TT2008

Highlights and lowlights...

Racing was brilliant, shame Champ couldn't make it as I was looking
forward to seeing him racing, but at least he's still here, which is
good.

Lowlights....financial circumstances meant I was unable to take the
bike over and went as a foot passenger.

Highlights.....weather was great, met up with a good bunch of people
again, and I also had the good fortune to have Cameron Donald have to
strip off in front of me at Braddan Oak on Wednesday during the extra
practice, as his balls were 'on fire' )

Roll on next year!!

--
Lesley
Residing in the Capital of Culture 2008
CBR600FW
Peugeot 206 S
SBS#11 (with oak-leaf cluster)
BOTAFOT#101A UKRMHRC#12
BONY#54P BOB#18

 

Have you booked? I booked last Wednesday at the terminus and it was already
getting very full for the Saturday Crossings. Settled for Friday Out, late
Sunday (post racing) Evening back. Mind you, we are taking the camper plus
trailer and two bikes next year to cut down on extortionate B&B fees.
Camping at Union Mills

Makes it somewhat more reasonable..



--
===========================
KM

FJ1200 FZS600 GSX400F


http://www.czd.org.uk

 

I'm in no rush. I booked 3 weeks before the TT this year and got
Saturday at the beginning of race week to Saturday at the end without
a problem.

 

My times were pretty good, mid-morning.

I wouldn't mind getting the fast Cat, but the ferry ain't too bad.

 

Was that with bikes? Some mates of mine ended up flying (errr - without
bikes..).

The fast cat was very quick (calm both directions) - took just over 2.5
hours take off to landing.. next year the slow ferry though.

Apparently the IOM TT crossings are the most expensive in the world...

--
===========================
KM

FJ1200 FZS600 GSX400F


http://www.czd.org.uk

 

Boat was 3.5 hours.

They ain't cheap certainly. But it's better than swimming.

 

or walking - I can only manage 100 yards at the mo' after that my feet get
wet...

--
===========================
KM

FJ1200 FZS600 GSX400F


http://www.czd.org.uk

 

Burnt and I just turned up, waited for a bit and then got on a ferry.

 

Why don't P&O and the others sail a few ferries round for the week then?

Would make a packet.

 

I think they (IoM SP) have sole operator rights - in return for this they
must provide an all year service and not just the profitable periods (TT,
MGP and summer season) [1].

In the winter the one man and his dog, Spot, don't cover the fuel burnt
just manouvering to moor.


[1] IIRC, the same arrangements apply to Cal Mac for the
Scottish Islands.

 

CalMac were in receipt of huge subsidies, don't know if that's still the
case, but many of the utterly necessary routes never turned a profit, so
I'd not be surprised if they still get a bung.
--
Dave
GS850x2 XS650 SE6a

"It's a moron working with power tools.
How much more suspenseful can you get?"
- House

 

I'd be very surprised if the Steam Packet wasn't also loss making if the
TT and MGP didn't exist.

 

For sure; during the heyday of the Island as a tourist destination, the
TT and MGP were the icing on the cake, but as tourism dropped away with
foreign travel gaining ground, the IoMSPC really felt the chill wind and
they had some godawful old tubs on the route that they could barely
afford to keep afloat. [1] I'm glad the modern TT/MGP have attracted
much more interest in recent years and boosted visitor numbers, but
year-round passenger and freight revenues probably don't rival the
numbers of the peak years.

[1] I first visited the Island in ~1964 and went back several times in
the next two decades, so saw how things were on the slide.
--
Dave
GS850x2 XS650 SE6a

"It's a moron working with power tools.
How much more suspenseful can you get?"
- House