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Previous Issues: 1998, Volume 20 No 1 January 1999, Volume 20 No 2 February/March 1999, Volume 20 No 3 June/July 1999, Volume 20 No 4 September 1999
Editorial
SYO Chair's Chatter
Jamie Stevenson's Swedish Sunset
WOC'99 Post Script
Electronic Punching or To dob or not to dob
Fixtures
SYO Club Championships - Greno Woods - Jenni Fiander
Mistake of the Month
MALHAM MOOR - AIRE Badge Event - 14 November 1999 - Doreen
Best
Karrimor 99 - 30-31 October - Cowal Peninsula, Argyll - Guy
Seaman
Al's Progress - Brian Shaw
Letter from Sweden
Colour Badges - Colin Best
SYO KIT
New Members
New Committee
SYO News has a new editor. And a new Chair. Naturally my first job is to thank my predecessors Colin and Doreen Best who will be a hard act to follow especially as this was their second crack at the Newsletter. Thanks also to Sally Soady who stepped down at the AGM after two years at the SYO helm. Jenny James and Dave Peel have taken over as joint Chair. Please give them your support. The only other change on the committee is that Helen Hargreaves takes over the Women's captaincy. Charlie stays on as overall team captain.
This is the seventh job I've had on the committee, I must be some sort of masochist I suppose. Anyway I'm setting out with a first flush of enthusiasm and determined not to be confounded by the technology.
Those of you who thought I was computer illiterate, some latter day Luddhite, are going to be proven wrong! I know what a floppy disc is and it's not floppy. I've even got an e-mail address (b.shaw@dyson-group.com). Please send your article as a file attachment (that's the little paper clip thing on the tool bar) to your e-mail preferably as a Wordpro or Amipro document. Rigorous tests have shown that I can read Word so long as it is not the 97 version. So version 6.0/95 is OK. I will gladly accept floppy discs and even hand written material through the post (for those of you too young to know that's where you put it in an envelope, buy a stamp, lick it and stick it in one of those red boxes you see by the side of the road).
In addition to a comprehensive Fixture List and Event Reports the intention is to have regular and possibly exciting features on such diverse subjects as:-
Love to hear from you. Articles do not have to be long.
Copy date for next Newsletter Jan 10th 2000. Publication Date Jan 28th 2000.
Brian Shaw
First I'd like to mention that we're as surprised as you may be reading this to discover that the Chair has changed. I went along to the AGM quite innocently a few weeks ago with no particular agenda and came out volunteering that Dave Peel & I stand for one year as joint Chair of SYO. Last time I went to an AGM there were 30 people, old and new club members discussing issues that involve everyone. This year was not so good; there were 9: 7 committee members, Hilary Bloor and myself, and the Chair was resigning. Our club has so much potential, talent, experience and enthusiasm that should be grabbed. I could not watch it go to waste. We have to do something, hopefully together the Committee & you, the members, can make things happen for SYO.
Vision:
SYO is a very successful club however we could do better as the low attendance
at the AGM indicated. A club should not just be about a small number of relay
teams competing together. It's great that we have so many talented, fit and motivated
individuals in our club but we need to utilize this to our advantage. We have
no intention of making SYO a club only for the elite. We need to stop relying
on the few individuals who have over the past put so much into the club and take
action.
We need to look at the following:
Why Joint?
Dave & I both travel away with work at least 1 week in 3. Like many of you this
makes it difficult to commit to outside activities especially as we are both still
active members of the British Team. Next year we will both spend several months
on team training camps and World Cup Races. So sharing a post seemed logical and
given the situation it was at least a temporary solution for SYO.
Thank you to Sally Soady for all her hard work on behalf of the club and I'm sure we'll be seeing her around as an active member of the club.
Who are we?
Jenny James
Former Clubs: SN, CUOC
Joined SYO: 1992
BOF Member: 1968
British Team: Junior 1985, Senior 1990, Competed in 5 World Championships, best
place 16th, relay 4th
Profession: Chartered Management Accountant, Stanley Tools
Experience: Chair of British Orienteering Squad 1997-1998
David Peel
Former Clubs: WCH, Clyde, FVO
Joined SYO: 1997
Started O-ing: 1972
British Team: Junior 1984, Senior 1988, 3 World Champs, Best place 13th World
Cup Classic NZ
"The sun is setting off the stern of the Princes of Scandinavia in a suitably cinematic end to this WOC campaign. I must confess that I'm nervous but I'm looking forward to the next episode".
