Club Arnage

This is depressing:-

http://ticket.lemans.org/vente2/visu_article_mini.php?id_univers=1&id_ev=20&id_boutique=45&id_rubrique=45

Maison Blanche
Houx Annexe
Houx
Karting Nord
Chappelle
Blue Sud
Expo
Musee
Terte Rouge

ALL CLOSED!!!

I don't think we will be going now! Looks like the french can't be bothered! Anyone up for a weekend in Germany? Perhaps the weekend before?

am i being thick? it says there sold out so surly that doesn't mean closed  ???



(thinking me camping there is screwed now  ::))

Yup, Ricks been a bit shite with his translation.  Click the little Union Flag and you get 'Stock Exhausted', 'Sold Out' etc.

Looks like we'll all be in Beausejour Annexe in a couple of years

The old ticker missed a couple of beats there  :o

I'm not too negative on that at the moment. It looks like a better alternative than Bleu Nord :-\

I Agree, close to the village of Arnage, if all of CA is located there it will be a massive party :)

NO Click on each campsite and it tells you what they really mean:-

http://ticket.lemans.org/vente2/visu_article_mini.php?id_produit=193&id_boutique=45&rubrique=45&id_univers=1&id_ev=20

AND only 29 euros a pitch. Let's buy the bloody lot!

I tend to agree but the website will only let me book one ticket, are there any standpipes there?

Well that's what it says on the website, only order 1 ticket.

I am sorry but I get the feeling that people are panicking for no apparent reason.
There are not suddenly 100.000 more visitors to Le Mans 2008 nor are there suddenly 100.000 more people that want to camp this year.

Things will pan out, sure DFH and others need a bit more -adjoining- space than others, but I am pretty sure that that can be found somewhere if MB proves to be impossible.

Why not wait untill all who have booked early, with the help of Termie, receive an allocation and then act to ensure there's a place on whatever campsite to have a great party Fridaynight and an enjoyable stay for DFH and friends?

Very sensible words Bas (http://www.sebringfans.com/forums/Smileys/SFBigSet/afro.gif)

Sorry Bas, but it appears suddenly there are about 20.000 less camping pitches on places we'd like to be ???


I hope you can apreciate things all change suddenly for DfH. We'd like to arrange security, cancel scaffolding, rethink campsite plan, refigure nearly everything. There's NOTHING on Blue, so we have to arrange water, showers, the lot. Hell, I'm even thinking about bringing bogs! Stupid ACO! >:(

I'd rather be safe than sorry, so that means I have to act now rather than the end of the month, or whenever the ACO can be bothered to inform everyone about their (re-)allocation.





Sensible words maybe, for those who only have to pack their SCE :-\

That just means they are sold out, the campsites where the stock is exhausted do not show this ferme/closed sign.

By the way, who was on bleu nord last year, give us a headsup about bogs and showers, are there any? And if so, how many? There is some confusion as to the availabilty of these creature comforts!

I feel I have to agree with Paddy, We Need several pitches together. We plan for almost a year for this event and the ACO think we are fine being tossed around like this! I have cancelled my membership with the ACO and am seriously expecting not to be at Le Mans this year.

I'm sure there will be many of us that feel the same, but at the end of the day, it's our loss, not theirs. I bet they don't make a lot on the camping anyway.

I agree with smokie on this, it puts me off as well, the way they treat people, but in the end we will have to make due with what we can get!

Indeed, agree. Let's build together a hospitality unit on Bleu Nord that will make Ron Dennis frown his eyebrows! ;D

When I was out at Arnage in 06, the field behind the spectator area (which I believe is the campsite) was sparsely occupied at best.

Forgive me if I wrong but at present it seems that Lorry and Paddy have been bounced over to Blue (its OK SPS were there last year) and Bob has been told (by a girl in brooken english) that all orders recieved before 3rd June have been ignored and Termies bookings have no yet been inviced?????  Looking on the optimistic side, maybe the ACO bint got it wrong  - or just a bitch, why would they ingore HA orders, there is not a problem up there (yet). As for the rest of the sites, Dont they always show being full at this time of year? Everyone calm down, dont panic untill we get the facts.

