Last ever RTI race.

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Michael Brigg
Posts: 1663
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 7:11 pm
Location: Gosport, UK

Last ever RTI race.

Post by Michael Brigg »

The latest example of Monetisation of assets...

Plans for a bridge to the Isle of White mean that it will no longer be possible to hold this famous event. The future also of Ben Ainslies America's Cup hopes also lies in the balance as were he to bring this event home to Portsmouth it too would be unable to follow in its historical footsteps as the Eastern approach would be completely closed by the need to reserve the deep channel for shipping movement.

The most likely proposed route (coming ashore at Wooton Creek as seen here,) would also outlaw any sail boats or Tall ships with mast hight above 50ft. to sail to the shallower Northern Channel.

Image

It is expected that the bridge will be self financing by 2020, with a toll of approximately half the Wight link Crossing ticket value. The link would use land freed up by the closure of HNS Daedalus Fletet Airodrome in Lee on the Solent following the Meon Valley to link as a spur from the M27 with easy links to Southampton and an additional spur linking to a proposed Gosport to Portsmouth tunnell, bringing valuable trade and prosperity to both towns that have ailing economies and are known to be important marginal constituancies in the current election.

More significantly it was rumoured that a surge of sales in property on the Island has preceeded the announcement, much of which is now the hands of a consortium of companies tendering for the construction contract.

More on this topic here...

http://milfordonsea.blogspot.co.uk/2012 ... roved.html
Michael Brigg
davidh
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Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 10:43 am
Location: Ventor Isle of Wight

Re: Last ever RTI race.

Post by davidh »

Michael,

Oh the shame of it...you missed me on South Today pointing out that this is little more than 'pie in the sky'.

As I said then, to borrow a quote from Bill Clinton, "It's the environment, stupid". A bridge is a non starter, which leaves a tunnel. One only has to look at the pain that is going on regarding the A303 tunnel at Stonehenge (which is of the cheaper cut and cover variety) to see that the financial argument just doesn't stack up. The proposed mainland terminus area has more environmental protection that most sites that I know of, the fight over that would make the battle of 'Newbury Bypass' look like handbags at dawn. With whoever wins on May 7th facing major cuts in spending (despite what might or might not be promised) a fixed link is, at the earliest, some 15 to 18 years out. But then there are the views of the Islanders, a significant proportion of whom are implacably opposed to a fixed connection to the mainland.

Dream on - that or remember that April 1st jokes have to be set in place before midday!
D
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Michael Brigg
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Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 7:11 pm
Location: Gosport, UK

Re: Last ever RTI race.

Post by Michael Brigg »

Au Contraire David, I saw it and it gave me the idea to troll a hook into your pond! :twisted:

(Today in particular!)
Michael Brigg
davidh
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Location: Ventor Isle of Wight

Re: Last ever RTI race.

Post by davidh »

It's a big story here now. That funny thing that is happening 1st week in May - nah, not important. All of those dreadful people coming over from Gosport - now that IS a story!

They might even consider letting Roger Devereux back onto the Island...but things aren't that bad quite yet!

Actually. it would be great, we've quite a little enclave of classic-ers over here now. Come on over, you know you want to!

D
David H
roger
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Re: Last ever RTI race.

Post by roger »

This story has been running for years and years. I remember it being an April 1st joke when I was a boy.

It will never happen none of the corkheads want it. Don't want to flood the Island with overners.
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Obscured by clouds
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Re: Last ever RTI race.

Post by Obscured by clouds »

That fact that it stated that it would be " financialy self supporting by 2020 " was the real give away.

The first Severn crossing still has tolls - some 40 years after it was built!
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Pat
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Re: Last ever RTI race.

Post by Pat »

It will never happen none of the corkheads want it. Don't want to flood the Island with overners.
Apart from the other considerations of 1st April etc., they've only got to look to France and the Ile d'Oleron and Ile du Rhe as examples. When I first went there in about 1980 there was a hefty toll on the Ile d'Oleron bridge and it was rather like the Isle of Wight in being a peaceful, unspoiled, relatively refined place. When we went again in the nineties the bridge was free and the place had gone totally commercial and spoiled with all the seaside tat shops and so called entertainments of a would be Blackpool.
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chris
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Re: Last ever RTI race.

Post by chris »

Does a bridge mean the IOW would step up from the 1950's to, say, c. 1965 then? That would be progress!
davidh
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Location: Ventor Isle of Wight

Re: Last ever RTI race.

Post by davidh »

Sadly this is far from an April Fools Day hoke.

There is a small, but very vocal group who are raising quite a storm over here right now, with demands that financial common sense and any hint of environmental protection should be cast to the winds in the search for a 'drive through' solution.

The opposing view - which I personally endorse, is that in an era of savage cuts to public spending, shouldn't the first question be 'do a clear majority of Island residents want a Fixed Link, in other words, an Island wide referendum. Of course, that is enough to set the FL brigade off into a righteous outburst of 'it would be good for you'.

But - Isle of Wight politics have no place on this august forum, but it does have in part an association, for there are a lot of classic dinghy owners who live here - but who sail on the mainland (of which such esteemed group I happen to be a member).

D
David H
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