You may have read Jamie's poignant article in CompassSport written in the aftermath of the World champs on his way to a new life in Sweden. He will be working as an English teacher at Folk Universitet and will join IFK Hedemora with the aim of taking his orienteering to a new level. He believes that only with the tougher competition in Scandinavia can he make the improvements necessary to compete at the very highest level. We all wish you well Jamie and hope you will achieve your ambitions in Finland 2001. You know you will be welcomed back at any time - especially to run for SYO!
For many people one of the most enduring memories of WOC'99 will be the song played during the medal ceremonies, especially that medal ceremony. Do you ever find when you're out orienteering that some inane tune keeps going through your mind totally destroying your concentration? Well in Scotland this was that tune. So just as you thought you had erased it from your memory here to remind you are the (alternative) words to Mairi's Wedding ....which will surely inspire you to get out there and run...
Cross the valley, leap the stream
Through the woods and down the glen,
Hasten on as fast you can
O'er the purple heather.
Hill and valley, mountains fine
Wood and forest, oak and pine
Lochs and rivers splash and shine
Through the purple heather.
Glimpse the deer among the trees,
Curlews calling, salmon leaping
Eagles soaring on the breeze
O'er the purple heather.
Flowers and berries, bracken too
Swirling mist and sparkling dew
Racing clouds or skies of blue
O'er the purple heather.
Acknowledgments Anon "The Irish Orienteer"
Next month: "Danald where's your troosers"
A strong view in favour of E-punching from Henry Marston.............
By now, a good proportion of SYO members will have experienced electronic punching. At the Scottish 6-day, it was primarily adopted for organisational reasons to save having a marquee full of volunteers checking control cards and eventually posting the result. Course planners incorporated some of the benefits, for example with cross-overs that they might not otherwise have used, and the 'Finish in the Forest' on Day 6 for the blue start (albeit taking advantage of using the worst terrain for them).
JK2000 will have e-punching, and BOC2000. I see that SYO are hosting the British Night Championships in 2001 and the British in 2002. Dare the organiser of these events risk voided courses for misplaced controls when with e-punching there is the possibility of just voiding the affected legs? Not ideal, better to get it right, and not the main reason for going electronic, but it provides the finger-biting organiser some insurance (as well as the manpower saving). For planning at either Cawthorne or Wharncliffe, the greater scope offered by e-punching could substantially improve the quality of courses (especially long at Cawthorne, veteran at Wharncliffe).
However, from what I have seen, the advantages for smaller events may be proportionately greater than for large events. Thus, at Swindale, the start was in a potentially exposed location, but the 'go when you are ready' informality meant that it was not necessary to provide shelter. The Finish in the Forest meant that the short courses could stay in the best terrain, and avoided racing down a potentially dangerous slope. For colour coded events, the saving on the organisation side is dramatic. Someone overseeing the start (to stop master maps getting pinched), rarely any need to man second MM's (probably adjacent to the start, if needed to avoid confusion), a safety person at the finish (in the event of injury, there needs to be somewhere to report). OK, results needs an 'expert' with a computer, who can produce a floppy disk of the full results immediately after the last competitor finishes. And with our areas I would advocate several patrollers to keep an eye on the control boxes, which need to be put out on the day and collected as soon as possible at close of business. As I see it, it is not a case of IF we go over to e-punching, but WHEN. Do you think many UK O-events will use cards and punches in 2009? Some nostalgia events, perhaps, but the norm will be electronic. Which system, Emit or SportIdent? Possibly neither of the current systems, but a development for British conditions adapted to overcome certain drawbacks.
For example:
So why this message? The opportunity to get an insight into the operational side of e-punching. It is planned to use the SportIdent system at the Round Rotherham event on 11th December, an 80 km trail race in 8 stages. The duration of the event means that there should not be time pressure and therefore it should provide an ideal opportunity to get acquainted with the operation of the system. Such experience could be valuable for anyone thinking of offering to plan or organise at either Cawthorne or Wharncliffe, or helping/leading the finish or results teams at either event. Michael Napier (NOC) has agreed to come as 'expert', running the system and providing guidance to anyone who wants to learn. Unfortunately the event clashes with the SYO club championships, but the interested observer can see the start of the Round Rotherham (06:00 to 08:30 for different groups, the last group being a relay), go to Greno for the club champs and possibly return for the finish (from 14:00).
