November Classic ?

[FatBoy]

Didn't go to Nov Classic but on the subject of bag sealing I think it should be done for any serious event. Whether you define the Classic as a serious event is another question.

Many times people will say "but they don't seal the bags at the o-ringen" or something to that effect. That's true but I have had maps almost unreadable there. Just cos the Swedes do/don't do something doesn't mean it's right!

That said thicker paper as well as avoiding the folds inside the bag will also help keep it readable when wet.

[gross2006]

Agree about sealing bags. I even seal them for training camps. Bags should be the right weight though Seen too often in Eastern Europe the very thin bags that are useless... in summer events the route to the start flag is normally littered with poly bags that have been dumped.

[Lizi Beee]

I think i heard someone saying they hadn't seales them cos of gettin them dead flat with no big air bubbles - which in my opinion is better of rbig maps so they don't flap around inside. The maps did seem very pale though... i struggled to pick out some of the open stuff and also completely missed a ditch that had a circle overprinted... lost me a couple of mins at the second to last control (JW5L) so not impressed. I thought the lines are meant to be kinda see throughish... i'm sure i remember dad playing with the numbers on ocad when planning twin peaksa couple years ago...

[distracted]

and also completely missed a ditch that had a circle overprinted... lost me a couple of mins at the second to last control (JW5L) so not impressed.

Yep, it affected more than just you - was mentioned by a quite a few people afterwards and only then I realised what I'd seen and it all made sense. You can have a translucent purple print, but a thin blue line underneath would still be difficult to pick up, so just cut the circle!!! Thought the printed colours were in general OK though, have seen them much paler than that...

[mharky]

I'd say 946 people makes it a serious event. It also makes 946 bags to seal...

[Lizi Beee]

yeah felt like a serious event to me, so it rained! pish! it always up north, get used to it... and also, wet map can be avoided, i cunningly folded the end by mistake and kept it dry completely by accident all through my course... then got it wet on the bus on the way back, going through by course

[Tatty]

AS Organiser I take full responsibility for the bags not being sealed. We had hoped that it would be fine(!!)and used the idea from Scandinavia. We won't do it again. However although the bags provided by the printer were the correct gauge, according to BOF regulations, they were obviously too thin. The bags on the 1:15 000 course were thicker and a tighter fit so caused less problems. As Mharky said it was a huge saving on time. To seal this amount of bags, actually 1150 entries, takes hours. The most heat sealers we could have got our hands on was 2!!
Please to hear that people were happy with the bussing. It has caused some headache for the organisation, especially when one wouldn't start first thing and had to be replaced by two smaller vehicles.
Hope you appreciated the tunnel tent to wait in whilst you downloaded.
A huge pity about the weather. The lovely green car park you arrived too was just a sea of mud by the time we left at 5pm. However the owner was very philosophical about it!
Now we just have all the equipment to dry out!

[Lizi Beee]

yeah thank you muchly, the tent and bussing was all done fab when i came through, feel sorry fo whoever had to clean them though...

[helen]

may I just add my thankyou to the organisers for a fantastic event. Thoroughly enjoyable event and everything ran so smoothly, well done. Shame about the weather, but when I was out there I found I didn't really notice it. It was just a shame it ruined the atmosphere around the car park, on a fine day it would have been wonderful!

[awk]

Agree with awk in the main part apart from the quality of course - maybe that was just highly course dependent?

I suspect it was - it often is. I agree with everything you say about what qualities the New Forest offers. Unfortunately, it didn't quite come together that way on our longer legs. No big deal - it was still enjoyable orienteering.

Incidentally, I am reliably informed that the conditions weren't a patch on those at the LOC Regional Event at Lingmoor the week before!

[Paulo]

946 people

actually 1150 entries

So over 200 people pre-entered and then didn't turn up!? Only takes a little bit of rain for us southern softies to be put off orienteering for the day.

[Tatty]

Is this a family forum!! Where's your two pennyworth Supersaint?