Sprint Championships - Gosport

[NeilC]

Ofically non-comp runs are not allowed at British Championships. Blind eyes are often turned though.

[roadrunner]

Does anyone know if shorts are allowed/recommended? The final details say they're OK for Winchester but don't mention anything for Gosport, other than about footwear.

[NeilC]

Controller says that shorts are fine for HMS Sultan.

[DJM]

Isn't it the organiser's decision? Or is the controller being the messenger here?

[DavidJ]

Can someone reassure me... As a novice sprint racer, are the control description symbols for sprint races the same as the usual IOF standard ones? The details for both Gosport and Winchester make no reference to special symbols and I haven't found any special sprint versions on the internet so am I looking for something that doesn't exist?

[roadrunner]

I've done a several sprint-type races and I don't recall any different control descriptions - though, of course, you tend to get symbols you might not be used to, like building pass-through or steps.

[Scott]

Yes, the descriptions are the same. It might be worth reminding yourself of some of the symbols you don't see too often in forests, but are likely to encounter on sprint maps - eg. "statue", "building", "pass through", "paved area", "linear thicket" (ie. hedge) and "stairway". Try this.

[NeilC]

I would recommend learning/revising the symbols for building pass through, open area, paved area and the difference between a hedge and a wall.

[mikey]

Both days very enjoyable.

None of the buzz of the elite sprint champs but a good 2 days of orienteering.

Thanks to all concerned.

[Spookster]

Both days very enjoyable.

None of the buzz of the elite sprint champs but a good 2 days of orienteering.

Thanks to all concerned.

Yes, agree entirely, thanks.

For technical challenge Winchester was much better, but I think Richard's courses at HMS Sultan were as good as they could have been given the area.

[The Loofa]

and distinctly more challenging than the Chorley final
Thank you BAOC

[IanD]

Absolutely superb weekend's orienteering, my thanks to all concerned.

Nothing wrong with HMS Sultan, in fact it was pretty good, but the one which will live longest in my memory is the "make-weight" of the weekend, the Winchester City race. What a fantastic place! I think the Winchester tourist board should get their act together, because it's one of the most interesting cities I've ever visited, and deserves to be far better known. The event organisers should be congratulated on getting access to all sorts of unlikely areas, and producing wonderful courses.

However, I know I'm not the only one who found the Winchester map impossible to read in places. I:4,000 may have been better? I appreciate there would have been difficulties fitting the map onto the paper, but there's little point in having a map on any size of paper if it can't be read. Alternatively, perhaps there should be 'white lies' in the cartography, increasing the width of alleyways, or not showing the steps of passageways passing through uncrossable walls?

Based on the events I've been to, the selection process of the Nopesport Urban League is truly bizarre. Huntingdon good enough, and Winchester not? Pull the other one!

[distracted]

Based on the events I've been to, the selection process of the Nopesport Urban League is truly bizarre. Huntingdon good enough, and Winchester not? Pull the other one!

Getting praise like that, it's a wonder that they bother in the first place! Obviously they now have a volunteer who can recommend which races should be in next year, based on an in-depth knowledge of urban areas that have never been used for orienteering before...

[NeilC]

Based on the events I've been to, the selection process of the Nopesport Urban League is truly bizarre. Huntingdon good enough, and Winchester not? Pull the other one!

Not really fair. Plan A was to hold the Sprint Champs in Winchester but various factors - eg the difficulty in planning 2 x 2.5-3k courses in Winchester that didn't involve significant interaction with traffic - led to the moving of the Sprint Champs to HMS Sultan. Not quite as technical but more suited to a Sprint Champs than Winchester and still tricky enough to catch many runners out.

BAOC should be congratulated on then deciding (too late for inclusion in the NopeSport League) to use Winchester for an Urban Race - an excellent venue that hopefully will attract a bigger audience for the next use of the map and area.

[Soldja Boi]

For those of you who couldn't attend the Winchester Urban Race, the map and courses have been published on Routegadget http://www.baoc.routegadget.co.uk/baoc/reitti.cgi?act=map&id=2&kieli=.

Much of the praise for the success of the event has to go to Steve Mac from SN for planning some cracking courses.