Sunseeker Rally

Directions:- Take the Ringwood to Verwood Road. On entering Verwood , Eblake Industrial Estate is on the left, parking can usually be found somewhere on the estate. Walk back to the road and turn back towards Ringwood, about 100ft back along this road are two lay-bys that are used as check points for the rally cars. The routes into the forest on both sides of the road are easily followed. BE AWARE THAT VERY FAST VEHICLES ARE ON THESE TRACKS EVERY 30 SECONDS OR SO.

Photo Interest:- The Sunseeker Rally is held only on one Saturday per year but has it's own web site giving all the information regarding timings etc. It is usually held at the end of January beginning of February, however this year I have been given the date of 19th October 2013 . Ideal opportunity to shoot fast moving vehicles in our own back yard. Tight right hand bends normally throw up the odd spill or two, however please read the drawback section carefully if you haven't 'done' a rally before. The cars do two runs through the forest and road course during the day, one in each direction. South to North in the morning and North to South in the afternoon.

Drawbacks:- USE YOUR COMMON SENSE! There is nothing else between you and 1.5 tons of machinery travelling at 100 mph. Always stand on the inside of a bend and preferably behind a substantial tree. As the cars are on loose gravel they will be followed by a hail of small stones following in their slipstream. Point your camera at the ground immediately the vehicle has passed and curl round it facing in the direction the car was travelling. Doing this will mean that the following 'hail' will hit your back not your lens or eyes. The first time I didn't do this my UV filter was smashed, the second time I had a chunk of metal taken out of the filter carrier....... Obviously you can stand well back but where is the fun in that?