For all those signed up to go to Lanza Feb 27 - March 7 2021, please read!

It's been a difficult year for us all, with covid restricting our training and almost all racing cancelled. Some of us may even have lost loved ones to covid. I am sure all of us were hoping that covid would be subsiding by now and that the training camp at Club la Santa in Feb/March would go ahead as planned, not least because for many of us it would be the first trip abroad for a bit of sunshine in over a year. Alas, covid infections are still on the rise and travel options to Europe are in doubt due to covid + Brexit; there is considerable risk that if we go ahead and pay the balance to CLS and book flights that travel might not be possible on the day. CLS are due to open on Jan 20th, and if they have to close again and this causes the cancellation of our trip, they will give a full refund. However, if we cancel due to interrupted travel plans, we don't get a refund from CLS and most travel insurance will not cover cancellation costs due to covid.

So we have to consider the options:

Option 1 is simply to roll the trip over to the same (or similar) dates in 2022. CLS will keep the deposit that has been paid. For those who can't go (or don't want to go) in 2022, the trip can be re-advertised and it is likely that other club members will want to take their places and will cover the £100 individual deposits already paid. CLS are alreay taking bookings for winter/spring 2022, but if we confirm the roll-over now, we will be able to get the accommodation/swimming lanes we want.

Option 2 is to postpone the camp until later in 2021. The problem with this option is that by summer many people will already be racing (hopefully!) and will not want to go on a training camp. Also, we don't know how long the covid disruption will continue during the course of 2021.

Option 3 is to carry on as though the camp will still happen in Feb/March 2021, paying the balance to CLS in late Dec. If during January it becomes evident that travel is unlikely to be possible, we would still have the option of changing the dates of the trip with CLS to later in 2021 or to 2022. The risk is that by then the preferred dates in 2022 would already be booked up and we would have to go in late spring rather than Feb/March.

We need to bear in mind that any training camp in Lanza this spring will have to follow social distancing protocols, and we wouldn't be able to gather together in large groups for dinner etc, and would probably have to do activities in groups of six max.

Another consideration is the fairly chaotic state of flight bookings at the moment. Friends of mine travelling back to Europe for Christmas report that flights regularly get cancelled and it can be a struggle to get re-booked for dates that work. You could end up not flying out or back on the dates you want to coincide with the training camp if it were to go ahead. Word is that BA give you alternative flight options if they cancel a flight, whereas with Ryanair or Easyjet you are on your own.

My personal preference is to go for Option 1. By Feb 2022 there is every expectation that covid will be under control and travel will be relatively normal once again. If people are really keen to go tthis spring, they can book directly with CLS for themselves or for a small group, and deal with the altered dates or cancellations if the worst happens.

I am also speaking from a selfish point of view that Options 2 or 3 are likely to require a considerable amount of admin time to organise. Emily has kindly already been helping with the organisation for this year's camp, but neither of us have a load of spare time to deal with complicated arrangements. If someone is super-keen and has the time and willingness to step in to my shoes to organise option 2 or 3, I am more than happy for them to take over!

Please give feed back on the above so that I can confirm our intentions back to CLS later this week.

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Thanks for clearly defining the Options Charles. I agree Option 1 is the most favourable. 

Thank you Charles & Emily. 

Option 1 sounds good. 

Thank you Charles and Emily for all your effort. - Option 1 is the most reasonable due to the circumstances.
xx
(I'm not crying)

Thank you for organising Charles and Emily. Appreciate all the hard work and setting out all the available options. I think Option 1 sounds most sensible in the circumstances. 

My heart says option 3 (I need sun!) but my head probably agrees with Option 1... Thanks for putting this forward Charles 

Thanks for your responses everyone. I am sure most of us agree with Fran that our hearts want option 3 but our heads agree with option 1!

There seems to be a clear consensus for option 1, so I will get back in touch with CLS and roll the booking forward to 2022.

Remember that you have the option of booking your own week at CLS in spring 2021 if the conditions are looking favourable. CLS are trying to be as flexible as possible to ensure people come after they re-open on Jan 20th. You can be nimble with individual bookings in a way that we can't be with the group booking.

Hi Everyone,

I have provisionally booked 9no 3 person 'Comfort 2' apartments for the 27 people signed up for the Lanza training camp for these dates in 2022: Saturday Feb 26 - Sunday March 6.

The old Sports 2 apartments are being phased out and the newer Comfort 2 are a bit more expensive, so the balance that will need to be paid in December 2021 is £312.33 per head, on top of the £100 deposit already paid.

Once we get nearer the time (say October 2021) I will send a message round to check everyone is still on for the trip and if not, whether they can find a replacement Windrusher to take their place.

In the meantime, try to have a half-decent Christmas in spite of the current covid debacle and think of Canarian sunshine saved up for the future (I think it is called delayed gratification!)

Thank you Charles for all your efforts. I look forward to 2022 already.

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