Well that's a bit my take on this whole mess as well.
Although I appreciate Paddy's worries and immense responsibility for such a large group, I do think that it is too soon to panic. Who knows what we will be allocated other than BN and what alternatives we might come-up with.

However if it has to be BN for DFH than I'd gladly assist in helping you guys out with organising some facilities locally if needed.

We have been on Bleu Nord for the last 7 years or so, and its our favoured camping area. Its a 5 minute walk to the main entrance, a few minutes to Maison Blanche. There is a shower / toliet block in the centre of the site. Well a double portacabin job anyway, and also the same by the drive in entrance just off the little road that runs beside the rear airport fence. So toilets are just as plentiful as on MB, but no trees to pop into though. There are stand pipes for water near the toilets in the middle and at the front of Bleu parking near the food outlets opposite MB.

One tip is to set up if possible at the bottom of one of the legs where you don't get much passing traffic only traffic for those camping down there. If you are next to the main access road through the site, then it will get very dusty if dry. The closer to the fence between Camping and the parking area the better.

A word of advice though, the Pikies arrive within an hour of the end of the race so make sure you have someone around the camp site after the race to watch the gear.

Chris - we tried to spur off the watre last year and it became a heated argument, eventually we were allowed to fill up our motorhome tanks and take from that.

anyone else who uses lots of watre and is moved over should take some form of water container that only requires filling at night day by day.

I've stayed out of this thus far because it does seem pointless to panic.  Yes, MB is now half the size because of the new karting track being built and the expansion of gravel traps so that the Bugatti circuit complies with the Moto GP regs.  I guess we'll end up on whichever site we put as a second choice if we don't get in.  Whatever happens, we'll have a good time, we always do - we'll make of it what we can, the race is about the cars and the company, not which site we're on.

Last year I booked on the same day (Friday of pre-quali) and my letter allocating me my campsite was dated 22nd January.  I did a mini survey and the allocations were sent out in date order, according to when they were booked, and it was pretty consistent, minus one or two lost forms.  Those who'd been booking direct for 15 years or more got theirs first.  4th Jan seems a bit early to start throwing all our toys out of the pram to me.  Personally, I'll happily kip on the bank at Mulsanne in a bivvie if necessary.  Where there's a will....

Well well- what fun and games ::)

It may be too late for this year but is it not time to try and find an alternative? Why await our fate at the hands of the ACO?
 I think it is time to try and find a private spot, near the circuit, that can be booked for our private party year after year. It would stop all the yobbo footie bullshit, pikey thieving and the ACOs lottery once and for all. There must be somewhere that we can adopt as our own hallowed ground?

Something to think about!

Oh-Happy new year all ;) ;)

I will gladly accept any help offered. Things are slowly starting to sink in, and I think we're in deeper sh*t than anticipated at first.
It almost kills me to say this, but if things are not going to work out the way we want it, we'll call the Friday Night Party off (and the Tuesday Rock Revival). Equimpent that is lent or hired for black money is not insured - like the large speakers and Truss system last year. Too much at stake, too much to loose.

I see lots of people saying I shouldn't panic. I'm NOT panicing, but facing reality. And it looks f*cking ugly >:(

In fairness, the DfH situation is very different to most people (pretty much everyone) simply because of the scale of their set up - so it is much more of a problem for you. 

I have been bumped to various sites over the years and had a good time wherever I went.   

F

Although I am only a recent member to CA, I have participated regularly in the discussion threads.

Regarding the current 'ticket allocation' problem and the constant ACO maladies that have existed over the last 15 years to my knowledge. I can only see one remedy that would suit CA, DfH and all our other associated groups.

But first, we all raise money for various charities and my thoughts are for all the groups to form a common Trust. By doing this and raising money we may be able buy a field nearby for our annual jaunt(s). The ownership will be owned by the Trust. The proceeds of final sale to be proportional to a clubs donation.

An annual income may be possible from renting the field out to a local farmer with provisos of dates the field is cleared.
We would also need 'permission for change of use' etc to allow camping. There will also be local taxes but expect the rentee to pay those.

It's not such a bad idea when you consider land prices and the amounts we have raised for good causes in the last 12 months.

