23rd Annual Easter Optimist Regatta - Brassemermeer, Holland

23rd Annual Easter Optimist Regatta – Braassemermeer, Holland

Dates

1. Regatta – Friday 21st. – Monday 24^th. March inclusive
2. Pre-Regatta Coaching at the YC, Wednesday 19^th and Thursday 20^th March.
3. Recommended travel dates – Tuesday 18th and Tuesday 25^th March

Location

1. The Braassemermeer is a large lake located approx 15km SW of Schipol airport.  It is easily accessible by car or taxi from Schipol airport.
2. The closest big towns are Leiden and Alphen-an-der-Rijn.

Hotel Accommodation

1. IODAI has block booked 10 rooms (5 x 5 bed, 3 x 4 bed, 5 x 3 bed) in the Hotel Vogelpark Avifauna in Alphen and der Rihn.  This hotel is 20 mins by car, or by team motor cruiser (if available) from the Yacht Club and the standard of room and accommodation is similar to a Bewleys Hotel in Ireland.  All rooms are en-suite.  Hotel website is www.avifauna.nl.

The hotel will also provide an evening meal at a cost of €19.50 for a three course meal.  Alternatively, there is a huge selection of moderately priced restaurants in the immediate vicinity.

We recommend that we arrange the dinners once we know the total number of sailors traveling and staying at the Avifauna.

2. The rooms in the Avifauna are available until January 31^st – after this date, we lose our option on them.
3. Please let Charlie know who will be traveling with your sailor & we will arrange the accommodation.

Transportation to Holland

1. In order to avail of the pre-regatta coaching, it is recommended that you travel on Tuesday 18^th March, and that you return on Tuesday 25^th March
2. Aer Lingus flies Cork – Amsterdam one per day, and operates several flights out of Dublin daily.  In addition, Ryanair fly Dublin – Eindhoven daily, Eindhoven is approx 150km from the Braassemermeer.

Transportation in Holland

1. Parents are free to arrange own transportation. However cars are unnecessary as all transport to & from the Yacht Club will be by cruiser.
2. It is recommended that parents get together and agree to share cars or 7-seaters if they wish to be able to go siteseeing.
3. All the main car rental companies have offices in the concourse if Schipol airport.

Boat Transportation or Charter

1.      IODAI will arrange this based on the number of sailors traveling.

2.      As soon as we know the number of sailors traveling, we will decide, based on cost effectiveness and the availability of a driver for the IODAI trailer, whether to trail the boats, or to charter.

RIBs and Spectator boats

1. IODAI will rent the required number of ribs from a local provider.  We were very happy with the provider we used last year, whose boats and engines were brand new.
2. As soon as we know the number of sailors traveling, we will be in a position to ascertain how many ribs are needed.
3.  As soon as we know who and how many are traveling, we will be in a position to decide whether to charter a cruiser which can be used for transport to & from the Hotel & for spectating.

Sailor Lunches

1. Lunch is available at the YC daily, and the sailors tend to come ashore for lunch during the regatta, and on the pre-regatta coaching days
2. Traditionally, the parents have arranged a rota to provide the kind of lunches that we do at the Malahide and Schull coaching.

3. IODAI recommends that we continue this practice as it ensure a healthy and appetizing lunch for the sailors, individual needs can be catered for, and provides the coach with the opportunity to brief and debrief as necessary.

Cost

1. The following costs will be paid directly by the parents

a.                  Accommodation

b.                  Flight & transport to & from airport

c.                  Car Rental if required

2. IODAI will arrange payment for the following, and invoice the parents accordingly

a.                  Coach fees & daily allowance

b.                   Flight, transportation and accommodation for coach

c.                  Rib Rental

d.                  Boat Transportation or Charter

e.                  Sailor Entry Fee

f.                    IODAI team insurance

3. Estimated cost for a child to attend the event are as follows.  These prices are based on the 2007 costs and any estimates we have for 2008.

4. The estimated cost for a parent traveling is €900 - €1000
5. The above excludes any provision for ‘team clothing’

Racing Programme

Details of the racing are available at www.braassemermeer.nl

Weather Conditions

1.      Historically, it has been extremely cold.  In 2006, it was freezing cold with strong NE winds.  In 2005, the sailors had a mix of weather with some days warm enough for wetsuits, and some cold enough for dry suits, and typical Irish winter sailing gear.  Being a lake, the water temperature is colder than the sea, which most of our sailors are used to.

2.      It is recommended that sailors bring their drysuits as well as wetsuits. 

3.      In order to facilitate drying of clothes, it is recommended that each sailor has 2 complete sets of sailing gear – we all know that drying a few sets of gear every night, in a hotel room, can be ‘challenging’.

Sponsorship

1. The coach input on the team gear is as follows ‘the team clothing was a huge asset and was envied by many of the other countries’.  It was the opinion of the coach that the team clothing helped unify the group, and it was also a great help in identifying one another around the dinghy park.
2. We are new looking for a sponsor for the 2008 team gear.  If any parent would like to sponsor the clothing for 2008, please contact Charlie to discuss details with him

Miscellaneous

1. As soon as we know who is traveling, we will get the parents together, and finalise the logistics.
2. It would be good to arrange some social activities for the sailors and parents during the week in Braassemermeer.