Mini2 @ Le Mans 2005!
Welcome to the Mini2 Le Mans 2005 convey!
Le Mans is the motor racing and car enthusiast social event of the year; thousands make the 400 mile trip through France each year to catch the trackside action and social frolics, and for the first time so will Mini2!
Dates and proposed itinerary
Thursday June16th: Travel day in convey from rendezvous point in UK through France to Le Mans via Speedferries crossing (07:45?), locate campsite, pitch tents and get some kip!
Friday June17th: Practise day, soak up the sunshine
, check out the cars, browse the pitlane and share a ‘few’ beers
with fellow petrolheads into the evenings entertainment!
Saturday June 18th: Race day, take in all the race action trackside at any time, droll over hundreds of cars, more beer!
Go-karting and fairground (pre-alcoholic intake of course!
), socialising late into the night and try to re-locate tent!
Sunday June 19th: Race day, re-cover from night before, more action as above!
Optional: Travel back through evening / night.
Monday June20th: Optional: Travel back through daytime.
The Run
Total mileage will be 375 – 400 miles each way and will be amongst plenty of Ferraris, Porkers and TVR’s!
The proposed route is shown on the map below; the ferry crossing is actually Dover to Boulogne so ignore the part where it goes through Calais!
The two alternatives for the run are down the A1 and around Paris, or the conventional route via Rouen, I’ve heard the later is the most popular. The start point is shown as Chelmsford Essex; however we can make this rendezvous point at any location in the UK dependent on where people will be travelling from.
Detailed route directions will be posted nearer the time.
Ferry crossing
www.speedferries.co.uk are offering 2 for 1 on bookings made during December at only £50, this is a bargain and the times are starting to get full already so we’d better be quick here. This route is Dover to Boulogne; other options if we can’t all get booked on include the Channel tunnel or Dover to Calais.
Ferry times to be confirmed, but I would suggest 07:45 or similar for the crossing on the 16th, this gives us plenty of time to cruise down and allow for any problems encountered en route.
Campsites
A number of options here; the most popular campsites are ‘Houx’, ‘Houx annexe’ and ‘Maison blache’ to name but a few, these are located inside the circuit. Tickets are issued by the ‘ACO group’ who run the 24Hr racing, and are of limited availability, TVR clubs usually take a large number of the allocation so therefore I will need to understand numbers before applying for these.
Other campsites located just outside the circuit offer excellent facilities and courtesy buses to the circuit as required. One of these in particular
www.clubmotorsport.co.uk offers a whole package including pitch, meals and entertainment, this costs £165 and is perhaps a preferred option for the Le Mans virgins among us!
I’m awaiting more details on an alternative campsite at only £9 per day, meals and drink extra, again this one is just outside the circuit. We will need to bring tents and sleeping essentials (including plenty of bog roll!).
Tickets for all camping are on a ‘per car’ basis so there is no problem with filling a car if you intend to bring partners / friends etc.
Circuit tickets
Easy to purchase ‘on the gate’, however they can be bought in advance for £50 and are often included in the campsite deals for some tour groups. Tickets options include parking inside the circuit to view the racing for £20. I believe there is free access to the pitlane and cars during practise days! Other options such as Grandstand seats will be extra.
Costs
Approximate costs are detailed below and on a ‘per car’ basis. Campsite costs could well be significantly lower, but need to be confirmed when we start to have an idea on numbers as discussed above. Fuel costs are based on Cooper S.
Total fuel cost UK £16
Total fuel cost France £33
Combined £49
Combined return £98
Toll roads £6
Ferry crossing £50
Campsite (per car) £38 (self catering) or £165 (total package)
General entr. ticket £40
Spending money (beer, food, toiletries, maps etc) £100
Total £479 (max) / £352 (min)
Feedback
I’d welcome feedback on whether people would prefer to get back Sunday night (could be tight) or travel back Monday daytime. Additionally, we can leave a day earlier and have a relaxing pre-amble around Le Mans or similar.
Deadlines and deposits
Please register your interest on this thread
before 31st January 2005, this will allow sufficient time for the organising of camping and ferries. Once we start to understand the numbers I’ll require a deposit in order to finalist the bookings, thanks.
The safety bit!
As a responsible run organiser I would just like to point out the safety bit as detailed by Soggycornflakes (Bob)
here! Unfortunately I will not be able to practise the route beforehand!
You should also ensure you have adequate insurance cover for travel abroad, GB identifiers, car headlights set appropriately, first aid and warning triangle. An E111 is also essential and separate holiday insurance is recommended.
I would like to limit the number of cars to 15 initially to ensure everyone gets the most enjoyment from their trip.
Links
Here’s a few links to wet your appetitie!
www.blokesatlemans.co.uk
www.lemans.org
Thanks and see you there!
Attendee list
1) Davislove3rd +1
2) Mini-medic
3) Fizzle
4) Old School Jonnie +1
