Lost in space&emdash;and loving it
The couple in the Camaro looked really annoyed as I came up to
their window and asked them if this was a checkpoint. It was obvious
from the looks on their faces that they'd come out here for some
privacy, only to be interrupted again and again by these idiots
driving through the country in the middle of the night.
After explaining exactly what the rally was, how much fun we were
having, they didn't seem that much more receptive towards us and
those in the cars that had passed before.
Their loss.
The concept behind navigational rallies like the Ralliettes held
by the Toronto Autosport Club is simple. Competitors are departed
from the parking lot at one minute intervals, and have to navigate a
given course "cold"&emdash;without any prior preparation.
The instructions in the mapbook can take a variety of forms, from
simple point-to point directions to complicated diagrams and tables.
There are usually several sections with different kinds of
instructions in each; if you get lost in one section, you can skip it
and go to the starting point of the next.
After departing, competitors (teams of one driver and one
navigator) must follow the timed route. There are, of course,
penalties for being late to one of the five to ten checkpoints along
the way, but you're also docked points if you're early. Many of the
directions are given with average speeds to be maintained; all of
them are at or below the posted limits, making the sport relatively
safe and relaxing.
Along the route are several checkpoints, cars parked by the side
of the road with a monitor who will check your time in and out, and
give you the all-important sticker for when scoring time comes
around. (All of the checkpoints have a checkmark posted by their rear
bumper, a fact that I had forgotten when pulling up in front of the
Camaro.)
The rallying experience is a surprisingly fun one. Since events
are conducted at moderate speeds, they're not as stressful as races.
Because they are run in the evening (usually starting at 8:00 and
ending at 10:30 or so,) traffic is light. The sensation of driving at
night is a special one too, much more focused but also much more
calming than regular driving.
You also very quickly learn how important teamwork is.
Miscommunication between navigator and driver can lead very quickly
to being lost in the middle of nowhere; do it properly and the
exercise becomes almost routine.
Rallies are also a very interesting way to see the province. The
scenery isn't rushing by, and in the dark lit only by the glare from
your headlights, it takes on a very different dimension. Kilometers
slip by almost imperceptibly: I saw more of the province in two and a
half hours than I had probably seen in my seven years of living in
the province.
At the end of the day, you return to the starting point to
calculate scores and trade stories. One of the teams pulled an
ingenious move where they used a driveway as a U turn ramp to slow
them down without stopping (which is illegal within range of a
checkpoint); an expert group got sidetracked for almost half an hour,
a fact that makes me feel much better about our own sixteen-minute
off-track excursion.
Much to my surprise, and despite our twenty-two minutes of
penalties, we take home third place of the beginner
entries&emdash;that it's by default as the fourth beginner hasn't
shown up doesn't do anything to diminish our pride. At the same price
as a movie for about the same duration of time, it's a far more
involving, interactive experience, and one that guarantees to
entertain.