New Event Structure

[graeme]

will require some redefinition of the Controller levels.

Well that's one way of looking at it..

I suggest...

New grade 3 = Someone familiar with risk assessment (club appointment)
New grade 2 = Experienced orienteer/planner/organiser (i.e. old grade 3)
New grade 1 = Experienced controller (i.e. old grades 1 and 2)

Then I for one would be happy with the grade <-> level mapping. And I can't see any dissenting posts in the previous 14 pages...

Graeme

'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, ..,' it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less.'

[SJC]

It would also be helpful if the reasoning behind the Controller requirements were explained - is this to bring orienteering into line with other sports, or, as SeanC has commented 'to keep the insurance premium down'?
Similarly for Orienteering Activities, which under the new Draft Overview, would only be organised by accredited Orienteering Coaches.

Coaches and Controllers are the two groups of people that are required to attend a training course and are then offically recognised by BOF. From an insurance point of view it therefore seems to make sense that all coaching type activities have to be overseen by a coach, and all events overseen by a controller.

[Scott]

Also overlooked amidst the news from Cumbria, the first instalment of FAQs on the new event structure has appeared, and it would appear that nobody's asked any awkward questions yet - or, for that matter, any questions that can't be answered by referring to the new guidelines...

[EddieH]

I prefer to wait to be corrected by NeilC than to wade through pages of bumff, but I've been looking at the Q&A on BO's site and am somewhat concerned - please correct me if I am wrong.

The new level 2 events MUST strictly adhere to the correct colour standards for every course both in terms of standard AND length.

Now as far as I am aware no colour covers a decent M21L length, and certainly not our planned Elite courses at Culbin. If this is so when are our prspective elite going to get any race practice over longer courses? JK is shortened as a 2 day - I don't mind betting that few of the new regional Championships fail to reach the designated elite length - so where is their race preparation for BEOC coming from.

This situation has steadily worsened over 20 years and now the only thing if you want to compete at the WOC classic is to live abroad.

Am I right?

[Scott]

The new level 2 events MUST strictly adhere to the correct colour standards for every course both in terms of standard AND length.

The FAQs say

10. Do Regional Events (Level 2) need to provide all the courses in the new colour-coded structure?
No. The choice of courses planned will be up to the organising club and will be appropriate to the event. However, if a course is designated a particular colour, then it is essential that it is planned to the correct length and technical difficulty.

which isn't quite the same thing. I think (hope) that what they actually mean is that you can offer whatever you like, but can only describe it as a "Blue course", say, if it is of the correct length and TD. I think "colour-coded" is a little overused in the FAQs as shorthand for "everyone must be allowed to be competitive on every course", rather than suggesting that every event must use the colour-coded scheme - what about urban events, sprints, middles, long-Os, etc? But I guess the safest thing to do would be to email them a question for the next instalment...

Now as far as I am aware no colour covers a decent M21L length, and certainly not our planned Elite courses at Culbin. If this is so when are our prspective elite going to get any race practice over longer courses?

Well, there's Black, which is M21L, but there's nothing of IOF "Long" length, and I agree that the shortage of these races is a real issue. But then again, we have just as few proper middle races - this year we had the JK (which I was kicked off for being too rubbish ), the British Middles, the WOC Selection Middle, the OK Nuts, and maybe a couple of multi-days that I've missed. Greater diversity of events generally would be a Good Thing.

[NeilC]

I would also interpret the guidelines as saying that a club can put on what courses they like. Most courses will mirror those listed in the guidelines and so it is a good idea to use a name that can be applied consistently where appropriate.

Nothing to stop an event putting on a longer course, if it does fall outside the Black parameters then call it something else. I'm sure we could all come up with some suitable suggestions.

[greywolf]

Now as far as I am aware no colour covers a decent M21L length,

From the existing Guideline A and the new Draft guideline: "The Black course, if planned, would equate to the M21L course at a Regional Event, with an expected elite winning time of 67 minutes."
Remember it's only National events etc where M21L EWT is 75 mins - and they will not be colour coded (although Scots Champs might be an anomaly...)