Information about the Round Rotherham (individual and relay) is on http://www.hmarston.freeserve.co.uk/rhac/index.htm Enjoy the links to Michael Napier's animated web-site demonstrating e-punching.
Henry Marston
Mark Chapman agrees.....
Totally agree with points. The EM & YH are behind the times. It is a case of when. Probably we will find out later that the BOC 2002 must have e-punching. So let's try it now.
Another quite different view from Andy Russell.......
As occasional orienteers the Russell family really enjoyed using E-punching at this year's Scottish 6-day event. I am certain that E-punching will become the norm for larger events (say Badge events and above) in the same way that pre-marked maps now are. However I am not yet convinced that the extra burden placed on event officials would justify its use at a local level. After all the only real benefit at club level is saving on the results team.
I get the feeling that the club has enough problems in getting officials for events without asking them to get to grips with a new electronic system as well - remember that not all orienteers in SYO own a PC, have access to e-mail or are computer literate!
Cost also needs to be taken into account - unless grants are available E-punching will ultimately have to be paid for by the competitors in one form or another. I assume that this is the main reason why it is only being introduced at regional level at the moment.
Whilst I accept that the club needs to move forward I would prefer that its limited resources would be better employed at the present time by putting on regular local events, updating older maps and even mapping some new areas. I don't want to stand in the way of progress but I don't see E-punching as a top priority at the moment - after all our sport is all about competitive navigation not playing with fancy gismos.
Andy Russell
And the official party line......
The SYO position is one of "wait and see" - rather like New Labour and the Euro. In view of the high capital outlay it is not realistic for the club to purchase the equipment outright even if it wanted to. Options include purchase by the regions or hiring either from another region or anyone else. It could be envisaged for example that someone will set up in business to supply an e-punching service in the same way as mapping and event entry - "Dobbers 'r' us" perhaps.
Like everyone else who tries it I love e-punching not just for the "beep" but because of the chance to compare split times. I believe Henry has gone on record about this being an invasion of privacy and one has to say it can be very revealing. I was walking back from the finish recently with one of my rivals on M55 (not SYO) and he was telling me how unfit he was and how he was still recovering from injury etc etc. The split times showed that on the longest leg, a murderous 1.2k mainly uphill, he did one of the fastest splits around 12 minutes. On the next leg, an easy 150 metres, he took only a marginally shorter time. Mmm..
By now we all know most of the advantages/disadvantages of e-punching but what practical options should the club be considering?
Editor
- see the special Fixtures page.
Saturday Dec 11th 1999
Organisers: Jenni and Gordon Fiander, 0114 2468463
Parking: Grenoside Community Centre, Main Street, Grenoside, GR332 938
Pub: The Old Red Lion, Main Street, Grenoside, GR331 942
Start: Allow 10 mins. Closer parking available to families with young children
at the pub.
Entry: Ring Jenni and Gordon for a (free) entry. You will be allocated
an appropriate course and handicapped start time. Ring again during the week before
the even for your start time which will be between 10am and 11.15. Collect your
control card, descriptions and map before you start. Master maps will be used
so bring a pen. The longest course has second M/M. Shortest courses can copy there
courses before starting.
Map Corrections: Definitely worth looking at. Many small paths have disappeared,
others appeared so do not rely on them.
Meal: Everyone is invited to the meal at the pub which you will pass on
the way to the start. Choices available:
Steak and kidney pie £3.95
Tuna and pasta bake £3.95
Lasagne £4.75
Vegetable Lasagne £4.75
All served with salad/vegetable and chips (or new potatoes on request). Please
ring Jenni to confirm numbers and preferences.
Prize giving: Will follow the meal. These are all the prizes for the year.
Help: Non runners are particularly welcome to the meal especially if they
would like to help. Help is needed at the Start/Finish, control card issue and
the string course which is next the start/finish. Offers of help to bring in controls
and check cards would be gratefully accepted. Ring us now!
