ST GOUENO 2015

In the past, the paddock at La Pommeraye has been a quarry near the start line! However, last year it moved to be by the finish line and was apparently much nicer. Hopefully, it will be the same this year

I have spent my lunch time trying to work out where the La Pommeraye hillclimb runs and was using google maps plus this youtube clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-OmtfCKR7w

It starts from just outside the quarry to the NE of the village, runs south east on the D571, then does a hairpin left into a lay-by with a stone cottage on the exit point! then doubles back towards the start line but forks left to run up the D151 through the vineyards (and under a temporary spectator access bridge) to La Pommeraye, with the finish just before the village.

It looks completely different to the St Goueno hillclimb but is still a completely awesome track!!!!!!!!!!

After looking at the footage and track, I am definitely going to do this one as well

If you put La Pommeraye France into google maps, then the satellite view actually shows what seems to be a local event taking place!

St Goueno entered just starting to look at La pommeraye now...............

After doing a bit more research on La P, it seems that the length of the track has recently increased from 1.3 miles to 1.6 miles, which appears to be due to a change of the start position. Previously it looks as though you started away from the quarry beyond the lay-by, which made that a chicane. You now start by the quarry so that the lay-by is approached from the other direction and hence becomes a hairpin, which has increased the length of the track. The Esses through the vineyards look awesome, I would imagine similar to the Jim Clarke Esses at Croft, IE a deep breath beforehand and keep your foot planted. It also looks as if the braking point for some of the tighter corners going up the hill would be the exit point of the previous corner - very exciting

From further investigation it also looks as if the finish line is further down the road, which gives a longer straight out of the last bend, with speeds approaching 100 MPH over the finish line for a sevenesque type car. This means by the time you have slowed down, you are into the village!

My plan is to go out Thursday 21 May, and come back Monday 1 June, so I was looking at ferries the other day and this is the info for a motorhome and trailer from the internet:

Dover/Calais £190 return various sailing times through day and a 1.5 hour crossing.

Portsmouth/St Malo £354 out plus £259 back, though it may be possible to get a 15% discount on this. Sailing times are 20:15 to 08:15 out and 10:30 to 18:20 back, so may need to book and pay for a cabin and food as well.

Portsmouth/Caen about £325 each way, though the return journey times are no good as you don't get back to Portsmouth till 21:15.

As I have a motorhome, I would rather travel the extra distance and sleep/eat in that, and also when I feel like it. It is also significantly cheaper even after allowing for tolls/fuel.

Approximate distances are:

Calais / La Pommeraye 340 miles (so travel Thurs afternoon/evening and stop to sleep and eat part way to La Pommeraye.
La Pommeraye / St Goueno 135 miles
St Goueno / Calais 352 miles (so leave 08:00 for 15:25 or later ferry)

My entry has gone off for ST Gueno, just waiting for the reply off the main man. I have entered the MGB but may decide to take the EType if I am feeling brave!

Had confirmation my entry for St Goueno has been accepted today.

Pete Richards

St Goueno entry confirmed this morning by email..... what a nice Christmas present!

Just booked my ferries leaving 27th may and returning the 01 june £200 quid

Where are you sailing from and to?

Sorry mate im going Dover to Calais with my ferry link it was about £290 when I looked in November so useful saving

Do I need to re attach the Matt black spur to break the timing beam?

No, they don't use them in France

I sent a request for an entry form and regs to the La Pommeraye event secretary last week, but have not had a reply yet. I mentioned this on the Uphill Racers forum and they reckon they haven't been released yet, consequently I am going to make an assumption that because St Goueno is the more popular event, and I have already been accepted for that, then I should be accepted for La Pommeraye as well.

Therefore, I am going to check the length of my trailer and book the ferries over the next couple of days.

Been looking into the toll charges and it seems I may fit into the Class 4 HGV category!

I am a motorhome towing a trailer, and it seems the critical factors are the height at 3m and gross tow vehicle weight of 3.5 tonnes.

If you are over 3m and towing a trailer you go from Class 2 to Class 4 which is about double the cost!

I have a hand written reminder in my motorhome saying it is 3.1m tall, but I cant remember if I have added a margin of safety, so will have to re-measure the height.  it appears there are lots of rules on the height as well regarding various bits fitted to the roof, such as roof racks, aerials etc, but definitive information is hard to come by in English.

From further investigation it looks as if you will be charged as Class 3 or 4 going through an automatic booth, but may get away with Class 2 if going through a manned booth.

Does anyone have any experience of this, especially Pete as you have done a lot of travellinf abroad towing your race car?

My sprinter is 2.6m high plus the status and 5.5t max train weight I will have to look into the charges.

Vehicle classifications are here:

http://www.autoroutes.fr/en/vehicle-classification.htm

You are fine with your height as long as the tow vehicle gross is less than 3.5 tonnes, you are class 2.

I could be class 4, which doubles the toll!

You can use this route finder in conjunction with the classification link in the previous post to check total toll charges

http://www.autoroutes.fr/index.htm

By the way, the national speed limit is 56MPH if the total weight of your combo exceeds 3.5 tonnes, even on the motorways.

Cheers for that Billy

Just under 3 m tall, 10.3 long and gross train of 4.7t

Had a look at the toll link and if we are classes as car and caravan ? Tolls only seem to be 106 Euro (Calais to la pommeraye to st goueno to Calais.

Measured the motorhome yesterday and it is 2.99m tall! so just fits into class 2

Gross weight of tow vehicle is 3.5 tonnes so also just within the limit for class 2.

However total mass of tow vehicle and trailer is in excess 3.5 tonnes, so will be restricted to 56 mph.

Hi Ed

I get the toll charges to the same as you

Just 1cm higher or 1kg heavier and the toll charges would have been 258 Euros

I think I will be very generous to you this year Billy and buy you a late birthday present. I hear they do very nice sofas in that part of France. I will be even more generous and help you tie it to the roof

Roof racks count as the height of the vehicle, but anything stowed on them does not

I think you're all worrying too much. Tolls have been no problem to me towing the car with the motorhome. Where they are manned we just pay what they ask for and the same with the automatic ones where the cost is displayed.

Pete Richards

Recieved confirmation of my entry yesterday

Ferry booked

Entry confirmed and ferry booked (Dover/Calais)

The entry list for the 2015 event is now on the hillclimb france website

Now that the entry list has been released, they will be looking at allocating the race numbers and the paddock spaces. Consequently, let me know if you want to be in the paddock as a group, and I will ask John if that can be arranged.

As a group would be better I won't have to walk far for spanners

Same here, I won't have to walk too far to piss everyone off!

Last time I was there, 2013, the paddock area was only marked out as spaces and not designated for particular entries.

Pete Richards