And here we are… It’s the end of the 4L Trophy, and it’s time for our crew to take stock of the almost 2 weeks of adventure aboard the Chamas! They have got some wonderful memories that will stay forever: an ultra-enriching experience, some exceptional encounters, the power of solidarity, the adrenalin of the different stages…
Charles and Sam are now taking the opportunity to visit Marrakech and its souks with their travel friends.
The next day, departure at midday, arriving in Tangiers in the evening and returning to Europe in the night…

🙏 THANK YOU to the crew for making us dream and travel with them… ✨

Day 11: Last bivouac, last Road Book, last track… 👋

It’s with great emotion that our favourite crew sets off for Marrakech. It’s the last day, and therefore the last time that Charles and Sam will have all the thrills and chills of the race before heading home… 🏠
But that’s not to mention the latest problem! The key wouldn’t turn in the cylinder, so it had to be replaced. It took 2 and a half hours before the key finally turned normally and made the Renault 4’s engine roar again! 🏎️

Now it’s time to enjoy friends and the city one last time!

Days 8 to 10 – February 21st to 23rd

Day 10: Marathon stage ⏱️

The Chamas have 2 days to cover around 640 km between track and road. There were a lot of stones at the beginning of the journey (which rubbed under the car…). But at this stage of the raid, they weren’t even afraid!
That day, Charles and Sam covered 200 km of track, so about 10 hours of driving, before finishing with a little bivouac around the campfire… with their Trophist friends!

Day 9: It’s time for the second loop!

Still a lot of sand on the ground (even more than the day before…): so it became a habit that day to help pull the cars stuck in the sand… 💪🚗
Back to camp in the late evening… and a well-deserved drink at the top of the dunes!

Day 8: The race is in full swing! 🏎️💨

The first few passages were very complicated with lots and lots of sand (it was the crew who insisted on stressing the “lots” of sand…) 😬. However, Charles and Sam did send us a wonderful picture of the sunset… worthy of a postcard.

And it was at nightfall that the boys discovered that their rack and pinion had lost all its bolts… Charles then had to dive into the engine, retighten everything and ensure a good start for the next day!

Days 6 to 7 – February 19th to 20th

Our crew arrives in Morocco! 🇲🇦
After a 1am departure from the port of Algeciras, Spain and an administrative check later, the Chamas finally touch down on Moroccan soil! Arriving at the camp, they set up camp with a night recorded at 0°C… A good tajine for dinner, before helping one of the crews with mechanical problems (and yes, that’s also what the 4L Trophy is all about: solidarity!) then off to bed very early to tackle the first 280 kilometers with the first tracks scheduled for the following morning… 🌄 Off we go for 6 stages in Morocco’s Deep South!

The following days, the raid will continue in Morocco… More news soon!

Days 4 to 5 – February 17th to 18th

Verdict: GREEN LIGHT for Morocco! 🚦🎉

The car was checked again and is now authorised to cross the border to continue the adventure with the other crews. Needless to say, Charles (the driver) and Sam (the co-driver) were delighted to hear this excellent news… 😅

On the programme: crossing the Strait of Gibraltar by boat for the Chamas! ⛴️🏎️🐫

Days 3 to 4 – February 16th to 17th

These 2 days are devoted to welcoming and briefing the crews as they arrive in Algeciras, Spain. Unfortunately for the Chamas, there was a big scare right from the start of the adventure… During the chassis check at 7.30am on day 4, the car was refused due to a cracked chassis. So the crew headed for the nearest garage to repair the car, while waiting to find out the next day whether the chassis would be accepted with the repairs…

Days 1 to 2 – February 14th to 15th

The crews had 2 days to reach Biarritz, the starting village. There, the technical and administrative checks, which are compulsory for all participants took place. Then it was on to Algeciras! 🇪🇸

What is the 4L Trophy?

