Breakneck Bank event 19 June

[Oldman]

For mid-June, this was a great event! Although the forest was quite physical with a fair amount of bracken and brashings, it had several areas which were absolutely great to run in. But where was everybody (only about 120 pre-entered)?

Thanks to all who helped run this event, with just one minor complaint: that several flags were deliberately situated behind tree stumps in re-entrants or gullies: why does the planner do this (and the controller allow it?).

[King Penguin]

As Planner I take full responsibility for the kite placement. I had several comments on the day about this, and in retrospect I should have made some a little more visible.
In mitigation I plead (as partial explanation not excuse and not seeking to ignore the comments ) :
- controls were on what should be TD5 courses, which is difficult to achieve
- on those which I specifically considered when placing I was concerned in some areas that given the fairly open nature of the woods they would be visible from far too far away, and I was trying to not trivialise the navigation (e.g. 43 - though I accept in retrospect this was rather too much tucked away, even though on the apex of the reentrant bend).
- 61 was on the apex of the ditch bend. The control was not visible when descending the ditch until very close, but the ditch itself and the bend were.
- I certainly accept 45 was too hidden esp. for early runners and I should have flattened the bracken here and placed farther out on the platform. A revisit will be required to check on a couple of comments that there may have been another unmapped platform lower down the slope, which I had not found.
- I know 92 knoll N side caused some problems. In retrospect I should probably have placed it on a more visible side of the (admittedly small) knoll.

[Mark T]

It was nice to be able to go straight most of the time through runnable forest. It makes a change for the Midlands as it is usually through brambles! The brown was slightly spoilt by the middle pit in the brambles which I spent several minutes looking for but all in all a great day.

[King Penguin]

Sorry if the pit spoiled your run. Had there not been a knoll right by it both on the ground and the map I would not have used it as a control site. I thought the knoll made it fair for TD5, and I am afraid the vegetation has got somewhat worse in the last couple of weeks.

[Mrs H]

the control in the pit was entirely fair, i went to the knoll and dropped over it into the pit - about 20 people milling round promptly followed me - unfortunately I was so intoxicated at spiking it that i ran off in entirely the wrong direction and then chose a poor route back to where I should have been

[IkeySol]

I'd beg to differ, despite hitting it dead on I thought that it was a complete bingo control but there you go.

I know the knoll was there after looking closely when I got back but in the midst of a large grouping of 20 odd pits on the map when running and reading it was pretty difficult to see on the map and I personally didnt notice it on the ground (although thats probably just me looking the wrong way!)

That and some of the controls that youve mentioned being a bit hidden aside thought it was a really nice area to run in and the course was nicely planned and missed most of the brambles.

Any idea when the results are going to be put up?

[King Penguin]

Results are available on BO(F) website now and no doubt will be on HOC website as soon as the webmaster gets chance.

[Mark T]

I didn't see a knoll. Maybe it was covered in brambles! I did find both re entrants and quite possibly every single pit, mapped or not, but I don't think it is fair when I spent several minutes looking and other people find it straight away due to being in a large group

[70plus]

As Planner I take full responsibility for the kite placement. I had several comments on the day about this, and in retrospect I should have made some a little more visible.
- controls were on what should be TD5 courses, which is difficult to achieve.

Sorry, KP, but you don't make a TD4 course into TD5 by making controls less visible. As controller I have been trying for decades to stifle this thinking. The idea is to navigate to the correct feature (which should itself be visible) whereupon the control itself should be visible at a reasonable distance, say 10-20 metres. When the feature is visible but the control is hidden, slightly uncertain orienteers may look elsewhere; others who are lucky enough to find someone punching have no problem.

That's what makes a bingo control. Don't do it.

[Mrs H]

To tell you the truth I've never understood all the whinging and moaning about so called bingo controls - what exactly do you mean by that term, People seem to use it over controls they can't find because they didn't slow down and use enough other navigational techniques to find it - as I said there was a perfectly visible attack point for the control site. When i saw the area on the map I thought this needs care - what singles this depression out from all the others - the knoll and sure enough there it was. I walked into the area - maybe everyone else was just running too fast to see what was on the map and on the ground and find it.

[graeme]

- what exactly do you mean by that term,

A bingo control is one where the time you lose is determined by luck not skill.

It's unfair in that if Mr Incompetent has been milling around for 5 minutes before you arrive, he gains time over Mr Equally-Incompetent who has been milling for 10 mins.

[Gross]

As Planner I take full responsibility for the kite placement.

Of course if you had had 20 people checking each tape and moving them each time and then moving them yourself by upto 10 metres then everything would have been huncky dory

[AndyC]

Can I point out that graeme's equation also works for the control that is findable by the technically competent but not by the less competent.
Even I have run into an area with competitors milling around looking for a control; found my attack point and run (well walked probably) directly to the control thereby revealing it to the others -all it took was a definite plan. Like MrsH in this case

[IkeySol]

To tell you the truth I've never understood all the whinging and moaning about so called bingo controls - what exactly do you mean by that term, People seem to use it over controls they can't find because they didn't slow down and use enough other navigational techniques to find it - as I said there was a perfectly visible attack point for the control site. When i saw the area on the map I thought this needs care - what singles this depression out from all the others - the knoll and sure enough there it was. I walked into the area - maybe everyone else was just running too fast to see what was on the map and on the ground and find it.

I mean exactly what Graeme and 70plus have already said, it was found more by luck than skill. As it is the circle is (correctly so we can see the other pits) only 1/3 shown on the map which makes it difficult to work out which pit exactly it is in the circle thats the middle one as well so to be honest I wasnt sure if it was the one next to the knoll anyway.

I adjusted my technique, slowed right down into the area and happened upon the control first time through, however that doesnt make it any less pot luck if I hit it to my mind.

Once again though it didnt affect my enjoyment one bit

[King Penguin]

results by class, course and simple splits now available at
http://www.harlequins.org.uk/fixtures.html

I feel more guilty and at fault over the placing of 43 (reentrant bend, too hidden), 45 (platform where I should have cleared the bracken) and even 61 (behind tree when approaching down the gully, though on the bend as described) than 49 (middle pit).

Thanks for all the comments, I do appreciate them. It is only by receiving and taking note of feedback that I can do better next time.