These are now FINAL results. Queries to chairman@londonorienteering.co.uk
These results are now final and there are links below to the rankings page and the Badge times are shown at the foot of this page.
We had one control failure - control 136. It was replaced and so many of you will not have noticed, but for those that did suffer from this, apologies. We have inserted this control manually - so your total time is correct but the split times for the relevant legs to and from control 136 are of course invalid.
We aimed to have 4 PCs at the event, 2 acting as download stations with till printers and a laser printer generating results on the day. In the event I forgot that the Consortium printers all have parallel connectors whereas most modern laptops don't have these any more. So we actually used just 2 laptops, and only one download station with till printer. I think the download process went pretty smoothly with no significant queueing at any time - my reflection is that with the till printers being very quick, one can comfortably handle an entry field of 500 (as we had) with just one, so long as queries are moved immediately to one side at download for resolving out of the main 'flow'.
I am sorry that there were no results immediately on the day, but the weather was so inclement that I am not sure all that many of you would have been standing around discussing them anyway!.
Our registration process for entry on the day was slightly disorganised at the outset but got sorted thereafter -those who filled in the EOD form in the rain under a flapping tarpaulin will be glad to learn that we are putting some of the event proceeds towards some new Klubb tents !
The map was printed on Pretex waterproof paper from Quickmap in Germany. It was our third event on waterproof paper, but the first in which it was really tested - and I think we all know how thoroughly it was tested! I would be very interested in any feedback on the map paper - I heard no complaints (which was encouraging) but perhaps you have a view chairman@londonorienteering.co.uk
Thank you very much to the small but hardy group of volunteers that manned this event - given the almost continuous rain and the small number of helpers, I think it generally went pretty well. I hope you enjoyed it!
Glen Jones (PS - next LOK event - SE Relays 20 May - click for flyer)
[NB: All references to "I" refer to Pete; all references to "we" refer to both of us]
So, as the Irish fella said, "I wouldn't start from here". Nope, and we wouldn't have made you all start 1km from assembly had we known we would have to park on the forest tracks. Some of you guessed that the parking was originally intended for the Peaslake area (NW corner of the map) - you guessed correctly. All options in that area fell through and we only got the go-ahead to use the forest tracks 5 weeks before the event - the courses were virtually finalised by that stage and we decided the risks involved in a complete re-plan within the time constraints were not worth it. However, we had expected the parking on the tracks to be more compact around the reservoir, leaving a maximum 1.7km to/from the start/finish for only the very latest arrivals; we know some people had a bit more than this which is obviously not ideal - we hope you can understand the circumstances which led to this.
Holmbury is not the most technical area, but does test most O-techniques, in particular compass-work, and concentration! Our intention for all TD5 courses was to ensure you all had to navigate accurately, in terrain, for as much of the course as possible. Almost every comment we heard on the day or afterwards implied that we achieved this aim. Thank you all who took the trouble to let us know what you thought. There were varying comments about the runnability of the area - the whole spectrum from "It's very physical" to "It's very runnable". We're still of the opinion that, for the vast majority of legs, the best route was pre-marked on the map for you in magenta.
We had one "issue" regarding the courses/controls. We had a comment regarding the proximity and placement of 2 sites: 108 (knoll) and 159 (veg. boundary), in relation to BO rule 6.2.3 (the "30m rule") and 6.3.2 (the "hiding rule"). Two competitors mispunched here - punching 108 instead of 159. Keith initially alerted us to the the "vagueness" of the vegetation boundary, and the fact that there were a couple more knolls (albeit smaller) on the ground than on the map. We went ahead with the use of both sites after agreeing a "fair", highly visible (from the expected direction of approach) placing for both flags. At no point did we consider the "30m rule" as (a) the sites were 40m apart on the map, (b) we never considered the 2 features to be "a close combination of controls which could be confused by competitors". In reality, the sites were probably closer than 30m apart on the ground (though we never checked this as we didn't think we had any reason to), and the competitor who made the comment approached from a direction we didn't
expect! In retrospect moving the flag further from the tree would perhaps have been fairer. I am undecided as to whether we were culpable here - on the one hand we deliberately placed the flags to be as fair as possible, and the controls were on entirely separate dissimilar features all clearly seen on the map; on the other I should have accepted Keith's reluctance to use the veg. boundary and used another site - my responsibility and my apologies.
We were very fortunate with the weather - it meant we got to give the waterproof maps a thorough test. The vast majority of comments on how well they stood up to that test were very positive. I personally didn't
realise that you can "revitalise" the map by taking it into the bath with you after your run, then putting it in the airing cupboard for a couple of hours. Those competitors who discarded theirs in disgust in the Peaslake School refreshments bin after their run may like to try this technique. (We still have some unused course maps for anyone in this situation - available on receipt of an sae to: 8 Athenaeum Rd, Whetstone, London N20 9AE).
