Outdoor events

All eyes will be on Dorset rally hero Marcus Dodd has he heads the line-up for this year's Rallye Sunseeker - the first in the Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship series.

As five-times champion, Dodd from Poole with co-driver Andrew Bargery from Sussex, will be trying to improve on their performance in their Hyundai Accent.

Driving through Bournemouth's streets

When they pull away from Bournemouth Square, they'll be up against the likes of Andy Burton in his Peugeot Cosworth, winner of the Wyedean Forest Rally, and Will Nicholls from the Isle of Wight in his Subaru.

Marcus Dodd is joined by several other drivers from Dorset including his father Harry who aged 70 is the oldest competitor in the race. He's only taken up rally driving in the last decade after watching his son on the race-track.

Rally Sunseeker is always a crowd-puller. Much of the 65 mile course is on public roads, though some is on private land.

The cars can travel up to 100 miles an hour on the long straight sections of road. Andrew Haill from Rallye Sunseeker said, "The speed at which the cars drive on the bendy stretches depends on the skill of the driver."

The speeds are recorded to one tenth of a second.

Somerley House

A taster of what's in store happens on Friday 22 February when the competing cars line up in Bournemouth's Lower Gardens, to head to Pier Approach before taking the under-cliff road to Boscombe.

The main action is saved for Saturday when the cars make their way through Wareham and Ringwood Forests, Somerley Park before finishing back in the Square.

Rallye Sunseeker Fri 22 - Saturday 23 February 2008