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One lucky spectator at the inaugural London Rally for Heroes next weekend (April 19/20) will win a VIP trip for two to Sol Rally Barbados 2013, the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport International. With Rally HQ at Brooklands, the birthplace of British motor sport and aviation, the first major rally to be staged so close to London for nearly 20 years is raising funds in support of Help for Heroes.
Organised by the Southern Car Club, LRfH features a Ceremonial Start on Friday evening, where crews will be flagged away by Secretary of State for Defence and local MP Philip Hammond, followed by 23 stages during Saturday. Eight are spread through the day at the popular Rushmore Arena on the outskirts of Aldershot, with the final two on the Mercedes-Benz World track alongside Brooklands Museum.
In addition to the spectator-friendly Saturday stages, the organisers expect a major turn-out at Brooklands during Friday, with Scrutineering and Documentation preceding the Ceremonial Start. Spectators can also visit the major vehicle and aircraft collections in the Motoring Village, Wellington Hangar and Aircraft Park.
The prize includes return flights from London Gatwick and a seven-night stay at the Waves Resort and Spa, compliments of the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) and Virgin Holidays, with VIP hospitality on the opening day of Sol RB courtesy of the organisers, the Barbados Rally Club (BRC).
There is a lucky number printed in every copy of the Official Souvenir Programme, which goes on sale at outlets in and around Brooklands on Saturday (April 13); it will also be on sale during the event at Rushmoor Arena and Brooklands.
The winning number will be drawn at random and posted on the BTA’s web site on Wednesday, April 24, with instructions on how to claim the prize – spectators will need to log on to www.visitbarbados.org [2] to see whether their number matches, and are encouraged to visit www.rallybarbados.net [3] to learn more about the event.
BTA Vice-President UK Petra Roach said: “I am delighted that we were able to arrange this prize in partnership with Virgin Holidays, as we hope the chance of winning will encourage even more people to support such a worthwhile cause. We have worked with Southern Car Club before at Rallye Sunseeker, and we know how hard the Club’s volunteers work to stage professional, quality events.”
LRfH Rally Director Rick Smith added: “As Petra says, we have worked together before, and I’m very happy we could carry our association forward. Bearing in mind what the weather has been like in Britain in recent weeks, I imagine most of our spectators could do with a week away in the sun, and where better than Barbados . . . especially with a big helping of rallying thrown in!”
Celtic Festival stages special event at Rally HQ
Competitors unwinding the day after rigours of Scotiabank King of the Hill will have some lively entertainment to lighten their mood on Monday, May 27, with a Scottish Ceilidh at the Divi Southwinds Beach Resort, which is once again Rally Headquarters and will be hosting a significant number of International crews.
The Ceilidh will run from 8pm in the restaurant – it is free to hotel guests, but also open to non-residents for an entrance fee of Bds $15. It is just one of a string of daily events which make up Celtic Festival Barbados 2013 (May 23-29), with performances from professional musicians from Scotland, Ireland and Cape Breton, also some food events, which will fuse Celtic flavours with those of the West Indies.
Festival organiser Carol Anderson said: “We put this evening together specially so that our Scottish and Irish compatriots taking part in Sol Rally Barbados might join in our folk music festival, which has received global acclaim. A number came to one of our events in St Lawrence Gap last year, so we thought we’d take it right to them this time round.
“We hope even those not staying at Divi will come and join in to the swirl of the kilt and some serious Scottish dancing, and all on a proper wooden floor! There will be live music for the dancing, some tunes on the lowland pipes . . . and some surprises too!”
From the opening night, Pipers on the Boardwalk at Hastings Rock, followed by a session in the nearby Blakeys rum shop, the Festival will move via Limegrove in Holetown, the Carib Beach Bar, the Atlantis Hotel - celebrity chef Paul Wedgwood from Edinburgh will make his mark on the Bajan Buffet – Divi and the Golden Anchor rum shop near Folkestone Park to the final event at the Waterfront Café in Bridgetown. For more details, go to www.celticfestivalbarbados.com.
Sol Rally Barbados (June 1/2) and Scotiabank King of the Hill (May 26) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; Sol RB13 is the 24th running of the Club’s annual International All-Stage Rally and marks the sixth year of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company.
For further media information: e-mail - robin@bradfax.com
web sites: www.rallybarbados.net; [4] www.barbadosrallyclub.com
