ALL MAJOR CAMPSITES CLOSED FOR 2008

[termietermite]

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....

[nickliv]

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...

[knetter]

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!

[termietermite]

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.

[Piglet]

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. 

[termietermite]

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.)

[rcutler]

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.

[Piglet]

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 

[termietermite]

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.

[Queen Vic of the Melans]

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...

[rcutler]

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.

That is also closed according the ACO website.

[termietermite]

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.

[rcutler]

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.

[Piglet]

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......

[Rhino]

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.