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Officials Comments

Organiser & Stand in Planner:

Comments to follow

Steve Bones

Planner:

I was greatly honoured to be able to plan LOG's first ever C3 event in Stapleford Woods, although my personal circumstances meant that I was unable to be present for most of the day itself. Sometimes a planner might be glad not to be available as people finish, but I always genuinely seek out the comments of orienteers who have just run my courses, and I missed this aspect of the day. Having said that, all of the comments I received, albeit third hand, were very positive. Stapleford is no TD5 area, but hopefully people found enough to challenge them, and although there are no contours (none at all!) there is plenty of everything else.

BOF guidelines say that M21L should be won in 68 minutes, so I hope that Richard Robinson's 70.23 shows that I put a bit of thought into it, but of course there is always some luck on the day with details like this. I haven't had time to go over the finishing times with a fine tooth comb, but things look pretty reasonable at first sight. Having got the course distances roughly sorted out my main aim was to give people interesting courses, with the usual attempts to vary leg length and change direction regularly. In an area like Stapleford there have to be many compromises, avoiding the worst of the brambles and brashings, taking as many people as possible through the nice bits without overcrowding them etc. Comments I received suggested that I was successful on the whole, but I know the bits I would have avoided given an ideal world.

I managed to get out into the competition area late in the day to take photos, and was gratified to see people splitting up on legs, there weren't too many crocodiles which is good. I also saw some bizarre route choices, including re-locating off the main road, and a few people running down it despite the threat of disqualification. It was a shame that a small number of people felt the need to dice with death in this way, but as my wife was one I can't say too much!

It will be good to see how the rough open areas develop over the next few years. The stumpbanks are becoming less spikey and heathland vegetation is starting to establish itself. I just hope that the grasses, heathers and silver birch win the race and keep the brambles and rhodos to a minimum. Imagine trying to negotiate those stumpbanks in an open forest, that could be real fun.

Congratulations to all course winners, and I hope that everyone enjoyed their time in the beautiful Spring sunshine, a rarity at recent Stapleford events. Traditionally this is also the time when I thank the organiser and controller, but it is particularly heartfelt this year because of the extra work I sent JW and Steve's way as my personal situation intruded more than I would have liked. It is always a pleasure to be controlled by John, he knows the game inside out and is a lovely chap as well. Steve started out as organiser and then ended up effectively being planner on the day, quite a feat, I owe him a beer at least, but I'm sure he'll get his own back on me in due course. Thanks also to everyone in LOG who helped out infront of and behind the scenes, and to the numerous non-LOG helpers from around the region who rallied round to help our small club put on this event.

John Bennett

Controller:

The Controller is left with little to comment about when an event runs smoothly! Stapleford had all the hallmarks of one which could pose problems -  the first Regional event ever run by LOG, the Planner not being present on the day, two changes of Organiser (one at very short notice) - but despite all this the groundwork had been done in advance and just about everything ran like clockwork. Car parking could have been difficult, the Forestry Commission having blocked the exit of the one-way system, but even that was overcome. As a novice orienteer I competed at Stapleford on Mick Lucking’s 1977 map on which the predominant colour was dark green, and since then have run there occasionally. With each visit the runnability has improved, and although the wood fails to provide much technical difficulty, a few places make you slow down and think. Chief amongst these are the low stumpbanks, and the clearings and gullies on the eastern side of the map. Despite runnability being spoiled in places by brashings or brambles, John succeeded in making the direct route the optimum, and I cannot agree with the occasional comment that kites were hung too low, as anywhere higher would have made them no challenge at all! So congratulations to John for his map and courses, to Steve for acting as Assistant Planner on the day, to the catalogue of Organisers, Steve, Karl and Richard, and everyone else in LOG who obviously put in so much effort to provide an excellent day’s orienteering. As one person emailed me afterwards, it just shows what a small, enthusiastic club can do.

John Ward (NOR)