The latest news of the team.
Day 5 - Crossing the finish line
The last race day was shaped by all of the teams going very fast. We all wanted to be the first in Agadir and thanks to yesterday’s repairs while charging at least the Covestro Photon had lots of energy to spare. After climbing the last part of the Atlas Mountains we were closely following behind the first trio. The other teams had already been overtaken in the morning and were left far behind. But it soon became apparent that they also had lots of energy left as the other teams just as were driving at the speed limit for the whole drive through the wide plateaus leading up to Agadir.
Day 4 - Setbacks
Sand. Sand everywhere. That was probably the first thought on everyone’s mind when they woke up. Last night’s sand storm had definitely left its marks and a few tents from other teams had even collapsed. Luckily, we could secured our tents and there were no lasting issues, so all of us and our things were safe – nevertheless quite sandy.
Day 3 - Through the Sahara Desert
The night before most of the team finally got some sleep and we started the day in high spirits. We were really looking forward to today’s route along the edge of the Sahara Desert and a successful race day. Starting on the fifth position five, the next team to overtake was now Top Dutch Solar Racing. After following them on their heels for half an hour we managed to overtake their convoy and were now trying to catch up to the leading trio while driving though the vast landscapes of southern Morocco.
Day 2 – The longest route
While the last two days were marked by many difficulties, today’s racing was quite smooth. All this was mainly thanks to the electrical department and some supporting people working another entire night shift in order to fix yesterday’s technical difficulties. After packing up all our camping and fixing equipment as well as a quick breakfast, the Covestro Photon left the Zagora base camp shortly after 8 a.m.
Day 1 - The race begins
October 25th, 10.a.m. Covestro Photon is ready, Lead is ready, Chase is ready, the whole convoy is ready. We made it! Working the entire night with some people not getting a single ounce of sleep we had actually managed to fix most of the damage from the crash. Parts of the structure were rebuild or reinforced and the whole suspension of the front left wheel got replaced and readjusted – all that in just one night!
An intense Qualifying
Similar to other race events, at solar car challenge the starting positions are determined through a qualifying. The qualifying is scheduled between the last scrutineering test and the start of the race. For the Solar Challenge Morocco 2021 this qualifying was held at Stade Adrar, a large football stadium in Agadir. Around this stadium is a road which was used for that matter as a small race track of 2.2 km length.
The Scrutineering
The drive to Agadir was another challenge for the team. The race convoy took a detour to practice various race procedures on a section of the race track. All other team members meanwhile brought the equipment to Agadir. After a long or short drive, everyone finally arrived at the hostel, which was completely booked out by the team, to have dinner together. After a tasty refreshment and warm tea, some went to the beach to refresh themselves in the Atlantic Ocean before going to bed.
Every single ray
The drive to Agadir was another challenge for the team. The race convoy took a detour to practice various race procedures on a section of the race track. All other team members meanwhile brought the equipment to Agadir. After a long or short drive, everyone finally arrived at the hostel, which was completely booked out by the team, to have dinner together. After a tasty refreshment and warm tea, some went to the beach to refresh themselves in the Atlantic Ocean before going to bed.
Testing at Stade Adrar
The drive to Agadir was another challenge for the team. The race convoy took a detour to practice various race procedures on a section of the race track. All other team members meanwhile brought the equipment to Agadir. After a long or short drive, everyone finally arrived at the hostel, which was completely booked out by the team, to have dinner together. After a tasty refreshment and warm tea, some went to the beach to refresh themselves in the Atlantic Ocean before going to bed.
Arrival in Morocco and start of prepartions in Ben Guerir
For the Solar Challenge Morocco 2021 we travel as a whole team from Aachen with car and workshop to Morocco; divided into several groups which fly to Morocco at different times. The first group set foot on the African continent already on 8th of October. With rental car we went directly to the hostel in Marrakech, which was completely booked by us.
A new Solar Challenge
“The SCM 2021 is a brand-new challenge for us,” says Simon Quinker, 2nd chairman of the association, “The event offers the opportunity for us to co-create a Solar Challenge to demonstrate our technical innovations in a new environment.”
The SCM has it all with its 5 stages over a combined 2500 km in 5 days. The starting and finishing point of the race, which runs on public roads and through the Sahara Desert, is Agadir, a port city in southern Morocco.