'Self Leasing' of 'pitches' to members to camp at say £10.00 per visit (week) etc, we can fund sanitation, water suply and power to a higher standard than most campsites at LM. Believe me, I'm an Engineer

It will also allow us charging for entry raising more funds.

In respect of 'parties', I dare say that if the 'neighbours' were invited, there wouldn't be a masive problem.

I know it's too late for this year but......................

Just a thought.............................

A little background, without trying to be a party-pooper.

A couple of years back one of our then-local members started to organise a field for us to hire somewhere by the Porsche curves (under the bridge). There were plans for sanitation, shuttle service etc etc. I even visited the field with him.

At that time (and of course times are different now, with CA even more established but a potential problem in the making) there was not enough interest to follow the idea through. People wanted to stay on their regular sites, and be close to the action.

Also, while we have a very solid and loyal core of regulars, many of our members do not venture into the forum until the weather starts to warm, by when it's all too late to get organised. I doubt we'd have the committed numbers to consider buying a field, and equipping as required.

Hmm, this doesn't look good.

Clearly we'll have to wait and see what drops through doors over the next month or so.   DFH is a totally different ball game to the rest of us and I can see why Paddy etc. would be very worried.  On MB we know that you can tap into permanent water, we know that there is a source of power and we know the layout.  The unknowns of shipping out to a different site are pretty big and if you add in the security problem of being "outside the fence" then it's all a pain in the arse when the trip is something that we all do for fun. 

For us, we're not hugely bothered about being camped with others, we quite like our own time and space and if we're separate can go and join the party when we fancy.  It's also key for us to be as close as we can be to the village and the media centre so we (KK) aren't dragging kit back and forwards all of the time.    Whereas for the guys who camp as bigger groups and share facilities etc. between them not knowing how and where people are going to be is a problem. 

The idea of buying a field scares me slightly, but that's probably the reason why I'm not rich!   Hiring is a better option but potentially leaves us with the uncertainty year on year of what might be available to us.   Does anyone have the time and skills to look into this?

I dunno about it all really, I do find all of the uncertainty frustrating.......

Fingers crossed that it works out for everyone.

Just as an experiment, I had a quick look at the local estate agents and notaires.  Unsurprisingly, there is nothing for sale or rent within reasonable distance of the circuit.  I think this is pretty much a non starter even if it were logistically or financially possible.

There are of course other ways of doing the DFH party at a remote location as I know one or two landowners around here who would host it in a suitable field, and we could arrange a coach to get us back to the circuit in the wee hours.  We would have far fewer problems with noise but it would of course involve some commitment.  As a fall back position, guys, you can do it here as I can lock any equipment safely away in the barn for the duration.  Just another thought....

Coming a this from another angle, I believe that PH have got a special allocation for themselves on BSJ, with security, bogs, showers etc. I kniow it's too late for this year, but I wonder if the ACO will go along with the argument that DFH are a major draw to LM (I've come across positive reviews all over the interweb) and that by giving them an allocated area on a reasonable site, the ACO will continue to bask in the DFHs reflected glory...

I think the main issue for us is not so much the site we are on, but if we can get the space we need, that is, we ordered 15 tickets for this year and will get them, only for bleu nord. Paddy has put in a request for a square pitch, say 21 * 25 meters, which is the exact number of square meters purchased, but there is no guarantee we will get the square pitch.

Knowing the ACO, they will number the pitches during the weekend before it all starts and we might end up with 15 pitches next to each other, basically demolishing our plans and space to even host a party. We will have fun, wherever we end up, no doubt about that, but it will take lots more time to plan this years expedition, I'm damm sure!

I'm sure that it would be possible to fix something up for a future year, with the ACO, but I reckon it would take a proper "off season" meeting with somebody in authority beforehand, with a small number of us representing the group.  However, as said before, all these ideas would involve a lot of commitment and, from CA's point of view, possibly paying well in advance for the privelege.

I'm happy to approach them to see if they'd be happy to meet us formally, but I'd need to know that we could a) get a small group of us - including a DFH representative, who'd attend a meeting and b) that we could speak for a number of people as regards costs etc, and have the finance in place to comit to anything we do.  I'm sure it's do-able but would take some organising.  I'm happy to do a bit of local stuff and interpreting but can't personally take on any work or financial commitments (beyond the personal ones) this year.

