Dakar Rally navigation?

[Steve_D]

Can anyone tell me what method of navigation is used on the Dakar Rally?

I’m suspecting it is a Tulip style route book but having never done it myself I’m having difficulty understanding how that could work.

In the UK it would show heading north on the A3 and take a left onto the A272.
Take a left after the third sand dune is not going to work.

I would imagine it will consist of the route book and a series of GPS way points. If it were that simple why do they get lost so often.

Doing this as research as a customer of ours wants to do the rally.
Many thanks for your assistance.

Steve

[bobr]

In charley boorman's book he describes it as a list of directions using significant landmarks such as trees or river beds etc

[IanUAE]

On the UAE Desert Challenge (5 day event in the same style as the Dakar, same cars etc), Hail Desert Rally (3 day event in Saudi Arabia) we use a route book with tulip diagrams and a GPS loaded with the waypoints (which you have to pass within 100-150m of to register the waypoint).

There are often multiple tracks that can be followed, or tracks that turn off before the waypoint, or if you pass the wrong side of a dune you end up more that the specified distance from the waypoint. Sounds very easy to follow the route book and the GPS, but the reality can be somewhat differnt. Saying that I have never missed a waypoint.... Not done the Dakar though.

[Steve_D]

Many thanks for the replys.
More research still reqd.

Steve