Holgers rapport fra Sopot (PL)

To your info for plans on doing 2007 Europeans:

I have been in Poland to visit the club in Sopot this week on Friday and must say: it all looks really perfect for the event !!!!
I have taken several pictures of club house and ground and beach and you soon will find these on www.int505.de page.

I had very good meeting with Piotr and with Krystian, who is the Club Manager and all speak really good english and / or some german. We have agreed on all issues which need to be organized and there is no worry anyway as the club has done many events.

Club buildings are really nice and only 2 years old and they got more than everything we need:
large area, office, meeting rooms, bar & restaurant, 4000 sqm area for camping & mobilhome right beside your boat, 4 large change rooms with many showers etc etc. well- definitly all more than what most clubs in GER or DEN or GBR would have.

Logistics:
with trailer is is 4-5 hours drive from GER-POL border and the road Sczechin to Gdansk is good main road with very wide lanes so it is easy to overtake as always 1 car can move to side is nearly like motorway but be carefull - some speed cameras in the cities you pass and drive with light on all day only use that main route is shortest and fastest.

From SWE / DEN / FIN
Take the ferry either from Karlskrona Stena or Nynashamn POLferry.
Club works on sponsordeals with ferry companies now.

By plane if somebody else takes your boat:
Very easy: Gdansk int. Airport is only 15km away there are cheap flights from Kopenhagen, Berlin, Hamburg, London etc.
check it yourself. Easy for oversea teams as well

City:
Sopot is in the middle between Gdansk and Gdynia and both are big cities and each are 20-30km away, but I think you do not need to leave Sopot as there will be so much entertainment there ! Center of Sopot with really really many bars and restaurants etc. is only 1km from club, so you will not need a car all week and do not have to worry about some or more beers...

Prices:
Piotr said they will do entry fee of 250 Euro, but that will include everything and food and happy-hour every day
and 2 evening partys, and cost do not matter all anyway, as I have been out on friday night and it was great - still in November bars where full and good party. Beer in bar is only 1 Euro, good longdrink 1,5-2 Euro.
Dining: main course maybe 5-6 Euro.
This all comes with many many really nice eyecatchers......

In summer also many bars on the beach and at the large pier.

Sailing:
The ramp on the beach is only 50-100 meter from dinghy park. The bay is really big and open and the beach is endless. They can place the race area whereever suitable depending on direction.

POL Nationals: Saturday & Sunday
Monday: A quick measurement
Euro Racing: Tuesday til Saturday 9 races
with large party Saturday night, so you can still be back home for work by mondaymorning. So Euro can be done with only 5 days away from work for everybody, but why not come earlier or stay longer and do some holiday there at the "POL Riviera"?

So in general I think we can expect to have a perfect location with good timing at end of August not too far to drive and many friendly people running it and a really cheap place to go. But with the best party option we can get anywhere !

Many man thanks to Piotr!!
good to see another country within the 505 class developing so even if some other countries slow down a bit due to problem with many new classes or with enough team but nobody really sailing internationally, in general the class stays strong and not decreasing.

Please do not reply to me
I?m too busy to reply and be the tourist office

Club: www.skz.sobot.pl
Stadt Sopot / Info it@sopot.pl

Regards Holger