Triple O Severn control description query

[Oldman]

Good event today (Sunday) - thanks everyone!

Just one query: Control 141 relatively near the start (control 2 on course 13 and perhaps others, and just SE of the field in the Western centre of the map) was described as middle earth bank foot.

I can only see one earth bank in or near the circle.

Are my fading eyes misleading me, or was this description wrong, or an attempt by the officials to say the flag was located at the middle of the earth bank, which is quite a different thing from what they said, and something there seems no provision for in the IOF descriptions, as far as I can see.

Comments from anyone with better eyes or better knowledge than me?

[SYO Member]

Oldman, I'm sure you mean well, but looking at the Triple O Severn website, it appears that the organisers have moved heaven and earth to ensure today's event took place and which you obviously enjoyed.

It seems as though Courses were re-jigged at a very late stage (permissions problem?) and caused alot of Course re-design. So there was a possible problem with a description at one control? If the description said 'middle earth-bank' out of 3 and it wasn't the middle one, problem. If there was only one earth-bank in the circle as you describe, surely no real problem in the circumstances.

It's ironic though that the issue related to an earth-bank. IOF Map Spec. 106 is an Earth bank, but the IOF Control Descriptions call it a Steep bank. But IOF Map Spec. 107 is an Earth wall and the IOF Control Descriptions call it an Earth bank!

[awk]

It seems as though Courses were re-jigged at a very late stage (permissions problem?) and caused alot of Course re-design.

The news going round the assembly field was that the problem was planning was done on a 1:15k map but planner (and presumably controller) thought it was a 1:10k map until somebody spotted the error at the very last minute. It certainly looked suspiciously as if our course had been drastically pruned at the last minute, even though it was still 1.3k longer than in final details (and the Men's elite was 2k longer!). First half was great - second half was a very long run in; the M14A course (the junior courses were unchanged I gather) looked excellent.

[distracted]

from what I heard the error was picked up at/by the printers. I presume all of the courses planned for a 1:10000 map stayed the same. Yes there were some strange control descriptions, and the far too frequenct occurrence of control circles/lines obliterating features, but it seems they managed to replan and reprint the courses in the last 5 days so I'm not surprised that the odd error crept in.

there was a midland night champs a few years back - cannock chase, 2003 I think - which was also UK Cup. Same thing happened there, except it wasn't picked up and people ran 1.5 times further... organisers etc were wondering why times were so slow.

[JEP]

We had a 1x1 pit - lower part! The flag was not even in the bottom - think that pit was a spade job.There was also a 0.5m pit middle part on some courses.

[guest]

Yes there were some unusual control descriptions yesterday but the main fact was that it was great to be out taking exercise and lots of people made sure that the event happened. If in doubt about what the description means all you have to do is have a good attack point, navigate carefully to the centre of the circle and find the flag - that's what the sport is about! How many people stand at the control thinking - gosh is this a pit middle part, or where's the other earthbank? Very few I suspect!

[Oldman]

I accept that a lot of effort was put in by many - I did after all start my contribution with "Good event - thanks everyone".

It was more I suppose a question about control description usage than the event.

I don't accept the "navigate to the centre of the circle" argument: you must understand what you're going to see as you move into the circle to make the fine adjustments to the rough bearing taken from the attack point, and expecting at least three earth walls whwen there's only one does not assist!

I am now however rather worried about what awk said: can we really have had a National Event where the courses until 5 days beforehand were planned on the wrong map scale? I think this needs denying or confirming.

[guest]

I had 141 - there was an earthwall as well as an earthbank in the circle. Does that help to explain it?

[awk]

I am now however rather worried about what awk said: can we really have had a National Event where the courses until 5 days beforehand were planned on the wrong map scale? I think this needs denying or confirming.

Why?

[Oldman]

I had 141 - there was an earthwall as well as an earthbank in the circle. Does that help to explain it?

No.

[Supersaint]

I heard of another control where the description was knoll, yet there were 2 knolls next to each other.

Even so, it sounds like the event had to be severely rejigged at the last minute, so well done to BOK for getting the event ahead.

[Nails]

Great event and great courses -really annoyed today though as a feature containing a control was completely obscured by the circle. The National yesterday also had no cuts out of circles -not so bothered by that as i lost little time yesterday -however today it cost us a relay!

[lilywhite]

Some might argue that not checking control codes cost us a relay 2 in fact

[mharky]

what happened in the relay???

(lillywhite, that's low, I never dug at Rocky on here when he got DSQ both days at BUSA last year)

[Nails]

well to be honest he's absolutely right.