The 4L Trophy is the first 100% student, young active and, above all, fun rally to take place in Morocco. Organised by DESERTOURS in partnership with ESC Rennes business school, it’s a car raid in a Renault 4. Every year, more than 2,700 young people aged between 18 and 28 take part in the adventure, racing more than 6,000 km between France, Spain and Morocco.

The 4L Trophy, a rally for solidarity

As well as being attractive for its 100% young people’s aspect, this adventure also has a strong solidarity and humanitarian dimension. Find out more about the work being done for the Enfants du Désert and French Red Cross charities:

Enfants du Désert

The mission of the 4L Trophy participants is to bring material donations (school supplies and sports equipment) and to make a financial contribution to the school building project. Enfants de Désert has been an official partner of the 4L Trophy since 2006. Since the partnership began, 27 classrooms and 2 toilet blocks have been built, 300,000 children have benefited from school and sports equipment, and more than 70 development projects have been launched (including photovoltaic installations in homes, schools and villages, workshops to raise awareness of hygiene and renewable energy, palm tree planting, vegetable gardens and solidarity cinemas).

The French Red Cross

Since 2011, the 4L Trophy has been involved in food aid with the French Red Cross. Each crew has to transport 10 kg of non-perishable foodstuffs to the Departure Village in Biarritz, which represents more than 20,000 meals redistributed to needy families every year.

The route

🗺️ The start of the race is in Biarritz, France (so all the participants have to be there). Crews are then welcomed in Algeciras, Spain, for a general briefing just before the Renault 4s cross the Straits of Gibraltar by boat. Once in Morocco, the crews begin their desert race, which will consist of 6 main stages. Finally, the finish in Marrakech will mark the end of the raid! 🏁

The typical 4L Trophy crew is made up of two people of legal age who have been vaccinated, hold a driving licence and a passport valid until the date of return, regardless of gender.

From 14th to 24th February 2024, don’t miss the updates of this article to follow the Chamas crew sponsored by Netim!

Netim sponsors Chamas crew!

Now that you know more about the 4L Trophy, Netim takes you to meet the Chamas crew and in particular their driver, Charles Declercq.

Crew presentation

Hello Charles. Could you tell us a bit about the crew you’ll be taking part in the 27th edition of the 4L Trophy?

“Our crew is made up of Sam Payelleville, my co-pilot, and myself, as pilot. Sam is 21 and a student at the EGC Business School, Lille. I’m also 21 and I’m currently a student in management at ESCAP SUP, Saint-Omer”.

Tell us about your race car!

“We bought the car from a former team that took part in the 4L Trophy 2023.

We chose it for its rather atypical decoration, which is a real eye-catcher. It has less than 100,000 km, which is rare for a car from 1967! The previous crew had also installed a new chassis, perfect for our participation in the 4L Trophy 2024.
Our garage then made the necessary adjustments, such as the fan and suspension, to the car’s sound base. We have everything we need to succeed in this 4L Trophy.”

Why did you want to take part in the 4L Trophy?

“We’re two young students with a thirst for adventure, so for us this was THE EVENT NOT TO MISS! Initially, we heard about it by word of mouth. And then we said to ourselves “Why not us? And that’s when we set off on this solidarity project”.

What are your fears about the raid?

Now that we know your motivations, we’re also curious to find out about any fears you might have about this adventure, which is new for both of you! Is there anything in particular that could give you the thrill of the adventure?

“Up until now, we haven’t really encountered any major problems… and thankfully so! It’s also what’s enabled us to make relatively rapid progress on the project, to get the car and the funds we need to run the 4L Trophy 2024.

Any apprehensions we might have are focused more on navigation during the raid. Armed with a road book, a trip master (a performance analysis device used by the co-pilot) and a compass, we’ll be travelling through unknown territory in a landscape that we know nothing about, a landscape that is completely desert-like for most of the route”.

The whole Netim team wishes the Chamas a great race! 🍀
Stay tuned until the end of the raid for news of our two young adventurers! 🙌