09/10/12
1:45PM I would like to put together a team of ocean rowers from Marblehead (real men and women)…flat water, vin ordinaire, Monet landscapes… (See below for description...)
Jay Paris
The Rallye du Canal du Midi is a 6-day,125-mile rowing rally on a tree-shaded 17th-century canal in southwest France. It typically attracts 200-250 rowers of all ages from all over Europe, as well as crews from New Zealand, South Africa and Brazil. But in the rally’s 31-year history, there’s never been an American boat!
We rowed the rally on a French team in 2011 and want to organize a mixed US boat(s) for 2013. It involves about six hours of sculling each day, portaging 48 locks and long, three-course lunches (with wine, bien sûr). Boats are a coxed quad standard throughout Europe known as a “yolette.”
Dates are August 12-17, 2013. The cost from rally start to finish—including boat rental, five night’s lodging in a medieval fortress, all meals, cocktail parties, transportation and a team of nurses for bandaging blistered hands—is about 480 euros per rower ($614 at today’s exchange rate) and a bit less for team supporters.
Interested? Want to know more? Reply directly to klein.susan@comcast.net.
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1.54PM Can we say hell yeah! Count me in (Dave, too, but he doesn't know it yet). :-) -Emily
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2:04PM Where do I sign?
YES-Stephanie Brocoum
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2:06PM Jay,
How many boats can we fill?-Seth
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2:16PM I have been looking at the rules. There are three classes; singles, doubles and coxed quads.
The rules regarding crews are worth reading. It would probably be worth watching Rick Stein's French Odyssey in preparation. Some of those barge operators look pretty mean.
Cheers,-Rob
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2:16PM I'm in as well! Sounds like an awesome time!- Shannon
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2:21PM (Regarding how many boats)
I’ll check…Jay Paris
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2:28PM The Midi is certainly a beautiful place and the castles are amazing. That is 6 Blackburns but with a break for lunch.
Pal
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2:29PM (In response to the barge operators) But when they experience long-toothed drooling pirates… Jay Paris
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3:01PM I'll start training now for a spot on the team, or go as a "team supporter", whichever assures that I get there!- Gail
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3:04PM Oh my god that is tempting. I think the answer is yes if you'll have me. It's two days before the Mt Washington race I think which won't be great for my time but I've done that before and I haven't done this!!-Trish
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09/11/12 6:30 AM Count me in as well-Eileen
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7:49AM- Me too-Hilary
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8:04AM- Count me in!- Bobbie
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8:09AM (In response to Pal's comment about 6 Blackburns)
Remember though, a quad goes 8 mph at an easy pace on flat water and lots of stops for locks and meals. It's maybe three hours a day of actual pulling and not at a Blackburn pace. It's not easy but not that hard for those of us willing to come in last with our R and R ethos intact, enjoying France up close and personal.-Jay
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9:02AM- I'm in!-Karen
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9:21 AM (In response to Jay's comment about RnR ethos)
R&R ethos...you mean our water bottles are filled with wine and our Goo packets are replaced with fine local cheeses, right?-Seth
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10:09AM Please count Jenny and I in as well. Jenny may be useful as a cox but will certainly be useful with her near native French.-Robert-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
10:11AM (In response to Seth's description of RnR ethos)
Sounds delightful- Karen
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1:07 PM Both Doug and I would love to go -- he with the strong back to support us logistically. Jumping right to the logistics -- How would we train on quads?-Pal
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The only way is to go there for a minimum of 3 months in the middle of winter, I think. Shouldn't be too cold in the Midi at that time.
Plus we need to acclimate ourselves to the regional gastronomy. ;-)-Seth
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4:54PM Is this anywhere near Cannes?-Paul
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5:02PM Farther west...on the Mediterranean but closer to Spain and the Bordeaux region. We should look at the calendar and see how this might affect our P-town row options-Seth
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09/12/12 10:43 AM Only in the sense that they are both in South France. Toulouse is in the center of the area halfway between the Med and the Atlantic. Languedoc is the wine region. Cheese is sublime. The Garonne river which along with the Canal is simply beautiful.
It's the land of Fois Gras and everything duck. It is also the source of the Inquisition as Rome tried to destroy the Cathar dualist christian belief system that was undermining the Catholic power and coffers in the 12th and 13th centuries.
The mountains to the south are lovely to hike in, were the old boarder with Spain, and are the foothills to the Pyrenees. It's an area to love.-Pal
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10:58 AM (In response to Paul's question about Cannes) Rallye du Canal du Midi-Pai
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6:05PM We should also assign someone to keep Paul's impulses to jump in the water after a row at bay:
(It is forbidden to bathe in the canal, even at the end of the stage in the evening, as you can get
leptospirosis in many rivers and canals.)-Carlton
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