Club Arnage

Hello all, so Ive booked up the 6birth motor home for next year and im slowly starting to get the plan of attack in place for our little adventure...

Just wondering what the earliest is you can arrive at the campsites?

Last time i camped in 99 we arrived Thursday but we are considering getting there alot earlier (maybe the Tuesday or Wednesday prior to the big event)

Will there be any racing on in the week before hand?

Thanks
Ben.

wednesday and thursday night is the practice

I believe early arribals happen Monday ? but you pay more, but no idea what that is.

Ben,
I would recommend leaving next Wednesday.
If that isn't feasible, albeit reasonable, then as soon as possible thereafter. People generally start arriving on the Sunday, athough the ACO charge an extra few bobs for early arrivals. About 7 Euros I think. There are qualifying sessions on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday.
Having said all that, things are due to change next year, and pre-qualifying is starting on the previous weekend, so I'm not sure what the arrangements will be.
In fact, basically, I know Jack Sh*t, and am sorry to have wasted your time. I'm not even sure what my mother looks like and am wearing odd coloured slip-ons. There's a bloke at the bottom of my street crosses the road when he sees me approaching, and I'm not sure why either.
For chrissakes, someone here will know though. Will you tell me? Please.
H

Sunday isn't guaranteed you'll get in - depends on times, marshals, site etc. Last year we got in but some others didn't. So have a fallback plan. Camps officially open Monday.

No quallies on Tuesday but there is scrutineering which is a bit of fun for at least 20 minutes (unless of course you like motor racing...).

If the weather is right, getting there early is wonderful - a chance to sit and soak up the sun, supping a few with old mates and making some new ones. Drive where you want to drive, shop where you want to shop, all without queues. Highly recommended

Thanks guys, looks like we are set to leave Tuesday Lunchtime.

Regarding camping, whats the deal with water supply? Last time i camped (with a tent in Camping Rouge) i recall seeing some of the motorhomes with hoses running from the water taps dotted around the camp sites.....is that a first come, first serve kind of thing, or do you have to rent the water supply??

Thanks
Ben

First come, first serve

First come, first get swimming pools

Ben,
The hoses leading to the motor homes weren't for the purposes you have assumed.
Drinking, at first your own, and then everyone elses urine has become endemic at  Le Mans these last few years. Those hoses will have been one-way from the toilet blocks to the motor home taps. It's the ACO you've got to thank for this, we'll be shoving other peoples turds up our bottoms next.
H

So are you saying that fresh water isnt on tap anymore? or is it bring your own? cheers.

Aqua vita, Benjamin, aqua vita, the water of life! For in this motorhome Benjamin, we drink, drink of our own feculence!

Were you pissed again Zarse?????

It's just Stella on tap then!

Drinking water in Le Mans? Let's stick to W.C.Fields healthy policy: "I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it. "

I will probably leave Sunday daytime 12th June, to arrive there in the evening. If I am not allowed to enter untill Monday 7 am, I'll sleep in the car in front of the Karting Nord entrance ;D
Still hesitating to go the weekend prior aswell (practice/qually), coming Sunday our group will meet up to discuss...

Quallies are on 5 June, not 12th...

You probably read it too fast. My LeMans weekend will last a full week. I will leave on Sunday prior to the race, gives me three days to build everything up for a 20-people party. Most people will arrive on Wednesday eavening, first night of practise.

We are concidering going the 5th aswell, just for the weekend.

Look, if you want to have all these babies delivered in la Sarthe in June, it's best you contact the health service, not the circuit.
Nothing chauvinistic, just pragmatic.  ;)

Ah, I understand Paddy. You will go home between the quallies and the race...

I suspect you'll find a few other members there on 5th too.

Yes Smokie, I guess that's a plusser when you live on the Continent  :)

Also, big scaffolding plans, I don't want the bummer of this year repeated. We ended with one on Beauséjour with not really any use whatsoever :(
5th of June will give us the chance to make final checks on Karting Nord before definitely coming down with all the stuff the following week.

Presume I need about two-three days to build everyting, so that's why we leave on the 12th with the truck ;D

Question

How much are any of you paying for rental of your motorhome?

I'm trying to get this sorted myself for next year & am looking for a ball park figure, we'll probably get a smaller one as we only want it for it's "conveniences" ;)

Ive booked ours via http://www.nirvanarv.com near Maidstone, 6brth for £795/week which is pretty good.....

I'm sure you could hire a block of those cheaper!

Maybe we all should chip in and have some Club Arnage bogs, complete with CA paper (Robbo?).

£795 would be a bit steep for me, but when I look at the cost of keeping the caravan all year (storage, insurance and occassional maintenance) plus the additional ferry cost, it starts to look attractive. (The caravan is only used for LM these days)

It must also be possible to rent motorhomes over there, I would be interested to know what that costs (Gilles?).

Have you thought about storing your caravan over there Smokie??  We're considering still what to do for this year. Hire or buy a Van/Mini Bus, or another option for a cheap large trailer was to buy a cheap second hand caravan to use for all the kit (it's amazing how much you collect over the years!!)

Yes I thought of leaving it there, but it's handy, as you say, to cart all the kit around (awnings, bikes, pools, music system etc)

What I really need is a shed over there...not much of that stuff ever gets used here.

Just listen to all your fat capitalist westerner talk - more, more, more.
The pool, the chairs, the table, the inflatable woman, the bikes  ::)

Why not try the minimalist approach like we do - small sports car (with a large engine), sod all boot space, tent, sleeping bag, one pair of spare pants - and WARM beer.  ;)


 :P

I think you answered that yourself Steve!!!!

Well this year walking to the circuit we did spot an empty wreck of a house on the outside of the circuit heading towards the Porsche Curves & the entrance to the inner sanctum of the circuit (to get to the Beausejour campsite.

Dunno how much i would be to buy but to have a house to base your time would be ace, park the car & camp up with everyone else, you need to for the atmosphere.

So you dont want the SPS lads to transport your fridge for you ?

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease  :-*

(http://www.dearborncounty.com/shelter/images/please.gif)

Yes i suppose £795 may sound expensive to start with but divide that by 5 maybe 6 and it starts to sound relatively good value, particularly over 4 or 5 days, which is the plan. As far as taking the big engined small sportscar, we did consider it, but then we all started arguing about whos driving what etc so we binned the idea, besides, it will be more of a laugh with a few of us stuffed into a plodding beer wagon :-)

Will see how it goes next year with the wagon and maybe follow it up the year after with a small convoy!   :o