BUCS 2012

[david_rosen]

I have not yet had a volunteer to stage the BUCS Championships in 2012. It would be good if we can appoint an organiser in time for this year's Championship at Edinburgh on 19/20 March.
If your University might be prepared to host the 2012 event, please get in touch.

David Rosen
dandmrosen@btopenworld.com
Chair BUCS Orienteering Sports Management Group

[Lucy.F.]

For anyone interested here's who's held it in the past 20 years:

2011: Edinburgh
2010: Bristol
2009: Oxford
2008: Sheffield
2007: Durham
2006: Edinburgh
2005: Warwick
2004: Oxford
2003: Sheffield
2002: Edinburgh
2001: Oxford
2000: Birmingham
1999: Newcastle
1998: Leeds
1997: Sheffield
1996: Edinburgh
1995: Lancaster
1994: Cardiff
1993: Newcastle/Durham
1992: Liverpool Polytechnic
1991: Sheffield/Sheffield Polytechnic

Interestingly enough Cambridge have never hosted according to the spreadsheet Ray Waight kindly provided me with! (The spreadsheet also extends back to the 1969 champs but thought it'd be too much to put them all on here! )

[Arnold]

you should see the terrain near Cambridge...

[Scott]

To be fair, the terrain immediately surrounding Oxford isn't that great either - except for Shotover, obviously, which is lovely but probably a bit small from BUCS. Hence OUOC-organised BUCS/BUSA on Esher Common (2009) and Longmoor (2004 - did 2001 actually happen with foot & mouth?).

It's about the same distant from Cambridge to (for example) Burnham Beeches. But I guess whether CUOC have the manpower to put BUCS on in the same (academic) year as the Cambridge City Race is a different question - OUOC decided to drop the Oxford City Race the year we organised BUSA because we couldn't manage both.

[ic]

2001 no event

[jjjl]

you should see the terrain near Cambridge...

Rowney Warren would make for a good BUCS relay area,

Epping only 1 hour away....

[distracted]

Longmoor (2004 - did 2001 actually happen with foot & mouth?).

2001 was cancelled but effectively formed the basis of the Longmoor/Bordon 2004 event. Both the OUOC events were about 50 miles from Oxford, but there aren't really any other uni clubs in the South East that have the manpower to host BUCS so there's a bit more flexibility in choice of venue than there may be elsewhere. So I definitely agree with jjjl - if Cambridge were willing to organise, there is some decent terrain around North London, and Rowney Warren would be a great venue for a relay.

On a more general note, I think availability of terrain suitable to host BUCS is an issue, and I wonder if this does put off some university clubs who could potentially organise the championships? As the organising club rarely commits to the event more than 12 months in advance, and universities do not (in general) 'own' large areas, they have to appeal to the goodwill of their local clubs to lend a suitable venue.

As a past BUCS coordinator, we are most grateful for any club that helps out and allows us to borrow areas. However, it can often be frustrating when a club says "no" to your request because they *might* be using that venue in 3 or 4 years time. The list of past organisers suggests that, unless you're around Sheffield or Edinburgh, requests for areas aren't going to come that often -- in the last 20 years, 3 universities have been responsible for 10 championships, and 9 for the other 10. So, if your local uni club asks about availability for your 'best' areas, please be sympathetic to their request - they'll be doing the majority of the work, and it may be the only opportunity they have to host the event for a number of years...

[Mrs H]

What is the situation regarding BUCs and embargoes? Might it help clubs donate an area if it was embargo free as so few orienteers are eligible to take part?

[mharky]

Even if the areas are embargoed, how would that affect anyone except students?

[Mrs H]

I meant if it had been used for Bucs would that preclude it being used for a mainstream event for ages after? That might make clubs reluctant to give the area which is a shame.

[Roger]

I meant if it had been used for Bucs would that preclude it being used for a mainstream event for ages after? That might make clubs reluctant to give the area which is a shame.

BUCS competitors would probably have to be non-comp for 12 months or 24 months (depending on the level of the subsequent event), but that's unlikely to be a great impact.

In 1987 Oxford did some long-distance organising on Cannock Chase: the rumour that the individual would be at Shotover and the relay at Youlbury Scout Camp (approx 500m x 1km, mapped at 1:5000) sadly failed to gain currency.