– by George Dyke

While the location and organizers remained the same this year, there was a change of venue for both the meeting and the Saturday dinner.   Both proved to be very successful.

The show field itself was moved to the Saratoga Racecourse; more specifically the park within the racetrack complex.   It allowed more shade than the outdoor locations of previous years in the Saratoga State Park.  And it also permitted use of the washroom facilities at the race track.   The location felt a bit more intimate and vendor tables seemed easier to browse.   And it was replete with the usual nice touches such as the dueling accordions of Norma and Peggy and afternoon entertainment and juggling with Susan & Joe, the Airborne Jugglers.  150 Citroëns registered for the event.

Rendezvous_2011_066 redux

View the full photo gallery here.

 

Featured anniversary celebration Citroëns this year included the AMI (50 years) the 2CV Truckette (60 years) and the D-series Cabriolet (50 years).

Two tech sessions dealt with the quirky AMI-6, given by yours truly, while Axel Kaliske gave a thorough talk on understanding the 2CV electrical system; particularly the coil and what you can do ensure that your 2CV starts every time.

The main banquet dinner Saturday night was also a change of venue this year.  It required a drive about 20 minutes south to Panza’s, located on Route 9P at Saratoga Lake.  Over 200 people enjoyed a Happy Hour cocktail party, the dinner itself, a Silent Auction, Raffle, an amusing performance by John Long and Greg Long giving  Pecka-Kucha presentations on John’s Classic Bowlus Trailer and Greg’s 1956 ID-19 and the reasons it should be preserved “as-is”.

Rendezvous has become a 4-day event that those with the time try to take in.  It commenced on Thursday June 16th with dinner at Lake Ridge Restaurant.  After dinner many checked out The Great Race, a vintage car rallye that was overnighting in Saratoga.

Friday afternoon was an Ice Cream Social staged at Mister Ed’s Drive-In on Lake Road.  That was followed Friday evening by the poolside registration (and pizza tailgate party) at the Springs Motel.

Sunday, Fathers Day, many revisited the show field location for a lite-breakfast snack and to have a final last tour of the R-11 Peoples Choice Award Winners.

There was also a touching moment where everyone paid tribute to John Mazmanian who passed away earlier this year.  The Citroën Autoclub Canada drove Maz’s 1973 Visa to Rendezvous and parked it in a special spot.  Maz was both an icon and a legend at Rendezvous since he had attended every Rendezvous and one year went down one weekend ahead of the event only to discover his error.  He drove all the way home then returned the next weekend.  We wanted this year to be a salute to Maz with an “extra year credit” so to speak.  We parked the Visa just like Maz would have stepped out of it, (with all the clutter inside), and we placed a large picture of Maz on it and had big memorial card that folks could sign.   Maz’s longtime friend Peter Fyfe travelled from Nova Scotia with his bagpipes and on Sunday morning he played a composition that he wrote specifically for Maz.  Then there was a minute of silence and then he played the traditional “Scotalnd the Brave” Scottish march…  It was dignified and impressive beyond words.

At that point I had to leave to begin the trek back home, but many stayed for a few more hours to enjoy the final Rendezvous event, a regional drive, before everyone dispersed for another year.

Once again, Robert Monteleone, Kim Walter and the entire drive-she-said group did an outstanding job organizing a weekend that brings all Citroën enthusiasts together.  When they began organizing Rendezvous, they had a vision of a collaborative effort, to work together and create a fun event for everyone in attendance.   We say mission accomplished!   And thank you!

___________________________________
Peoples Choice Winners – Rendezvous 2011:

T/A: 1938 Cabriolet  –  Daniel Noiseux – QC
2CV: 1958 2CV  –  Doug Davis – NY
A-Series Deriivative: 1969 Fourgonette  –  Neil & Ruth Bryson – ON
Early ID/DS: 1967 DS Cabriolet  –  Adam & Greg Long – VA
Late ID/DS: 1973 DS23  –  Claude Guillot – PQ
GS: 1973 GS 1220  –  Nebo Djurdjevic – ON
SM: 1974 SM EFI  –  Dave Hume – VA
CX: 1977 CX 2400  –  Alain Camus – QC
XM: 1998 XM  –  Dorothy Shelc – VT
European Auto: 1955 Peugeot 203 pick up  –  Michel Aube – ON
Favorite of Show: 1974 SM EFI  –  Dave Hume – KY

 

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