Harvester 2012

[Street]

The idea that was thrown about a bit last year was to change the format of the event.

7 or 6 legs. The relay starts at Sunset ish on the Saturday night and runs for 3 legs. It then restarts with a chasing start on Sunday at a sensible time, say 10:00 and runs the final 3 or 4 legs. This allows night orienteering without having to stay up all night.

[SeanC]

I quite like that idea as it gives quite a few possibilities.

- As well as the 6/7 man competition you could have separate night relay and day relay competitions... this would suit far away and small clubs who can only raise half a team to enter one of the sub-competitions.

- Hard men and women could opt to run a night leg, then do a day leg for a day leg only team.

- You could use two areas and split the work between two clubs more easily.

- You could use a darker time of the year, maybe October when the calendar isn't too crowded, then start the first night leg earlier, maybe 7pm just as the sun is going down so everyone can run off into the sunset. Day leg competitors can then relax and enjoy the action if there were appropriate facilities... food, beer tent/ pub etc. October isn't too bad for camping.

- Organisers and controllers can get some sleep.

I'm sure this contradicts at least half the published rules for the Harvester, but I get the feeling that the lack of clubs interested in putting on the competition would mean that no-one would object (including whoever is in charge of rules at the moment? ) if someone tried such major innovations and still used the Harvester brand?

The downside would be missing out on that running in the middle of the night/ early dawn feeling, but it is probably time for major innovation now so few clubs seem interested in organising it.

[Soldja Boi]

I don't really see that there is a great deal wrong with the format of the Harvester as it currently stands. Will tinkering with the format really result in more teams turning up? I doubt it.

I don't think that holding it in the South has had that great an impact on the number of clubs attending; it just means that some of the southern clubs who probably wouldn't have travelled north are attending and vice versa. The main reasons for the number of clubs being down this year are probably:

1. It clashes with WMOC.
2. The late allocation of a club to take it on.

The only way to overcome both of these issues is for a long term programme to be put in place with club's agreeing to take the task on and getting it advertised a long time in advance. BAOC agreed to take the event on this year when it was becoming apparent that it may not actually happen; which in my mind is a sad state of affairs.

[NeilC]

I can't get excited about splitting the relay into two parts. The relatively low entry could just be part of a general trend that many of us are seeing of club members not being particularly interested in travelling when there are so many local events on offer, and when budgets are tight.

If the lack of night orienteers is found to be a real problem for clubs then one option could be start the race later in the night such that only the first couple of laps would be in the dark. This also means that there is more chance of some sleep beforehand. This format works quite well for the Peter Palmer relay held in September.

Many thanks to BAOC for once again rescuing one of these events, bring on next Sunday.

[Deaf Old Gorilla]

Final details are on the BAOC web site now

[ifor]

Thanks for the event. Good to do a bit better than at the sothern nights.

[Soldja Boi]

Winners are:

Men's Premier - FVO
Small Club - SLOW
A course handicap - SO

Women's Premier - SYO
Women's Handicap - SLOW
Junior - SO
B course handicap - BAOC

Congratulations to all winning teams.

[Mrs H]

Amazing effort by BAOC running the event with an absolute skeleton staff - well I bet they felt like skeletons afterwards really tough long courses - I'm relieved to have drawn the day leg this year and I enjoyed that very much even though it took me forever. interesting, varied area and my goodness we were all very lucky with the weather

[WillG]

Really good event from BAOC. On the participation point I really don't think the WMOC can be blamed for a decline of so many teams, it's simply because clubs cannot be bothered to enter! Most could field at least 1 if not 2 teams for the A but they aren't interested.

With regards to changing the format, splitting the relay in half, this is already a successful concept in Sweden with the Stigtomtakalven relay (what most clubs use as a Tiomila warm-up). It doesn't take away from the excitement if the commentary is good and if you're up for it, so I can't see that as a reason against it, as it would also make travel a lot easier if you don't have people who can get down for the early legs they can come the next day. However if more clubs came they'd be no need to change the format, so lets just get more entries!

[FRBlackSheep]

The issue I see with changing the format is that the best part of it is the fact that it's continuous and runs through the night, letting those who wish to, to follow it through, seeing the changing of psoitions as the race progresses until the culmination of the results at the end.

Main issue is the same as for most fo the footpath relays etc, people have plenty of options for other events to attend and clubs need to become proactive in recruiting teams, approaching individuals and asking them to run for their clubs team rather than just sending an email asking if anyone wants to do it. Club captains/chairmen need to take an active interest in these club events and encourage participation in what ultimately helps to bind a club together and make it stronger.

The only other option i can see is that entries are opened to 'teams' so groups of friends can enter rather than relying on their clubs to heve enough interest. The amount of people that I've heard say I wanted to do it but no-one else in the club wanted to do it shows there's interest and this may add a few teams to the mix.

[Tatty]

SLOW a small club. I find that hard to believe. Not taking anything away from their team who did very well.

[Simon]

For the Harvester a small club is defined by the results in the last few years. As SLOW have not finished near the top recently they qualified for this competition.

[FRBlackSheep]

* Small Club Classification (Sutton Park Trophy) – The Sutton Park Trophy is awarded to the first ‘small club’ competing on the A course of the Harvester. For the Harvester, a club is defined as ‘small’ if it has not finished in the top three positions at any time in the previous five years.

[Tatty]

Thank you. Strange definition of small

[FRBlackSheep]

Perhaps a better title would be not very successful in the last 5 years but now come good trophy....