The new level 2 events MUST strictly adhere to the correct colour standards for every course both in terms of standard AND length.

No... that's what i've been trying to explore and it seems that the only absolute standards that L2 events must adhere to are an embargo and a Grade 2 Controller - TD and course length etc are just guidelines (not sure i think thats a good thing tho...)

no colour covers ... our planned Elite courses at Culbin

The Moravian event at Culbin on March 21 is Level 3 - so we can do what we want
Course 1 (M21E Classic) will be named Deep Black. Obviously all distances are subject to final controlling, but at present this course is 17.9k, which we feel will provide an adequate test....

[EddieH]

By my interpretation of the INTENTION of the new system our Culbin/Forres weekend is DEFINITELY one that should be classified as Level 2.

Our National events planned to 75 mins winning Elite, and yet at IOF long distance the winners should by 90 to 100 mins.

Precisely - how is it suprising that the only Brits that can perform in WOC long distance live abroad?

[greywolf]

Eddie, unfortunately your interpretation of the new system does not match that of the powers that be...we don't meet their stringent quality control guidelines (i.e. we don't have a G2 controller)

And it's M21L at National Events that is planned for 75 min EWT. Most (some? all? not sure about this...) National events also have M21E which should be planned for 90mins EWT

[roadrunner]

On length and difficulty, the draft guideline says:

Whilst the colour scheme is not intended to restrict a Planner’s
options, it is essential that if a course is designated as a particular
colour then it must be of the appropriate length and difficulty.

So what about areas that cannot offer TD5 (of which there are many)? That seems to mean that the longest course that can be given a "colour" is Light Green, although there would be nothing to stop the planner offfering longer TD4 courses. I think the old guideline used to say that Green etc. should be planned at the highest technical difficulty that the area allows, but that seems to be missing from the new one.

[EddieH]

Well whatever the rules/ guidelines say I am sure that many will be ignored just as they always have.

How for example does having the White Rose (and many other) 2nd day on the same area as the day before fit a 12 month embargo?

[NeilC]

How for example does having the White Rose (and many other) 2nd day on the same area as the day before fit a 12 month embargo?

From the embargo "guideline"
http://gborienteering.org.uk/downloads/documents/Embargoedareasandnon-competitiverunnersJanuary2008.pdf

"Two open events in a multi-day event on the same area are deemed to give the same
advantage for all competitors so do not present a problem."

So no rules or guidelines being ignored there.

I expect that the comment about planning the courses to the highest available TD will end up in the guideline again (the current version seems to be a draft). Not ideal from a purist's point of view but I suspect that most would feel that it is a sensible approach.

[EddieH]

Well done Neil. You corrected me again

Nevertheless, consecutive days apart, this is a rule that is often broken with local events being put on in the months preceding a regional.

And I'd bet my house on the fact that it will be done again (so long as BO don't police and downgrade events that is).

[graeme]

So what about areas that cannot offer TD5 (of which there are many)? That seems to mean that the longest course that can be given a "colour" is Light Green

I had hoped that "light blue and light brown" would be very obvious names for long TD4.

As everyone knows, it's certainly possible to have excellent races on a TD4 only area - often requiring more thought because zillions of route choices still wont get you up to TD5. But it is really important that clubs are honest - it might not seem to matter down south, but its really no fun picking up the pieces in the Trossachs (for example) of people who you've led to believe are experienced on TD5.

[Adrian]

This situation has steadily worsened over 20 years and now the only thing if you want to compete at the WOC classic is to live abroad.

Am I right?

I did suggest a couple of months back that our elites should've been in Hungary last weekend for practice on terrain similar to next year's WOC. Quite a few people took advantage of this opportunity, including Oystein: http://folk.ntnu.no/oysteios/ but no Brits, as far as I can see.