Anonymous wrote:
Bonjour Éric,
I prefer not to register for the official semaine du golfe, it's too big an organisation and too rigid.
And even if my boat isn't ready, I'll meet you with pleasure too !
Bonjour Thomas
Last year, when I registered to the Semaine du Golf 2019, I was in a similar spirit to yours. (I'm also single handed sailor and in a very independent and lonely mind !).
In fact, for the Semaine du Golf it is as for Internet : "when it is for free you are the product". The real consumers are the spectators that are massed on the shore to look the passing boats. So the organisation is spreading the boats all over the Golf to provide a continuous show.
As you sleep on board, change berthing places every day, are moored on buoys and sail for long periods a day with your crew on your boat, the social time and organizational constraints are limited to the daily briefing (most of the time after breakfast or in the evening when the start time is early).
As the float is spreed in manny “flotillas” each one berthed in a location there is not the armada effect. As each flotilla has a flotilla manager that leads (officially) the flotilla with a motor boat we had no direct contact with the organisation. The only periods where all the boats are assembled at the same area is the monday picnic at the Ile d’Ars (rather crowdy but you may keep calm by yourself, as I did) and the final parade (where you are on your boat, first waiting to take your place in the huge boats snake then “sailing” with your flotilla to keep your place in the boat stream (not the most interesting but an experience).
I was in a limited 70 boats flotilla (let say 1980th boats). The dingy flotillas are much greater (up to 300) with a lot a Brits and Netherland participants. We were sailing by ourself (the Muscadet were racing between them), as I had no engine I had my “official” tuck, every body was there to have a nice time with his crew, very positive and pleasant bench of sailors.
I was sailing alone most of the time but on most of the boats there were several crews and in social times like breakfast or diners they would “clan” by boat.
As I spent 6 or 7 hours a day sailing single handed and being alone on my boy all night I never felt overwhelmed by the mass of the event.
The lunch stops and night mooring were organized by local volonteers teams that were very friendly and helpful.
My conclusion was that the Semaine du Golf is “solitaire” compatible.
Eric
PS : Bon travail !