OK I'll start the ball rolling. Having arrived two hours early for the Kyloe National Event in (upper) Northumberland and having lots of time to hang around at the start and hearing the man say "pick up your map and make sure it's the right one...." umpteen times - I picked up the wrong map. I found the first control but of course the control code didn't match the one on my wrist. So I unfolded the map to read the control description which was when I realised I had M50 not M55. Back to the start, pick up the right map, look at my watch..over 5 minutes already and I have yet to start. All that way.........
Bradfield Students first badge event.
As usual, half the students on the bus had already delved into their lunch boxes by the time we reached the Stocksbridge by-pass and as Daniel was pushing the last of his sandwiches into his mouth on the approach to Leeds they were asking "Will Wilf's be there?" I wondered if the Bradfield students only went orienteering to socialise on the bus and patronise Wilf's cafe! But as we got nearer to Malham and they could see the sort of area they would be running on, and the possibility of mist, and the fact that it was a badge event, it was obvious they were taking orienteering very seriously (in other words, they went very quiet). Not only had they not been to a badge event before, this was also the first time they would be using electronic punching, and it was also the most exposed therefore potentially the most dangerous area they had run on. There was also great potential for losing the electronic "dibblers" (sorry Doreen obviously you mean "dobber" Ed.) at £14 a time! Despite the different ages of the students, they were all doing the same course, apart from Clare who was running W14A, and Daniel, the youngest of the group, who was running in M12B.
The students set off in various stages of nervousness and stress, despite Colin having gone through the start routine very carefully and telling them to look at the Yellow course maps to see where the start and finish were. Actually, they looked pretty smart in their new SYO tops, a collection of yellow stormtroopers. I was worried about the limestone pavement - not just because it is a rare geographical phenomenon - but because I had visions of the children slipping in between the cracks, never to be seen again. I finished my own run fairly quickly and waited in the bus. In they came, each and every one of them having had a good run, found all the controls, and obviously enjoyed themselves. One or two of them said that they had made mistakes but had had the confidence to retrace their steps and make corrections. Now they could concentrate on what they really came to Malham for. Wilf's!
The whole point of the day, I felt, was that the students felt that they had done well in a difficult and bleak landscape, in poor weather conditions (although the mist kept at bay, it was drizzly and windy), but most of all had satisfied themselves that they could do well at a big event. Needless to say, they were noisy on the bus home, but who cares, I had had a good run myself. And they still talk about the training weekend in the Lakes!
Doreen Best
Ed: Supervising students certainly did not affect Colin's ("Mr Best") orienteering; he had a stormer on M50 coming in 4th in only 64 minutes for 8.3km.
After the amazingly stormy weather of KIMM 98 in the Howgills could KIMM 99 be as bad.
This year my longstanding KIMM partner of 5 years or thereabouts, Bill Hanley, finally found an excuse he thought good enough for him to stay at home. So Chris Barber agreed to join me for two days of sun, good food and enjoyment on the untested hills and valleys of the Cowal Peninsula, north west of Glasgow. The bad news was that Chris considered my usual event, the Short Score, a namby pamby event, not suitable for an athlete such as he, so into the Long Score, a man's event I was entered. A change from 5 hours and finishing in daylight on the Saturday and 4 hours on the Sunday, to 7 hours and a race against darkness on the Saturday, followed by 6 hours on the Sunday - yes, really, 13 hours.
We set off from Sheffield on the Friday afternoon, with Kevin Saville of DPFR, who was planning to meet his partner at the Friday night campsite, before setting off on the Saturday morning. It started raining as we reached Manchester and became steadily heavier and the wind stronger as we drove north until visibility was down to about 50m by Kendal. It stopped raining briefly on Saturday evening for an hour or two before starting again in earnest on Sunday at about 9am.
As we drove north the temptation to spend the night not under canvas overwhelmed Chris and Kevin. I tried to persuade them that getting thoroughly wet on the Friday night was all part of the fun and that Bill would never have set such a poor example, but they were insistent. We tried a Travel Inn first in Greenock, just before the ferry crossing. Space was available but we opted for a bed and breakfast in Gourock at half the price! We were sorted out with the accommodation by about 9.30pm so into Gourock for a pint and fish and chips. Beer not too bad but do not ( not, not!! ) have the deep fried pizza. How do they manage to make something that looks slightly edible taste like that ? Early to bed and up at 7am for the full cooked breakfast, then off to the ferry for the 7.45am sailing to Dunoon. This luxurious living was only possible because we had late starts.
