President’s Newsletter Vol 21, December 2025
Dear Members,
The Rallye Year 2024 is gradually going to end and again we can be satisfied with our activities at home and abroad. With the fine support of our Chapters in Germany (ROFD) and in ltaly (ARACI) we presented ourselves with booths at the Techno Classica in Essen and at Auto Moto d’Epoca in Bologna: fairs, which attracted visitors from many European countries. Our booths have become meeting points of members and ‘acquisition’ points for new members. We thank Hans-Peter Wagner and Alberto Cerrachio and their excellent teams for equipping and manning these eyecatchers for so many days. The success inspires us to be again present in Essen and Bologna in 2026: at the Retro Classics from April 8-12 and at the Auto Storiche from October 23-26.
Activities
a) ARACI-ACHAFR Europe Tour 2025-Rotary in the Motor Valley
From June 16-21 President Alberto Cerrachio and his organisation team took us to the Emilia Romagna Region with visits by special invitations from Ferrari and Dallara to the ‘inside world’ of these entities; a great exception and honor! In Maranello we have been welcomed by the Mayor, who joined us at the time trials on the city course Traffic with the finish in front of the Ferrari Museum. We have also been favoured by a short opera concert at Luciano Pavarotti House, honoured by us with a support the Foundation.
We owe Alberto and his team manifold thanks for the perfect attuned program and the unabated marvellous service and guidance. They created unforgettable days to all of us and put the surveyors’ staff at a high level.
b) Tours in 2025
In addition to the Europe Tour the members of our Fellowships had ampie choice of tours at home and abroad- see our letter July 2025
c) Tours in 2026
ACHAFR Europe Tour: pre-tour Sept 7-9, main-tour Sept 9-13, 2026
Next year ACHAFR will organise the Europe Tour bringing usto Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. The pre-tour will show the beauties of Bruge (Brugge) on land and water and the brand new Squadra Abarth & Rally Collection of the owner and former rally-driver Guy Moerenhout, who collected as many as 175 classic and rally cars.
For the main tour we will stay at the superb 4 Star Castle Hotel Bloemendal in Vaals, the Netherlands. lt will be the base hotel for 4 days. From there we will test the Spa-Franchorchamps Circuit, visit the southern area of the Dutch Province of Limburg and parts of Belgium and by special invitation the Townhall of Aachen, the construction of which had been initiated by Charlemagne (748-814). We will receive a special honour to visit the Townhall and the Crowning Hall and see amongst others Crown jewels memorizing the 31 King and Emperor Crownings during the period 813-1531.
The announcement of the Tour has found ‘stormy’ acceptance and interest by our members in Germany, ltaly, Switzerland, Great Britain and the Netherlands and for sure will be a success-for details and registration please see our website www.achafr.eu
In addition to the ACHAFR/ARACI Europe Tour members are invited to join tours, which are already being prepared by fellowships in 2026.
Our friends in Germany organise the 9th Muensterlaender Castle Tour on May 2, the 5th Husum Coast-to-Coast Tour from July 2-5 and join the Oldtimer Grand Prix on the Nuerburgring on August 7-9.
The fine weather in ltaly enables ARACI to start with tours as early as March in Piemonte (March 14-15) and Umbria (March 27-29), to continue in Sicily (April 10-12) and Emilia Romagna (Aprii 23-25) and organise a very special tour in Albania!! (May 29-31). Following tours in the Apennines and Abruzzo in September the 2nd Araci Tour Sicilia may end the tour agenda
With the year-end looming at the horizon, the Board sincerely thanks all organizing and participating members for their involvement and enthusiasm. With you we look forward to 2026 and wish all of you a most happy, healthy and successful year … and are looking forward to seeing you at the tours, which have grown to become ‘festivals’ of petrol heads. At those joint events and adjacent social gatherings the close knit car family attitudes prevail over nationalities and languages and add to Rotary’s philosophy of close cooperation and communication across borders, which is extremely important and valuable in nowadays’ changing environments and tendencies.
By doing so, we KEEP ROTARY ROLLING
With finest persona! regards
Matthijs van den Adel