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Keith, our controller. He happily went beyond the call of duty both in advance of the event (lots of site-checking, OCAD-tweaking and advice-providing, helping and advising on various logistical issues, etc.), and on the day itself in emergency-box-hanging to enable you all to start on time, and wet-control-collecting. Primarily, however, he improved all your courses by (a) shepherding us away from a number of unsuitable, unfair, vague control sites, and (b) pointing out ways to make the TD1-3 courses fairer, and the TD5 courses more difficult,
than they would otherwise have been.
Big thanks also to our helpers (especially those getting increasingly cold and not getting to run), and our control-hanger (who very sensibly returned to base when he realised he was running late thus allowing you all to start on time) and control-collectors (many hands make light work).
This was my first attempt at planning a Regional/Badge event. The comments we've received have certainly encouraged me to have another go. Also, we had a large number of beginners at the event, specifically first-timers in family groups and the like. It probably has a lot to do with the nature of Holmbury, but every one of these groups we spoke to either in the woods or afterwards seemed to be having great fun whilst looking thoroughly bedraggled - very encouraging.
Pete Sacares and Matt Cook
Sunspot activity runs in eleven year cycles; so, too, it seems does the LOK badge / regional event on Holmbury activity. Eleven years ago sunspot activity was at a low, LOK put on a badge event on Holmbury, Saturday was fine, Sunday rain, Monday fine, parking on forest tracks.
Hmmm, I think I see a pattern here.
As far as I know there were no major problems and the minor ones were sorted 'toot sweet'. I hope the weather and the long schlep to / from the start / finish did not detract from your enjoyment.
Thanks (a) to all of you for coming, (b) to the Hurtwood Control land owners and Ranger for letting us put on the event, (c) to the controller for his help and guidance, (d) to the planners for putting on some spiffing courses, (e) to the helpers for, well, helping and finally, (f) to the Peaslake School PTA for providing the nosh.
I got home late, tired, v. wet and happy. Here's to the next Holmbury event and the next sunspot minima.
P.S. If you lost something let us know; we may have it.
Nick Vass
Results with split times - opens in new window
Winsplits - you can use this to see how you did against your competitors leg by leg
Splitsbrowser - this does the same thing but a different way
Rankings Page for this event & Main rankings page
String Course Results
|
Name |
Age |
Club |
Time |
|
Lauren Edwards |
2 1/2 |
Warriors |
25:00 |
|
Freddie Cocks |
1 4/12 |
GO |
26:00 |
|
Catriona Minty |
5 |
LOK |
9:00 |
|
Isabel Minty |
3.5 |
LOK |
20:00 |
|
James Errington |
9 |
HH |
4:00 |
|
Peter Errington |
8 |
HH |
7:00 |
|
Jemma Gostick |
6.5 |
HH |
6:00 |
|
Ben Gostick |
1.5 |
HH |
16:00 |
|
Alistair Cocks |
7 |
GO |
4:00 |
|
5 other no details |
|
|
|
Badge Times
Class Gold Silver Bronze M21L 94:12 113:03 150:44 M21S 65:51 79:02 105:22 M21V 42:31 51:01 68:01 M35L 96:45 116:06 154:48 M35S 65:30 78:36 104:48 M40L 88:08 105:45 141:01 M40S 59:40 71:36 95:28 M45L 80:31 96:37 128:50 M45S 51:58 62:22 83:10 M50L 77:10 92:37 123:29 M50S 49:49 59:47 79:43 M55L 65:16 78:20 104:26 M55S 42:10 50:36 67:29 M60L 72:18 86:45 115:41 M60S 41:09 49:23 65:51 M65L 63:34 76:17 101:43 M65S 46:07 55:20 73:47 M70L 60:59 73:11 97:35 M75L 77:48 93:22 124:30 W21L 90:30 108:36 144:48 W21S 58:25 70:06 93:28 W21V 42:23 50:51 67:49 W35L 85:28 102:34 136:46 W35S 55:13 66:16 88:22 W40L 78:00 93:36 124:48 W40S 50:24 60:28 80:38 W45L 64:21 77:13 102:58 W45S 46:41 56:01 74:42 W50L 64:42 77:39 103:32 W50S 36:47 44:09 58:52 W55L 76:51 92:13 122:58 W55S 53:03 63:40 84:54 W60L 65:33 78:40 104:54 W60S 45:16 54:19 72:25 W65L 68:32 82:15 109:40 W70L 79:41 95:37 127:30 W75L 72:12 86:39 115:32 JM1 18:41 22:25 29:54 JM2 26:53 32:16 43:02 JM3 48:35 58:18 77:44 JM4 38:16 45:55 61:14 JM5L 69:40 83:36 111:28 JM5M 60:45 72:54 97:12 JM5S 41:17 49:33 66:04 JW2 75:15 90:18 120:24 JW3 55:30 66:36 88:48 JW4 46:58 56:22 75:10 JW5L 75:47 90:57 121:16 JW5S 62:13 74:40 99:34