On Wednesday 22 July, RallyTracks organised a presentation on the eighteenth edition of the Africa Eco Race in cooperation with the rally’s organisation. At Tachyon Motorsport in Eemnes, those present were given a complete picture of what taking part in the 2027 edition involves, from categories and entry fees to planning, logistics and the first outline of the stages.
Host Rob Steltman, who was also the voice of the broadcasts on RTL 7 during the last edition, guided the audience through the programme. He did so together with Chris Gale, responsible for the Africa Eco Race Competitors Department, and Simon Koetsier, the rally’s Dutch agent and the direct point of contact for Dutch competitors.
An evening among the rally vehicles
Host Tachyon Motorsport made its own premises available for the evening. Among the rally vehicles on display, both machines that have previously taken part in the Africa Eco Race and vehicles that may appear at the start in 2027, the atmosphere was relaxed and attentive throughout the presentation. The location is the home base of Maarten Buitenhuis, who has twice ridden the rally on an electric motorcycle.
Room for everyone
In 2027 the Africa Eco Race again features three formats alongside one another. The Modern Race is about performance, navigation and classification, with cars, SSVs, motorcycles and trucks. The Historic Race is a separate regularity class for historic cars and trucks. In addition there is the Raid, a rally-raid experience without a classification that is open to cars, SSVs, motorcycles and trucks and aimed at competitors of varying levels and with different levels of preparation.
As for licences, the modern classes require an FIM NMFP licence for motorcycles and quads, an FIA ITD-R licence for SSVs and trucks, and for cars an FIA ITC-R licence in T1 and an FIA ITD-R licence in T2. In the historic classes, an FIA or ASN licence with permission for international regularity rallies is sufficient.
More included in the entry fee
The entry fees for 2027 have been online for some time. They have been revised for a number of categories, with the aim of simplifying the entry process and easing competitors’ preparation. In addition to the ferry crossing, which has been included in the fee for longer, fuel during the event is included depending on the category. For motorcycles and SSVs this is the case in 2027. All compulsory navigation and safety equipment is also included in the entry fee.
Two familiar names return where that equipment is concerned. After two editions with a different supplier, the Africa Eco Race is working with MARLINK and ERTF again, both long-standing suppliers to the rally. On the subject of safety, the organisation emphasised the full medical coverage during the event, a continuous assistance system along the route and repatriation support for competitors in both the race and the raid.
Dates to remember
For those still in doubt, four dates matter. The deadline for the first and therefore cheapest entry fee expires on 15 September 2026. From the following day the fee increases. On 15 October, additional services become available on the entry platform, including hotel bookings, ferry cabins and the rally’s closing trip.
On 5 November the official 2027 route will be presented, with the bivouacs, the passages, the loop stages and the broad outline of the course. The reconnaissance runs for this are scheduled for October. Entries close definitively on 1 December, with the proviso that categories may close earlier once the maximum number of competitors has been reached.
From the ferry to Lac Rose
The last word has not yet been said about the start location. Three cities are still in the running at this point: Tangier, which would after all realise what had been planned for 2026, Fez and Casablanca. The ferry departs from a port in southern France, in all likelihood on 18 or 19 January 2027. The exact dates will be announced as soon as possible. The fact that the start location is still open at this stage asks a degree of patience from competitors when planning their own logistics, but the first real start is fixed: 24 January 2027.
After that follows a familiar rhythm of twelve stages and one rest day. From 25 January, five stages are scheduled in Morocco, followed by a rest day in Dakhla. The field then rides five stages in Mauritania and one stage in Senegal, with the finish at Lac Rose on 6 February. Loading of the vehicles for the return journey takes place on the evening of 6 February or the morning of 7 February. Within seven to fifteen days after that date, the vehicles are back at a port in southern France.
Dutch entries
The 2027 field is filling up steadily. In the Race, 86 motorcycles, twelve SSVs, thirteen cars and four trucks are currently entered. A maximum of one hundred applies for the motorcycles, leaving fourteen places available. In the Historic, fourteen cars and two trucks are listed, and in the Raid twenty motorcycles, seven SSVs and eighteen cars.
Among the current entries are three Dutch motorcycles, one of which in the Malle Moto, and two Dutch trucks. Given the pace at which the motorcycle class is filling up, quick action is advisable for anyone still wanting to appear at the start.
The media side was also covered. The cooperation between RallyTracks and RTL 7 produced fourteen episodes during the last edition, with three broadcasts of 22 minutes per day. According to the figures presented, this reached 738,000 people, supplemented by 25,258 online viewers. Plans are currently being made for the possibilities of producing a programme again. For more information, Simon Koetsier can be contacted.
All figures and dates mentioned are subject to change, entries are ongoing and the official route follows on 5 November. For questions about taking part in the Africa Eco Race, Simon Koetsier is the point of contact.
RallyTracks thanks Tachyon Motorsport for the hospitality and the good care during this evening.
