This year’s Farberallye was held the weekend of 10/21 – 10/23 and our beautiful fall New England weather did not disappoint. During the rally, the sun was out shining bright ans was perfectly clear and not too cold.
Starting out on Friday night for our Welcome Reception, we hosted a table with an MBCA tablecloth and checked in attendees. Members were provided with insight on breakfast times as well as when our pre-rally drivers meeting will be on Saturday. Members from the Minuteman, Northern New England Stars, Hudson-Mohawk, and even some from Canada were able to enjoy a cash bar as well as plenty of hors d’oeuvres. This was also a wonderful time to meet, mix, and mingle with members from over 3+ MBCA sections.
On Saturday morning between 7-9 A.M attendees were able to take advantage of a nicely stocked breakfast buffet at our hotel and then met just outside in the hotel’s car port for our Drivers Meeting at 9:15 where guidelines, and comic relief was shared.
After the driver’s meeting, we started the rally off on time and sent the 1st car off right at 9:45. We then launched the remaining 25 cars off every 2 minutes. Prior to leaving, rally participants chose either a time/distance or quiz rally. To help hand out participant lunches, Miss Vermont’s Outstanding Teen 2022, Abagail Hunter, joined us. Her assistance was very much appreciated! See: https://missvermont.org/about/miss-vermonts-outstanding-teen-2021/
Also attending our pre-rally drivers meeting was a reporter from the Rutland Herald, a local newspaper, who wrote a syndicated article on this years’ Farberallye. Here's the article: https://www.rutlandherald.com/rutland_reader/mercedes-enthusiasts-rally-in-killington/article_1a4fa324-37d1-54c4-97d9-02dd4908752c.html
Overall, the participant feedback regarding the route was very positive. Many did comment that the Quiz portion might have been a bit too challenging – based on previous Quiz Rally questions from other section planners, my fear was that it was actually going to be too easy. Perhaps not, but everyone enjoyed it none-the-less.
On Saturday evening after the day’s rally competition, dinner and awards were held at The Foundry at Summit Pond. We enjoyed a cocktail hour before dinner and then sat down for a nice meal. After the meal we held a raffle for prizes and then awarded trophies to our rally winners.
After the awards were handed out and before everyone went back to the hotel, we had a first for the Minuteman Section and Farberallye, perhaps even for an MBCA rally overall. One of the Minuteman Sections newer members, Brandan Venne proposed to his girlfriend, and she said YES!
Here are the Rally winners and rally specifics:
Actual miles traveled was 104.6
Actual time was 180 minutes.
Winners
Time Distance
- Robert & Julie Kalustian – 3rd Place
- Jeff & Christine Santacruce – 2nd Place
- Robert & Kathy Harradine – 1st Place
Quiz Rally
- Ed & Emily Hilbert – 3rd Place
- Volker & Sarah Nahrmann – 2nd Place – took them over 5 hours
- Thomas & Paula Aubee – 1st Place
On Sunday, before making our final journeys home, about 30 of us attended a distillery tour at “Vermont Spirits” in Quechee, VT. Randy, one of the owners provided us with a phenomenal tour and question session that lasted just over an hour, with a spirits tasting at the end.