There is a chap on Pistonheads who has put together a biggish trip, he deals direct with the ACO BUT they are in BSJ, I'll drop him an email and see whether he's spoken to the ACO about somewhere other than BSJ.   I have a nasty feeling that really the ACO want the main camping up there and especially the groups.

I think I'd be happier doing a deal with someone OTHER than the ACO but I can imagine putting that together will be difficult and it's likely to put us further away from where we want to be. 

I'm sure you are right.  Any groups of any size are likely to be shunted off into the boonies!  Tough to know how to get away from direct links with the ACO without paying through the nose to some hospitality company who would certainly take the p*ss and a lot of our money!  As said before, personally, I think Mulsanne's OK but cr*p for getting back and forth to grandstands/pits/media centres etc (especially when ratted.)

I have obviously been thinking long about this year. If we all camp together what is really wrong with being down on BSJ? If we want to go to the racing I certainly for one tend to go for 6-8 hours. What difference would a half hour walk with a beer in my hand make?

Assuming we all end up camping together I sure that I will infact cover less ground then my usual visiting other camps walk + trips to the circuit.

BSJ I understand has the main problems of being further away from that action. Surely we bring the action!

I think given the current state of play with the ACO that we seriously think about heading over to BSJ and arriving early to find a spot with access to water and not too dusty.

I don't fancy BSJ, it's reputed to now be a huge site and is (again reputed) full of small children who think that revving their cars off the rev limiter all night and turning doughnuts next to other folks' tents is fun.

Perhaps I'm just old and crabby but it doesn't really appeal to me.  They also had traffic carnage around there this year as all the marvellous one ways systems apparently passed by the gate, none of this helped by the quagmire that the whole site became (see boys turning doughnuts above!). 

Having said that I didn't enjoy the company of the tossers in the big truck this year either so perhaps I should just stay home until the Classic  ;D

Certainly the queues getting in and out of BSJ were horendous last year.  Makes it a total no-no for us with much coming and going over the week.  Personally, I think KN  is better.

Kate and I stayed on BSJ in 2003 and it was ok...  It's is a long walk but there were shuttle buses running to the circuit every 20/30 mins or so.  The people staying on the campsite seemed fine - big parties til the early hours and the facilities were brilliant (much better than MB).  It's also a short walk to Porsche Curves for those who aren't interested in venturing too far for practice etc.  Only thing is they have started putting large groups in that area - for instance 2 years ago the whole area around Porsche Curves had been taken over by the Porcshe club and there were no public facilities.  All this said, it was 4/5 years ago when we camped there and things may have changed facilities/group wise...  Fingers crossed we all end up somewhere 1/2 decent that wont mean the end of a lot of the things we've come to love at Le Mans...

That is also closed according the ACO website.

KN is full this year (maybe with some of us, as it was my 2nd choice after MB!) but it's running normally as it's available for the Classic still.

MB is supposed to be open for the Classic too as the main campsite. I am not sure how the ACO have got this into such a mess. It really is not that hard!

I would prefer KN to BSJ but given the state of play at the moment I think you will see me at the Nurburgring 24 hours a few weeks before and not at LM.

Okey dokey boys and girls....I've just spoken to Guy who runs White Rabbit Racing which is linked out of Pistonheads.

He has an area of 15,000 square metres on BSJ this year, this will include private toilets, showers, water, security etc.   

He has dealt with the ACO for the last couple of years and in his view the ACO will only sell space for a group on BSJ and not on the other campsites.  The minimum amount of space they will sell is 5,000 square metres and if you want a reserved, specified space with water etc. the ACO will want around 3 times the cost of a "normal" space.  For this year he is charging £245 per car but this would provide a bigger area than the 35 sqm that you get with a normal campsite pass.

Paddy, I'm going to email you Guy's telephone number, it might be worth you having a chat with him about whether DfH/Club Arnage might be interested in linking up with Guy for 2009 or even for 2008.    My feel is that for 2008 we're probably going to have to take what we can (Bleu Nord?) and make do???    Guy has space for 2008 that DfH could take and he would be able to offer a reserved area if you wanted to cut your losses though and go for some certainty?