At registration in good time, parked the car in what was obviously going to turn into a swamp by Sunday evening ( are KIMM organisers and the local farmers with their tractors in cahoots as in 98 ? ), and made a leisurely walk to the start. Somewhat different to last year when the retiral rate at the start must have been 10 - 15%.The rain was on standby at this time.
The Cowal Peninsula is dominated by Lock Eck which is some 6 or so miles long and runs north to south. This makes planning difficult for the score courses and for the longer courses if dead running around the loch is to be avoided. The terrain generally is very steep to steep, tussock in the open areas and full of brashings, slippery branches, rocks, moss, bracken and boulders in the forested sections. This made all the courses tough.
Then we were off at 10.35am and it started raining. First decision - do we go north or south, as the start was near the coast to the east of the middle of Loch Eck, and the overnight camp was to the north of the Loch. A quick count of possible points - "if we go to the south and pick up that 35 pointer one click to the south of those other two, we will have time do those 4 controls on the ridge on the western side and still do the 4 controls near the camp ". So two and a half hours later as we battled against the wind and rain down towards the southern end of the loch, without that 35 pointer, fresh plans were unveiled: "if we run like hell along the road at the side of the Loch we may just make some of those controls near the camp." Now this was more like it - a 5 mile road run. Bill was really missing something. However, running 5 miles on roads whilst carrying a rucksack soon loses its appeal. After much walking ( and cajoling from Chris ) and nipping up a track a short way from the road we arrived with just under 2 hours to go at the start of a long climb with 115 points available. Would we make it? Plenty of time said I, and so it proved to be as we stumbled 110 minutes later into the campsite during a temporary respite in the rain. 225 points but no idea how this compared with anyone else.
Up with the tent, get the water, off with the wet clothes and into the sacks. Soon warmed up, 'cos I had my Gore-Tex bivvy bag! So what had we bought along for the meal? Cuppa soup, cream of chicken I believe, followed by Pot Noodle a la KIMM, then one of the famous Raven dehydrated meals, then ... yes, Chris had carried two non - dehydrated rice puddings in their yoghourt sized containers. Chocolate bars, tea, coffee, a wee dram and off to sleep at about 9pm.
Slept a bit during the night, but the sounds of roaring wind, flapping tents, lashing rain, lightning flashes and the final thunderclap overhead did not help. Did the hero's bit and checked the guy ropes and tent pegs during the night. (Ed. i.e. got up for a pee ).
A problem with the KIMM is that it is on the weekend when the clocks change. This means you lay in your sleeping bag an extra hour shivering and wondering if the rain will stop. Up at 6am to the sound of bagpipes. Is it a tape they play or is it for real ? It didn't last long and I am not surprised in that rain! Off to the officials tent at 6.30 to see how we got on, whilst Chris looked after our tent. Not off until 8.40, so plenty of time to laze about and get used to those wet clothes that had to be put on, to avoid carrying them.
The moment of truth and we are at the start. We're off. Only 6 hours to go and it will all be over. Do we go away from the finish or towards it? Let's go north away from the finish. Run around at the first control for 5 minutes or so, but can't find it. Then the Planner arrives with a new kite, so it was the right place after all. Two and a half hours later and we are heading off south in earnest. If we are to get back in time the only option is to run along a forest ride off the ridge to avoid the gale and rain. So down we go, about 150m of descent, to a big ride. This we run along for about 20 minutes until, oh, no ... it meets a huge gorge, then re-starts on the other side. There is no way across, so after 10 minutes going down and 10 minutes going up the side of the gorge in the brashings, windblown etc, commonsense prevailed and we went back along the track, up through the jungle to a higher track. Into the finish zone, within 5 miles of the finish with less than 2 hours to go. More tussocks as we leave the track and head off for a 25 pointer. 90 minutes to go. Do we try for a final climb before the long run in. Let's go for it. Bit of a poor route choice, this. Crawling on hands and knees for 150 m up a small ( very small ) stream through shoulder to shoulder fir, then across more tussock and all for 35 points. Its all downhill from here and it's only 600 m to the road, then 4.5 km to the finish. Should be possible as there is about 45 minutes left. Unfortunately this happened to be the roughest bit of forest in Scotland so 25 minutes later we reached the road. I did not enjoy the next 25 minutes as we arrived back 5 minutes late. Still, the rain had stopped.
