We have been getting lots of questions from competitors about planning so we have taken some previously published info and updated it here. Hopefully this should give you some useful information to work with about fuel distances, start times and if you need to fit driving lights on the Friday of the event. This does not replace the info you will get in the Furthers or Event Guide, it’s just a snapshot to help with your pre-event planning.
Thursday: Lakes Entrance – Lakes Entrance
We will begin on Thursday afternoon with a Welcome to Country from the local Gunaikurnai people and a Ceremonial Start on the beautiful Lakes Entrance foreshore. We will have three short stages, all between 10 and 20 km, to help shake out the start order for Friday. There will be two easy to get to spectator points on Thursday afternoon.
All cars need to be in place at the Ceremonial Start by 12.00pm at the latest and first car starts at 1.00pm
Thursday plans: 1 division, 3 stages, 40 km competitive and 50 km transport for 90 km total distance, 2 spectator points, no service points.
Friday: Lakes Entrance – Orbost – Lakes Entrance
Friday is our biggest day – both in time and distance. We’ll start in Lakes Entrance and head to Orbost. We’ll base the day there with two loops into the mountains north of Orbost, with crews returning to the Service Park at Orbost’s Lochiel Street Reserve after each loop. Service Crews will be based at Orbost for the day – it is the only service location. Late afternoon we head back to lakes Entrance with some “twilight” stages. There are four spectator points planned.
A highlight of Friday is a brand-new stage, 30 km of amazing, never before used forest road. Plus, even the old favourite Alpine roads look and feel different after the fires two years ago. Think you know Alpine roads around Orbost? Prepare to be surprised.
Consider fitting driving lights at the last service break as the second half of the field will run the last stage in twilight. Last car is scheduled to be back in Lakes Entrance around 9.00pm.
First car starts this day from Lakes Entrance at 9.00am
Friday plans: 4 divisions, 9 stages (shortest 7 km, longest 56 km), 170 km competitive, 232 km transport for a total of 402 km; 4 spectator points, 1 service park, with 3 visits. Longest distance without a fuel stop 118km
Saturday: Ensay – Omeo – Bairnsdale
We are really excited about Saturday. We’re heading up into Victoria’s High Country, into areas that were first used in the Alpines of the 1920s. The Alpine has not visited Omeo since the mid-70s – we’ll fix that on Saturday 3 December.
The day will start at Ensay, outside the historic Little River Hotel. This means you can trailer the car to Ensay if you wish. We have 6 stages planned for Saturday, using a mix of mountainous forest roads with fast flowing shire roads thrown in. The last stage of the day will be a blast around Bairnsdale Speedway, where we’ll finish the day. We’re planning 3 spectator points around Omeo, including one within walking distance of town with the amazing views up the Omeo Valley. It’s spectacular country.
Consider your fuel supplies carefully today as there is no 98 octane pump fuel available in Omeo or Swifts Creek, the nearest town with 98 is Bruthen.
First car starts this day from Ensay at 10.00am.
Saturday plans: 2 divisions; 6 stages (shortest 1 km, longest 37 km), 104 km competitive and 169 km transport, total 273 km; 3 spectator points; 1 service park; 2 rendezvous (optional refuel)
Sunday: Lakes Entrance – Bruthen – Lakes Entrance
The final day of the event will focus on the mountain roads north of Nowa Nowa and Bruthen. We’re planning 5 stages on some fast flowing roads that will keep crews talking long after they are over. We’ll have a division break and service break in the streets of Bruthen and are planning 4 spectator points for this final day of the event.
After a last stage in Colquhoun, the first car is scheduled to finish back in Lakes Entrance at about 2.00pm, with the champagne spray and announcement of the winners scheduled for late afternoon and the Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony on Sunday night. Buy your tickets soon as they are going fast. Book here https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=936823&
First car starts this day from Lakes Entrance at 9.00am
Sunday plans: 2 divisions; 5 stages (shortest 12 km, longest 33 km), 108 km competitive, 113 km transport for total 225 km; 4 spectator points; one service park, 2 visits. Longest distance without a fuel stop 107km
At this stage, it looks like we’ll have total competitive for the event at about 420 km, with 567 km of transport, for a total of 987 km. This special Alpine is set to be a real test of both crews and cars, in the spirit of those intrepid teams who competed in the first Alpine Rally one hundred years ago.
So, in summary….
Div 1 | Div 2 | Div 3 | Div 4 | Div 5 | Div 6 | Div 7 | Div 8 | Div 9 | |
Comp Stage Kilometres | 38.0 | 32.8 | 53.5 | 55.9 | 27.1 | 63.5 | 41 | 54.2 | 53.9 |
Transport Kilometres | 52.8 | 58.6 | 45.5 | 62.0 | 66.3 | 57 | 111.6 | 51.2 | 60.4 |
Total Kilometres | 90.8 | 91.4 | 99.0 | 117.9 | 93.4 | 120.5 | 152.6 | 105.4 | 114.3 |
Number of Comp Stages | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
Longest Comp Stage (km) | 15.5 | 18.2 | 28.3 | 55.9 | 11.5 | 34.1 | 37.3 | 33.7 | 27.3 |
Service Breaks (At Division End) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 Mid Division |
Rendezvous (Optional Refuel/Service 10 mins) | None | None | None | 1 | None | 1 | 1 | None | None |
Late Time (minutes) | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
