Party with Boorman

BMW is hosting a send-off party for Charley Boorman and his Dakar rally team-mates in Lisbon, Portugal, on December 29 and it’s open to all.

Tickets, which cost £45 each, are available through the firm’s World of BMW club. With them you can share the riders’ – Boorman, Simon Pavey and Matt Hall – final carefree moments in the Portuguese capital.

The festivities start at 8pm with a welcome cocktail followed by a three-course meal and the party will go on into the small hours. To book a place call World of BMW on 08000 131 282.

Hundreds of race vehicles – motorcycles, quads, cars and trucks – will be in town. The 2006 Dakar Rally will officially start on Saturday December 31 in the centre of Lisbon. Scrutineering will take place on Thursday December 29 and the Rider’s Briefing will be held on Friday December 30.

Boorman’s team are using F650 GS Dakars for the event which finishes in Dakar on January 15, 2006. It is a journey of 8500 kilometres, mostly off-road on some of the planet’s most hostile terrain.

Long Way Round star Charley’s team-mates are five-time Dakar rally veteran and BMW Off-Road Skills instructor Simon Pavey, and the experienced off-road rider Matt Hall. The entire adventure will be filmed as a television series for Sky, and also released on DVD. Expect a book, too.

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