Text des Veranstalters:
The FIVA World Motorcycle Rally in Latvia for 2013 - on 18th - 21st July was officially organized by the Antique Automobile Club of Latvia (AAK)
for historic motorcycle club enthusiasts from several participating countries.
This International Touring (IT) rally was based on a 10-year-old tradition
of the Kurland Rally which has been designed and organized by the club veteran Juris Ramba with participation of the RAMOTO Ltd. company, his family and his
small team of helpers since 2003. There were 80 motorcycles on the Rally Entry List from 15 countries,
such as Canada, the US, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Germany, Britain, Holland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Estonia and Latvia.
78 machines and 100 people actually participated. There were more than 20 makes of motorcycles represented.
It was a 4-day event comprising a Social Run and a 3-day Reliability Road Trial, visiting 9 castles in historic Courland and Semigalia.
The distance was over 500 kilometres. Roughly one half of it went by the coastal road close to the Baltic sea.
The accent was on visiting historic castles and places of interest as well as enjoying Latvian cousine in good atmosphere, local hospitality and listening to concerts
with different kinds of musical genres for entertainment.
The gala dinner was hosted by the Jelgava Amoplant bus factory.
Despite a somewhat wet start when one month's precipitation norm came down in 2 hours, the optimism, the goodwill and the spirit of the organizers
-- masters of comic relief, kept everyone busy and happy.
The event was run entirely by enthusiasts and volunteers -- without any sponsorship as such.
The participants were riding in small groups of 8 to 10 motorcycles in each, with 2 helpers in coloured bibs on modern motorcycles.
These helpers were like "papa and mamma" for the 4 days of the event, ensuring that the participants did not have to bother about the route and programme timing.
Our 2 regular professional photographers from previous Kurland Rallies had been instructed to take photos against all kinds of unique to Latvia backgrounds, like the Ventas
Rumba -- the widest waterfall in Europe, collection of life-sized dolls at Sabile town and others. A group photograph was made in the courtyard of the Jelagava palace which
is celebrating 275 years since it was built and 150 years since the University of Agriculture is situated in this unique building, designed by the famous Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli.
At prize presentation each participating team received a ceramic plate and each participant received a ceramic mug -- all hand-made with tree root handles from the swamps of Kurland - they
were displaying a special FIVA World Motorcycle Rally Latvia - 2013 embossed Logo with a motorcycle in the middle.
Our FIVA Steward Mr. David Davies (UK) has praised the event as well organized and well run and that it lived up to the aims and the objectives of FIVA -- in true Kurland Rally spirit.
