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Please let me know your thoughts and plans for the very kind offer made by Minorca Sailing to offer their 5 skiffs for charter as part of the Spanish EuroCup

We have been at the Dinghy Show this weekend and had Minorca Sailing's new boat on our class stand, which looked very nice!

Iver and I have had an initial chat with Ian, the manager at Minorca, about the possibility of getting all 5 of his boats to Palma for the EuroCup.

To be honest, I think it is too late this year, but it would be a fantastic idea for 2014...

Our initial thoughts were to call the event the Minorca Sailing Musto Skiff EuroCup for Spain and promote the charter of these boats to class members. We could then have a good little fleet and ask a coach to come for training in the mornings and official racing in the afternoon, in a very similar format to how we have run the event with Russ and Sten.

What do you all think?

Please note that it is important to have a BBQ at Javi's parents again!!!!

My feeling is that we should start up a thread on the ESP area of the class forum and look at how best to promote the event for Minorca Sailing and our class, then we can present it to the class in the later part of this year so everyone can plan ahead. We may also then find some other sailors from Northern Europe would like to bring their own boats too...

Initial discussions would suggest a charter fee of around GBP250-300 per boat for 4 days sailing, flying in and out on dates which have the best fairs and arranging we all stay in El Arenal at one hotel.

Have a think about things and I will post on the forum so we can all follow the thread

When is the event Paul? I have a friend in Palma who I've promised to visit and take Musto sailing so may kill two birds with one sprit.

The event is always at Easter (Princess Sofia Olypmic regatta) at El Arenal.

We are looking to plan everything over the summer with Minorca Sailing and the local fleet. As there is no ajar international championships next year, it would be a good early season bit of fun.

I'm definitely going!!!

Ahh, yes a little too short this year but certainly interested in hearing more over the year.

To those who haven't already read the report the 2013 event was excellent. Just have a look at the photos. As there aren't any big events for 2014, it would be great to get a good fleet to this one, as it is still early in the season so won't affect anyone who plans to go to Aus. It is also great to escape the Northern European winter.

Looking at 2014 would it be cheaper to charter or drive over with the boat, just started a thread on the GBR forum on prices for the Dover to Calais ferry, I do remember that someone was looking into a deal to get to Minorca by ferry in years gone past, are you taking bookings for charter now for 2014?
I may go for two weeks but do you need rescue to sail or can you pay to join one of the holiday sailing clubs? lots of options?

Chris

Hi Chris,

The event takes places in Mallorca. The charter boats come from Menorca, so just make sure you go to the correct island
It looks like it is only 20nm between the two islands, so it should only take you 2 hours in 15 knots with the kite up if you get it wrong.

Thanks Bruce, that is some good advice as the cheap flights will be out soon, it can be a bit confusing with some maps giving different names to the islands, the flights say Palma so it would also be good to check where to stay, if we wait for the ferry information too long the cheap flights will have gone if the ferry is too expensive?


map below

http://www.trofeoprincesasofia.org/en/default/logistica

Got it wrong last year, two weeks in lanzarote, 14 days of sunshine with a constant force 4 to 5 every day and no boat.

FIRST quote is £350 for ferry car and trailer from Spain to Palma.
Second quote is 400 euros ish

looks like a charter then at that price or Carnac France?

Chris

That second ferry is always going to keep the numbers down with only 5 charters, also for the others in Europe, an early event in Spain at Roses might help a week beforehand, It would only cost petrol for some to get to Roses from Europe and if your over in Roses it would only be the ferry to add on Minorca Sailing Eurocup if you are on holiday and have the time?
Depending on the politics it would be better to take the charter boats to mainland Spain to get the best turnout, link that with an event in France on the way back it would be good valve for money, also you would get more to qualify in the Eurocup series as that would be three events with one ferry crossing and it could be done in a two week holiday. I may be wrong but their are quite a few retired MPS sailors with the time as well.

If we had Roses and Minorca on the same charter for a week with a ferry deal it could turn into a very nice start to the year with lots of boats out in Roses for people not wanting to add a ferry cost on the Spain Eurocup Series ? reading the ferry forums you might need sea sickness pills on the ferry for Minorca,




Chris

chriswrightlaser wrote: FIRST quote is £350 for ferry car and trailer from Spain to Palma.
Second quote is 400 euros ish
looks like a charter then at that price or Carnac France?

Hi Chris,

Have you seen this: http://www.trofeoprincesasofia.org/en/d ... transporte
As it is normally the same time, you can get the heavily discounted ferry fees.

Thanks Bruce.
That would be better and the cost would drop if we add into the fact you could take two or three boats per car at a push, It would have worked out well this year as the FRA - EuroCup - Lac du Der was on the 31st and 1st April then a drive down to Spain for the 6 and 7th, that's two weekends on the row, all we needed is one more open in France or north Europe on the 13 / 14th on the way back, then we would be set.
Some could do France then miss out Spain and leave the boat at the third venue on the 13th / 14th with a car share at £70 return ferry with no boat?
When we all start spending again it could be fun, the Musto fleet will be bigger in Europe as the years roll on and that,s the advantage of the boat, it,s a shame Spain has a small fleet as they have all the sunshine.

Regatta this year in France, need to check dates for the others in north Europe in and around April 2014.
Breizhskiff 2013 :

Lac du Der , France Open Skiff : April 30-01. (Eurocup France) 2013
Quiberon , Teignouse Cup: 18-20 May 2013
Plérin : 29-30 June 2013
Carnac : September 06-08. 2013
La Rochelle : 05-06 October. 2013
Sanguinet , Regatta Armistice: November 01-03. 2013

I know it,s a long way off but the above way of stringing events together to get to garda would be good for 2015, break up the driving for a long holiday.

Chris

Just checked the price of the ferry to go and come back Dover to Calais with the boat on the roof, http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk/Customer-S ... ontact-us/ the price is only about £90 return at the moment, says 2.4 meters hight is the maximum?
We now need a date to see if we can tie in a date for an open on the way and return, looking good
looking around 459 euro to get from spain to mallorca with boat on the roof, about 90 euro for extra for 1m height on roof, time table not out yet
flight are cheap so still cheaper to charter unless you leave your boat there over the winter?

Chris

Chris - if you are thinking of some winter sailing, I'd take the boat to El Arenal and join in with the boys their.
It's a great club and the local fleet are a really great bunch.

It's the place of choice for a number of the Olympic winter training camps too, so there's plenty gong on. It's also THE place for the pro cycling teams during the winter but they'll be up in the mountains!

I'll follow up with Menorca Sailing on the Easter charter plan now their season is starting to quieten down...

Hi Chris,
I am Justo From Arenal, if you came you can leave your boat in winter time, like most olympic teams do, and came by plane weekends (prices can be 80euros or less). Club have special prices for the hotels and ferry. If you or anybody else are interest i would try to get a very special price to leave the boat in the club.