Email From teamlangoustine

[Kev_mk3]

Anyone else get the email today?

Happy New Year to you all from Team Langoustine.

 

This email has been a long time coming and we apologize for the delay. TL have been busy trying to secure the area immediately next to our dedicated site and could not offer the extra space until the ACO sign contracts. Well it has happened at last and we can confirm that TL has the whole of the Hunaudieres site inside the Tertre Rouge corner for LeMans 2009.

We have restricted the site to 200 vehicles so as not to over crowd. The site is now 1200sq mtrs. With access paths and services, this should give each pitch 45sq mtrs.

We are hopeful that this will also give us trackside access. That will mean that you will require a General entry pass per person to access our campsite when you arrive. This is good for security, but means you must have your General entry tickets before arriving at the circuit.

 

We run this camping area at cost. The ACO ground rent, fees and compulsory toilet and shower facilities are very expensive and along with the tragic Euro/£ exchange rate has meant that our site has had to be increased to cover costs. Each pitch is now £255 per vehicle. This is an increase of £35 per vehicle. We apologize for this, but have no control over this cost.

 

TL has also been busy with a company called PraxisTent. www.praxistent.com

They provide pre-erected tents and other camping equipment. Just book through their website and in June your reserved accommodation will be waiting for you in our dedicated site. This will save time and also space in your cars. The TL campsite must be booked separately.

If camping trackside does not appeal to you, then they also offer camping in the grounds of Chateau Chanteloup. This is 10minutes from the circuit.

 

There has been a small increase in all ticket costs due to the exchange rate and these are detailed on our website.

There will be no surcharge to all those who have already paid, but the price rise must unfortunately be included in all subsequent payments.

 

Camping this year will be at a premium. The Stadium has started to be built opposite our campsite and Houx Annexe Nord has made way for a carpark. Most other sites, with the exception of Beausejour, will be allocated pitches. This means that access will be limited and campsite passes scarce. Houx Annexe Sud, Maison Blanche and Karting Nord have not yet been released by the ACO and are likely to be snapped up as soon as they are. We have requested alternative camping, but cannot offer other sites until our allocations are confirmed. Please keep an eye on our website for updates.

 

To all those who have pre-booked.

 

You will all receive emails in the next couple of days confirming your orders and requesting payments. We know this is an expensive time of year, but we must have reserved places paid in full before the end of January. If you have not considered Grandstands, please do soon as they are also filling up very quickly. We recommend Tribune 21 to Tribune 16 on the main straight. They offer excellent track views at the start finish line as well as pit action.

 

If you have any questions or queries, please do not hesitate to contact us and either speak to Andy or Pete.

 

Best regards for 2009.

[Bas]

"We have restricted the site to 200 vehicles so as not to over crowd. The site is now 1200sq mtrs."

Good luck with 6sq mtrs per vehicle 

also this:

Each pitch is now £255 per vehicle.

No thank you very much 

[alibongo]

Ya I got that one ...........hey its a lot of dosh to camp for the w/e is this the way that all the campsites will be in the future? "at cost"? looks like the ACO are cashing in on the popularity of the event and are going to make the event too expensive for the normal race fan? what does the future hold even more hospitality areas/restricted to up-market brigade so called race fans.......will it end up like F1  

[nopanic - neil]

Hoping there will be a bit of credit crunch effect on the hospitality circuit. Less money around from the big men.

So this may make ACO appreciate the real fan, and stop us being squeezed out - but I doubt it.

[alibongo]

Time will tell.

[Kev_mk3]

this rate ill be lucky if i can get there but them costs are silly

[termietermite]

A £35 increase on £255, year on year is in fact very reasonable when you think about it, even if the price is steep to begin with.  This time last year the Euro exchange rate was about 1.4 to the £.  At the turn of the year it came within a gnat's wotsit of parity.  1.07 yesterday.  Even if the ACO don't increase prices at all, anybody paying in sterling can expect a very big increase in their bill this year.

[knetter]

255 is a bit to much to ask for if you ask me? I think the 140 euro's or something we payed last year for a  pitch at MB is already stretching it to far. I would not be surprised if MB, HA nord and Karting Nord will go to the agencies entirely this year, leaving non for the real fans who have been going for years on end. Sad really to see that money is getting more and more important to the organizers every year, I'll watch it on TV this year, if the field is worth looking at, otherwise I'll opt for a vacation in lovely Italy!

[Barry]

With the delay in the allocations, and general buzz, I am beginning to think that it will be Bleu Nord, or Beaujeuse for everyone this year, unless you go through an agency.

Plus with BN is that's it's cheap, and reasonably close to the circuit.

Look out Fran, we're probably coming home.

My money would be on the £ recovering by June to about €1.20, however that may just be wishfull thinking!

[smokie]

Agree re £ v € Barry, I think the Euro is in for a rough ride over the next coupla months and the £ will be back near where it was last year by June. Was reading something earlier that said France are in denial, Spain and Greece are nearly bankrupt, Germany want out of the Euro cos they think it is bringing their economy down - those are the bits I can remember.

So maybe it won't look so expensive if you hang on...

[Barry]

Unfortunatly the ticket allocations will be with us soon, which will mean paying for the tickets before the £ hopefully recovers.
A €100 stand ticket is starting to look like a luxury I can't justify.
I have been thinking of doing LM on the terraces for a couple of years, looks like this year might be a good year to try it.

[nopanic - neil]

With the delay in the allocations, and general buzz, I am beginning to think that it will be Bleu Nord, or Beaujeuse for everyone this year, unless you go through an agency.

Plus with BN is that's it's cheap, and reasonably close to the circuit.

Look out Fran, we're probably coming home.

My money would be on the £ recovering by June to about €1.20, however that may just be wishfull thinking!

Will Fran let you on, I sneaked on site last year (got on before most) and nearly got chucked off. 

[alibongo]

Well a quick mental calculation means that rough little bit of walled off ground behind tetre rouge is worth a cool half mill to the ACO no wonder they want to flog all the campsites to the agencys 

Looks like this could be the last year for me 

[Fran]

Look out Fran, we're probably coming home.

Under normal circumstances Barry I would call you some kinda of rotten turncoat following your defection to other (ostensibly) more glamourous campsites.

However, providing you are able to rustle up a lovely Confit de Canard & Tarte aux Fraises I might consider letting you back in!

F

[jpchenet]

Well a quick mental calculation means that rough little bit of walled off ground behind tetre rouge is worth a cool half mill to the ACO no wonder they want to flog all the campsites to the agencys 

Indeed!!

It's very kind of Team Langoustine to offer to shell out £500,000 to the ACO purely to secure some camping spots for us Brits to sell onto us at cost isn't it!