Moray Mix 2011

[AndyO]

Culbin with a mouth- (or eye-) watering 13+km black has only one person under 99mins. Too long? Step forward Ewan McCarthy to save the day with a 78 to restore the planner's respectability.

Chris and I both reckoned that sub 70 was on for the right field, and it would have been interesting if Rocky hadn't mp'd and Doug T had been fit (hope he recovers for Jukola). As it was, Ewen's 76:09 was a great run, but 23mins ahead of Duncan.

As you say, though, it was a great day for orienteering.

[Sunlit Forres]

My one genuine criticism which is nothing to do with the planning, is that I cant get my head round why EMIT is used for any kind of sprint/urban event.

Andypat - I'm pretty sure you know just how much effort goes in to organising something like this and I wish you'd put that criticism on a spearate thread.

All the NE clubs use EMIT and I for one am not prepared to go the to considerable effort of borrowing kit, which we're not familiar with up here, from miles away for a fraction of a second quicker punching. All the NE clubs use EMIT and unless it's a British Champs or equivalent, I'm afraid that you'll have to accept EMIT if you come to another urban event in Moray.

I'm sorry if this sound a bit 'tired and emotional'. That's because I probably am after an epic weekend from a smallish club that's stretched itself to the limit.

[awk]

All the NE clubs use EMIT and unless it's a British Champs or equivalent, I'm afraid that you'll have to accept EMIT if you come to another urban event in Moray.

Much as I dislike EMIT (an understatement!), I can understand why the NE Scottish clubs chose it and use it. At least it was the same for everybody. One thought for the future though - the cards were mixed on each course - some with the newer version (with screen), some older (without). The former is an advantage (especially for those of us with less confidence in the system - bitter experience) - maybe try and makie it so that a course uses all of one type?

I'm sorry if this sound a bit 'tired and emotional'. That's because I probably am after an epic weekend from a smallish club that's stretched itself to the limit.

An outstanding weekend too - thanks to all those involved in putting it on, especially to those who dealt with changes of EMIT cards etc. in such a friendly way on Saturday. Saturday's was one of the most enjoyable urban races I've done in a while (and there have been some good ones lately), which had the whole family enthusing. Offspring (Black) and OH (Short Blue) loved today's courses too. I have to admit, looking at the former, I wish I'd taken the plunge on the Black rather than Short Brown, as it looks to have provided everything I had expected of Culbin. Even if I hadn't managed to finish, it looks as if it would have been worth it!

[andypat]

Andypat - I'm pretty sure you know just how much effort goes in to organising something like this and I wish you'd put that criticism on a spearate thread.

Sorry SF - you are probably right. I should have held my tongue. You guys put on a splendid weekend - I was trying to be balanced, but clearly that part didn't come across well to you - it certainly wasn't meant to be taken personally. Apologies.

Edited to add - I decided to remove my negative comments regarding EMIT and sprint in deference to your hard work. I haven't started a new thread as the debates already been had on here.

[EddieH]

I don't know if Chris (Sunday'/s planner) reads Nopesport, but anyway I though the black was fantastic - not a metre along a road yet we still had some long legs. Nearly every control utterly challenging. Every time I go into East Culbin I can't believe how amazing it is, but in the sun today the smell was awesome.

Anyway Chris you had a great forest to plan in, but it still needs skill and care to do a good job, and this was a great one.

[DaveR]

The best weekend of orienteering I've experienced in quite a while. An excellent pair of events.

Lossie was an amazing mixture of terrain. My course had at least 6 major changes of terrain type swapping back and forwards between: RAF base, urban race, reclaimed quarry, urban sprint and fast sand dune forest.

Culbin was relentlessly challenging and rewarded continuous concentration (I failed!) and as Eddie says, the smell on sun shine on pine forest was glorious.

A particular thanks for the excellent junior courses. The Lossie U16 course was a full on challenge and as technical as anything the seniors had. On Sunday the Orange (probably the hardest course to plan at the right level) was great.

Thanks to all involved for a thoroughly enjoyable weekend.

[IanD]

Great pair of events.

Unfortunately on Saturday I was so busy planning my routes to 30 & 31 that I executed them as soon as I had them sorted - missing out 29 altogether. 600 miles to mispunch!

Then I went down with a virus - shouldn't have come out at all on Sunday but couldn't resist jogging round the Short Green. Always a joy to run in sunshine at Culbin, especially when I see Siskins on the way to the start.

I was standing at the start on Saturday wondering how the fighter aircraft with the control by it was going to be mapped. I thought possibly a statue, or boringly 'X' or 'O' for a "special object". The mappers solution of "covered passage" never occurred to me - pure genius!

Is it just my machine, or is the Culbin map not loading on RouteGadget?

[EddieH]

Interesting Ian. Margaret has added Lossie to Routegadget but my machine won't load the map, so I think she may have removed it again. However my machine does download Culbin.

Anyone any idea as to the problem. We thought it might be the large sze of the Lossie map, however when Margaret reduces the DPI to below that of Culbin my machine still won't load it. Yet I sent her the big file in the first place

[IanD]

To give a bit more detail, I get the top inch or so of the Culbin map loaded. The rest of the map appears as uniform grey. If I select a course, I can see the 'purple' of the control circles and linking lines, and people's routes, but they are rather meaningless against the grey background. It makes no difference whether I use Firefox or Chrome.

[Sunlit Forres]

Looks fine to me (using Firefox). You mention Lossie Eddie - is progress being made on this little challenge?

[EddieH]

Robin Strain has kindly created a JPEG of a single combined map. I have recreated the courses on this, and Margaret has uploaded it on Routegadget. However I for one cannot download the map, so I'd hold fire on entering routes in case it is started again.

[Paul Frost]

I've sent a new version of the map image to Margaret for Lossiemouth to try.

The Culbin map is too large an image file which is causing problems for some people.
I have asked Jarkko for some more info on this problem, but it seems related to the speed of your internet connection and computer processor and memory.

If the map image used is more than 1MB it is probably too big!

Bear in mind that a typical computer monitor can show about 1200X800 pixels, I have a large Apple iMac 21.5" which is 1920X1080, so that means I can still only see 2 thirds of an image that is 3000 pixels wide without scrolling, most will only see 1 third. When you zoom out, the monitor has to drop individual pixels to make 3000 fit into 1200 so if it drops 2 out of 3 you can see how the quality of the image degrades.

So having too large an image just means that most of time people will be looking at a degraded image in an effort to see more than a few hundred metres of ground.
It's always a compromise depending on the complexity of the map and the size of the area shown.

[EddieH]

Unfortunately Pau's new file has no different a result for me. I still can't download it in Routegadget, although I have no problem in seeing the file out of RG.
I think we have decided just to leave up the version on which there is aready 1 route, and leave it at that.

Maybe it's an opportunity for someone that can't see it to go round to a non orienteering friend and show them some of the thrill of orienteering

[AndyO]

Both Culbin files and the Lossie file load up on my PC using IE, Eddie

Some great virtual racing at Culbin on Blue with Gramp's juniors in 1st and 2nd, and on Light Green with the 2 young MOR runners! Great stuff!

[frog]

Both work in routegadget for me, thefirst map's Lossie controls are a bit off centre for course C and it's a bit blurred but you can get the idea of where people went.
Used my GPS for Culbin which was useful to see which bit I wasted so much time in.