Guy is hoping to have ticket agency status for 2009 which might give him some more clout to get a better price/area in the future. 

I've told Guy that I'm going to post this here so hopefully he might drop by and say hello. 

Discuss......

We have stayed on BSJ for the last 3 years. The best place to camp was in the field that Pistonheads and White Rabbit Racing now camp on. When we turned up last year you did not have a choice where we went and ended up near the bottom of the site. We probably won't bother with it this year not unless we could camp where we used to.

Thats probably the only good thing to come out of all this - where will THEY be pitching??

And like others, I don't fancy BSJ either.  The 'Action' at LM (for me) is in two categories:  1) The social side which has improved dramatically the last few years, and 2) the track action.  In the course of the week, I go to the village/grandstands maybe a dozen times, and my old bones would find it hard to make that trek from BSJ.

Regarding KN - I thought it was very good a few years back when I stayed on there - we got in with the Danes, had free meals with them, and use of their 'hospitality' area (TVs, Bar etc), and it's about the same distance as MB.  The only problem was that we had JK blaring away a couple of hundred feet away - but that was solved by going out to the pub!! But didn't I hear somewhere on here that KN has now been virtually taken over by the Danes/other big outfits??

Also, I liked Expo - provided you can get away from the cattle sheds.  You couldn't get much closer to the village, there's a bar right outside the entrance, facilities are good for both filling, emptying and cleaning the body, and is quite secure as it's fenced and you have to show a ticket to get in, even walking (at least on race days).  As far as I know, there are no marked pitches, so a good spot could be reserved by early arrivers.  In fact, if MB is to be denied us ever again, I think I might head back there next year.  (Cue Werner for comment...)

Del

Knowing my luck, they'll be opposite me, wherever I end up  ;D

Thanks for the effort Piglet, I'll discuss this with the others and see what the general idea is. Bleu Nord is in a more ideal situation as for reachability for the Party, but Beausejour gives me a safer feeling (even though that's the only place wherever there was anything stolen from me at Le Mans).
We'll keep in touch!

Hi Del,

We always try to camp on Expo having experienced BSJ and BN in recent years. Failing getting Expo, would prefer BN.

Regarding 'security' , I think Werner can back me up here if I say it's fairly good. But when thousands are camped, there are always the dipsticks. We assisted in ejecting some for the last few years including their 'belongings'.

The centre field is wholly Danish and there are a decent bunch. We had a laught last year by changing thier tent numbers!!! I know it was childish, but hey.....................

We were on KN for a few years next to the Brethren when, after the demolition of the banking and then the increasing invasion of KN by the corporates and the Danish bus tours, we decided to try BN last year. 

With the exception of our one theiving pikey incident (which was as much to do with our chap being so neat in in his camping habits), we found it to be great - excellent atmosphere, plenty of other CAers there, and highly convenient for the track, the grandstands and for Arnage village and further afield.  Acknowledged that security may be a bigger issue there for DfH than the normal happy camper, but perhaps only marginally more so than MB.  Get in early enough and bag a big space in the far corner up by the airfield fence and then that's at least one side reasonably protected.   Pitches were not numbered last year, so you can get plenty of spaces together when you arrive early enough; the layout of the fire lanes (which were pretty rigidly enforced) might give you a long rectangular site rather than a sqaure one though.

MG Mark

Pitches will be marked and numbered this year on BN, which makes it a bit of a problem where to pitch. paddy and I just have major concerns about roaming pikeys and all the expensive sound equipment we bring along. The atmosphere amongst campers will probably be the same as on MB. So we are not worried to much. Just the party is a bit of a shot in the dark for us, not knowing the site and where we will be pitching up.

We were on Bleu Nord in 2006.

Reasonable site but needs more toilet/shower facilities, also had problems with very differcult officials telling me where to camp.

Fire lanes enforced, so the largest pitch possible will only be 2 pitchs wide in the area we were camped.

Security did not seem to be a problem,duirng the week, however I had to return to get something from the tent at midday on the Sunday, and the gate officials had already buggered off. There was already signs on pikie transits cruising.

If using this site I would say that once the race starts it is essential that everything except for tents is locked in cars/vans or certainly in the case of tables and chairs hidden from sight.

