot of repairs and adjustments since then: first it had to work and next to be prepaired for the barren circunstances of the Sahara. The pictures and videos on the right give a good impression of adjustments to Manni. At this moment, Manni is made ready for MOT, which should be done in shortly...
ContactIf you have any coments or questions, please fill in the contactform and we will contact you asap. |
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Organisatie |
Red Sea 2010 |