We had no idea in what position we had finished but were pleased it was over. Curiously I did not feel as tired as I had in previous years. I put this down to the rice pudding. A quick drink and the finisher's sandwich, then back to the parking field to try to coax the car out. No problem for us, but the tractors were doing a good trade. Home by midnight. The internet results said we were 78 minutes late, but we have subsequently discovered that we should have been in the chasing start as we were 14th overnight ( amazing ) and were timed from an earlier start that we were told on the day. It's all been corrected now and we finished 30th out of 250 - not bad for old timers. Guy Seaman M50 ( and Chris Barber M47).
Will I do it next year?
My mate Al had a problem. Well still has really. He reckons he's too slow. No-one's arguing. Not me and especially not his offspring. Rog and Pauline, having at last reached independent status, are more prepared to venture opinions these days. They implied that the area used for the fourth day of Highland '99 - Plodda - could have referred to his running speed. Thus stung, Al turned to his best mate for advice. Well what should one have said? Euphemisms such as "lifestyle" slip out but eventually the nettle had to be grasped. Al had to lose weight. The opportunity was there, now that he had given up commuting weekly to Dublin, for a new leaner start. The progress whilst not spectacular has been, well, satisfactory: down from 14 stone to 13 10. The improvement in his orienteering has been more impressive: only a couple of minutes off championship at Kyloe and a gold at Malham despite a 5 minute error. What's more the splits, those oh-so-revealing splits, indicate that far from tiring during the course of an event he is actually accelerating. So watch this space for further progress. Christmas could be crunch time although 5 days eating out in Seoul, en route to New Zealand and the WMOC, may actually be quite conducive to losing weight. Let us know when you get back Al.
Monika Cooper promised me one but I haven't had it yet. Next time Monika?
Colin has taken over the distribution of colour badges. You can apply for a colour badge by achieving colour standard in three separate events. Colour standard means either finishing in the top half of the field or inside the winner's time +50%.
SYO T-SHIRTS
There are still a few of the new T-shirts available. They are long sleeved and
are navy blue and printed in yellow front and back. Available in medium and large
only. Available from Hilary Bloor hilary@glenthorne.freeserve.co.uk
at a subsidised cost of £4 courtesy of the UK Relay league winnings. Can be picked
up at the Club Champs Dec 11th.
SYO FLEECE HATS
Black and yellow available from Jo Stevenson. Price £6 of which £1 goes to the
British squad. Contact Jo at Joanne.stevenson@medeva.com
SYO JACKETS
Hilary Bloor hilary@glenthorne.freeserve.co.uk
is also taking orders for SYO jackets. These will be in showerproof material in
yellow/black and should be available by the time of the CompassSport cup match
on March 19th 2000.
Welcome to the following new members:-
GAUNT John, Jacquie, Andrew, Abbey, Lucy
NEELY Caroline
REEVE Julie
RYMAN Charlie, Alan, Jo LEWIS
WEEKS Ian
WHITE Stephen, Cheryl, Anthony, Lucy
YEARDLEY Phil
The new committee was sworn in at the AGM:
Chair - Jenny James/Dave Peel PeelLandSurveys@compuserve.com
Secretary - Natasha Davidson ndavison1@cc.ernsty.co.uk
Treasurer - Stan Maycraft s.maycraft@virgin.net
Permissions - Martin Ward Martin@shefd.demon.co.uk
Fixtures - Phil Haywood philh@sypte.co.uk
Newsletter - Brian Shaw b.shaw@dyson-group.com
Coaching - Bill Hanley 01433 650316
Membership - Rob and Jo Mcpherson rob.mcpherson@dial.pipex.com
Club Captain - Charlie Adams CharlieAdams@compuserve.com
Women's Captain - Helen Hargreaves helen.hargreaves@arup.com
Last modified: July 25 2003 10:22.
