BOC Entry fee changes over time

[andy]

I might be wrong on this one, but the entry fee changes over time seem to be considerably more than I'd expect. I'm interested to know why, if anyone has some insight?

BOC - £19 to £24 to £29
compared to
JK - £18 to £20.50 to £23
S6D last year - £14 to £15 to £16

I've never really understood the purpose of this given that maps are printed after the final closing date and that's the major factor. I guess organisers must need to know how many loos to get further in advance £29 to enter an event seems a bit steep given that you are entering on time, especially if there are legitimate reasons for leaving entering until a later stage. Can we not go to a single deadline with a really harsh late entry fee / no late entry?

[smf]

The relay entry fees have a rise just as bad, ie

BOC - £48 to £60
JK - £36 to £45

[Tatty]

To improve cash flow?

[andy]

To improve cash flow?

for what purpose though?

[graeme]

For the JK sprint, I don't know yet how many courses to plan. The recommended combinations will be too few (we have 240+ entrants on some of them already!), and
so we'll have to make a guess based on early entrants*. Thank you for entering early!

Once people realise how good its going to be (and how much cheaper than BOC Sprint) it'll probably be everyone but kitch, since we seem to have failed to generate much of a sprint-only entry.



* Plan is to split into mens and womens courses, rather than by presumed winning times.

[Spookster]

I've never really understood the purpose of this given that maps are printed after the final closing date and that's the major factor.

At BOC 2011 we printed maps after the normal closing date, and before the final closing date.

[RJ]

.....I've never really understood the purpose of this given that maps are printed after the final closing date and that's the major factor. I guess organisers must need to know how many loos to get further in advance £29 to enter an event seems a bit steep given that you are entering on time, especially if there are legitimate reasons for leaving entering until a later stage. ......

Andy, I think that in the case of BOC2012 there are the moving of the competitors from parking at Ravenglass to the Eskdale valley..... a big job. Perhaps need to know numbers for that sooner rather than later!!

[PhilJ]

Slight problem with bus numbers will be dog owners (yes us again!) are having the £4.00 added to their entry fee but being told NOT to park in Ravenglass and to get to the event however we can. Presumably stuff up all the roads around Eskdale. So that's £16.00 I will have to pay and 4 down on the bus numbers? How do I get my £16.00 refund? Seems a "win win" for BOC and a "lose lose" for me.
Haven't entered yet but I assume there is no "I am not travelling by bus" opt out on SI entry system.

JK all over again as we have to find somewhere to park other than the car parking field for Day2, so will stuff up the roads around Dunalastair.

[BLDC 2012 Organiser]

Phil, I'm not sure where you are picking up that you are not to park at Ravenglass as a dog owner. You are being requested to make alternative arrangements either for your dog or for your travel arrangements. There will be a control system in place by which you either travel in the bus or stay in the valley or aren't allowed to start as simple as that. If demand dictates we may be able to extend that to cover those choosing to travel by the La'al Ratty. I'd request again that people do not park in the valley as that is potentially ruinous of the event and jeopardise the goodwill of the locals in ensuring the staging of further events.

[PhilJ]

BOC website states:

Dogs
Please note that dogs will not be permitted to travel on the buses to Dalegarth and dog owners will be required to make alternative arrangements for them on this day.
The parking fields are considerable distance from the assembly field and competitors should not contemplate leaving dogs in cars at the parking field.

So this means we cannot park at Ravenglass (I assume these are the parking fields mentioned above) like everyone esle as you do not want us to park there and leave our dogs in our vehicles, which means we cannot get the bus??? I am obvioulsy confused here as you are saying for us to make alternative arrangements - no idea what that means as I do not live in the Lakes so am left to my own devices, so how do I get to the event? Not that easy to make alternative arrangements for dog kennel housing or similar for 1 day on a bank holiday weekend (as there are 2 other events to attend Relay & Urban) when I live nowhere near the Lakes.

If I have got the wrong end of the stick (doggy pun )then I apologise but I can't work out what I am supposed to do - is Ravenglass and the parking fields the same place?

I am not trying to be awkward just trying to understand logistically how we can get to the event with pup in tow.

Thanks

[redkite]

The first closing date for Croeso is at the end of January, after which fees go up by £1 each day to end of April. two further cut off after that adding a further £ each time

This first cut off is very important to the organisers as it givers us the best indication yet as to the number of competitors who will turn up. It is only partly about cash flow, but more importantly organisation and infrastructure. We do though have to pay for the new maps etc and publicity costs, which are not insignificant .

[andypat]

I am not trying to be awkward just trying to understand logistically how we can get to the event with pup in tow.

Phil - I think you do have the wrong end of the stick - I think the organisers have made a bit of a meal of the wording but they are in a round about way saying dogs arent allowed on the Saturday.

The "alternative arrangements" are to get someone else to look after your dog.

BLDC 2012 Organiser - Can you not just change this to say dogs arent allowed - or is them some loophole thats allows you to bring your dog if you are staying in the valley? Either way the wording is a bit unclear.

[DavidJ]

The first closing date for Croeso is at the end of January, after which fees go up by £1 each day to end of April.

Gosh - that means it will rise by £90 between end of January and end of April!

[PhilJ]

I agree Andypat, it might be that BOC do not want to say outright dogs are not allowed as that would then mean dog owners would need find somewhere else to park near the event and they are worried we would upset the locals.
This is not the first time (and won't be the last) that dogs are not allowed. I have been to a few BOC/JK in recent days NE and SE JK's spring to mind where the dog ban has been applied. So what have we done in the past... buy the O/S map of the area, use google earth, work out where the assembly field is and then with all that info find a suitable and legal place to park usually on the completion of the previous days run. At the NE JK I remember that we actually parked outside the assembly field on a public highway with just a hedge between us and everyone else. We could actually chat to our club members through the hedge.
So the alternatives are 1) do not attend 2) put woofy in kennels for F/S/S/M/T = 5 days at £15.00 per day = £75.00 3) one of us (mum or dad) stays home with woofy and one takes the kids 4) do what we have done in the past as above o/s maps/google earth BUT BOC do not want us to do that. So option 2) to expensive, option 3) not much fun 4) not allowed.....leads to option 1 except it a junior selection race....any offers for dog sitting?

[keever]

Dogs are allowed on the Ratty.
£1.50 each way.
Assuming you only need one person to stay with the dog(s) it wouldn't be too expensive.
I haven't read this very carefully, so it might not be a solution to your problem.