Hello everyone. Just thought I would pop in and say hello. Had an interesting conversation with a couple of your members yesterday. Pretty sure I can help solve your problems. Looking forward to hearing from the powers that be to discuss!

Cheers

Guy

www.whiterabbitracing.co.uk

Hi Guy, nice to see you made it over here  ;D

BSJ is truly massive and with you guys that turn up on Sun/Mon you would have the pick of the space - this seems like the logical thing to do and BSJ is not that far from the action its an illusion, just make sure you have a beer scooter when you walk back. We rocked up last year on the thursday afternoon and were able to get a truly massive pitch right at the front (not sure if we were on the three car part but nobody questioned us and we did have 4 passes between us).

We have been on BSJ for the last three years and am happy to answer questions. Termie is right the oneway system was a complete screw up which was made worse by the mud. Hopefully they will have learned from there mistakes. The only other downside last year was the demise of the shithouse family who were replaced by a woman in a van a few times a day. By sunday it was pretty grim.

This is not strictly true Jay. I think you might have lucked out with your spot.  Yes BSJ is massive but it is now also zoned with low level fencing and manned gates. The frenchies have tried to put the space to better use but they have just ended up pissing everyone off. What they now do is open the first section nearest the entry on Weds. Pack that to bursting point then open the next, pack that and so on until eventually the whole place is full. I had a private place for White Rabbit Racing in the back corner nearest the trees last year and they wouldn't let me in when the first convoy tipped up at dawn on the Wednesday. Took my shouting at them and waving my contracts and a lot of moustachoed haw haw hawing and eventually the opened the gates and let us through. Next convoy had the same problem until eventually the Pierres recognised the logos on the cars!

What this zoning meant however, is that the hardcore that showed up on Weds and tried to bag space for their mates got squeezed in and thus, mates joining them on Thurs/Fri couldn't get anywhere near. I heard a lot of stories like this after LM07 from a lot of disgruntled people!

Personally, I have tried several campsites and tbh, all this talk about which is best is nonsense. Ok I grant you some are less of a walk but, put it realistically, how many times are you going to walk back and forth? Once each way probably when you think about it. Or do what I do and get a ticket for parking vert then drive back and forth. That's easy when the race is actually on and the traffic has cleared. The atmosphere on any of the campsites is equal to the other and if anything, BSJ now has one of the best if you ask me.

BSJ also has the added benefit of being very close (through the trees dodging marshalls fun) from one of the fastest points of the track where I was lucky enough to witness Scuderia Ecosse crashing out in 06. See this video (http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=8424147985200169811&q=euro+gt&total=96&start=0&num=20&so=0&type=search&plindex=0) for some awesome night shots that I took back in 2006. If you can't be arsed to sit through the whole thing go to 16 mins 44secs.

BSJ is also spitting distance from Arnage where the atmosphere boozing on the main road from one of many bars watching the amazing kit cruising by is great. And it's only a 20 min walk up to the fairground now.

3 cheers for BSJ......

Hi guys. Better outlook regarding Houx Annexe, which might be of interest to some of you. I run a small agency and we had some tickets allocated there yesterday (with the downsizing I wasn’t actually expecting any). There looks to be some hope for those that requested HA through the ACO. For DFH and co, you could try phoning some of the other agents asap as some of them have HA available at present (Team Langoustine, Select, Travel Destinations as far as I know). For info, we received a very limited allocation on Maison Blanche, slashed from what it was in 2007. Instead we have been allocated many more in Bleu Nord, obviously echoeing what has happened to the majority. In terms of timings for issuing of invoices, when I spoke with the ticket office last week I was told that Houx Annexe and Karting Nord weren’t yet on their booking system (due to uncertainty over how much space they were going to loose) which was holding the entire process up. Houx Annexe is obviously now live so they are just waiting on Karting Nord. They indicated that this would take another 3 or 4 weeks.

email sent to yourself Dobbo  ;D

We have camped on Expo for a number of years (at least 5 now).  It is a bit more civilised now, and has even gained a few showers!

However last year you didn;t need a race ticket to enter and exit the campsite, just walked straight in and out.  There were a few years when at race time you were given a ticket leaving the campsite, which you needed to present next time you came in.

Anyway suppose I'll find out soon where I am going!