Dates for February 2011
Planned 6th and 13th February -
or 1 Week Vacation + 1 Week Camp

(These cover the week before and the week of the normal UK Half Term + for those who don't need to travel in school holidays)

Apart from nice weather and the chance to get away to the sun, everyone has different reasons for attending a training camp. Your aims are likely to vary dependent on your level of competition and the distance you propose to race. Here are some of the benefits you're likely to gain;

• Assess swim technique and critical swim speed
• Practice open water swimming
• Video Run Technique including slow motion video so you can see exactly what you're doing
• Learn Drills to improve your run and swim technique to practice when you get home
• Set Achievable goals for the season

Novice & Sprint Distance

• Have your swim technique analysed & learn corrective drills specific to you.
• Begin to run correctly to minimise chances of injury.
• Kick start your cycling and learn correct techniques for cornering, descending etc.
• Set yourself reasonable time targets for your season..

The dates we have pencilled in are for the start of the camps and assume you would take the Thompson flight on the Monday to start training on Tuesday. If you can't or don't want to travel on Monday then we can accomodate you and arrange special filming sessions for swiming, running and transitions specifically for you or your group. You just need to simply indicate which week you will arrive in.

Standard Distance

• Analyse stroke technique and realistic training and racing paces.
• Open water practice to sight, navigate and swim at the best possible speed.
• Assess swim, cycle and run speeds and look at maximising these over one season.
• Kick start your cycle at both the distance and intensity you need to race this season.
• Have your running analyses so you can maximise speed and endurance - with enough time to implement any necessary changes.
• Minimise your time through transitions.

Long Distance

• Cape Verde is a perfect replica of conditions in Lanzarote and Hawaii
• Cycle into a strong headwind for 1/2 your ride - then.....
• Zoom along with the wind at your back for speed training.
• Open water swim in 20 to 22 degrees.
• Kick start your distance training.
• Maximise your distance per stroke to swim at speed with minimum effort.
• Learn to run with good leg speed to save energy.
• Set realistic goals for your long distance races and plan to hit those goals in steady and achievable steps.

The Cape Verde Islands are a small archipelago about 350 miles off the coast of Africa and about 800 miles further south than the Canary Islands.

They have weather similar to the Caribbean but don't suffer the hurricanes that devastate that part of the world. In fact, it is said that all the hurricanes that hit the west coast of America actually begin as weather systems in the Cape Verde Islands

The Islands are volcanic but the only remaining active volcano is on the island of Fogo. The land is consequently made from volcanic rock making the landscape often similar to Lanzarote. The Cape Verdean people are very friendly and laid back with a "Mantra" of "No Stress". That means that visitors have to leave behind the busy-ness of big city life when they're here. everything happens at a much slower and probably healthier pace.

As a past colony of Portugal the Islands still have close ties to that country. Portuguese is consequently spoken by all Islanders, although the local language is a Portuguese Creole.

The local currency is the Escudo, but as this is fixed at 110 escudos to the Euro, the Euros is accepted everywhere and change is even given in Euros or Escudos.

Fresh fish is in abundance, carpacio of Tuna and Wahu being a tasty starter to any meal. Like everywhere restaurants range
from reasonable to expensive, those with beach views generally being higher priced.

In Cape Verde you can experience some of the best water sports in the world. If you have ever wanted to learn Wind or Kite surfing this is the place to come, with rounds of the World Championships being held there every year and winds nearly always suitable for both.

The Island of Sal has the most advanced infrastructure of all the Cape Verde islands. It is therefore the one that has the greatest current tourist trade, the best roads, hotels, restaurants, bars, banks and whose residents are most likely to speak English.

The town of Santa Maria covers the whole south end of the Island. It's miles of beaches that have powdery sand (left) are never crowded with beach beds stacked shoulder to shoulder. Here you can relax, take a wind surfing or kite surfing lesson or simply enjoy a swim in the Atlantic surf.

The locals bring fish into the pier and there is generally something going on, but you're always able to find a secluded spot to where you can read a book without being disturbed

Sal is only 30 km from end to end. The main town of Espargos is positioned roughly in the centre, with the airport about 2 km, the conurbation of Murdeira about 9 km and Santa Maria at about 18km. Roads between the two towns are very good, mainly a 4 lane highway with very little traffic. That makes a cycle ride from Santa Maria to Espargos about 18km long and you can add a trip to the main port of Palmeira, which is a further 5km down to the coast, making a round trip of about 46km.

From sea level the island rises to a maximum road height of 240ft and there is generally a wind blowing from the north east during the winter of between 15 and 25 mph.

Sal means "Salt" and the island is so called because salt was the main product of the island until fairly recently. You can still visit the old salt mines at Pedre de Lume, which is an interesting afternoon trip.

A visit to the main port of Palmeira is a must and if you wish to fish you can do so from the beaches or coast near Palmeira. Scuba diving and snorkeling are also popular pastimes, with the ocean being clear and visits to wrecks being easily arranged.

However, athletic pursuits are the most common pastimes, like windsurfing in the waves at Ponta Preta (left).

We've made it as simple as possible to calculate the price and make a booking, so we have prices for apartments dependent on the number of people sharing and an addition for the number of Camp participants in that apartment. So, from the table on the right you can calculate the complete price for any number of travelers. However, to make it even easier you can use our Price Calculator below:

If there are more than 4 sharing and you have children under 12 they will be charged at £25 per child. There is no extra charge for cots or extra beds, if you need any in the apartment.

Youngsters under the age of 16 are not allowed to share an apartment without at least 1 adult in the party.

Alternatively, if you are a club with many athletes then please contact us and we will see what we can do for the precise number in your party.

Prices are all based on a self catering basis and do not include flights.