compass sport

[ruth]

don't think anyone's mentioned it yet and i've only just read it so...really good august issue as we have become used to recently.
my favourtie article, arctic midnight O, Greenland WOW! i've definitely pencilled it in for a few years time (when i'm no longer a student!) it looks fantastic out there.

oh and OUOC, what a brilliant club! If i had my time again i'd definitely apply there

[FromTheGrassyKnoll]

Greenland WOW!

Seconded. Very cool scenery.

Excellent Issue. Well done Nick.

The only thing I didn't like was the...

"Like or lump it... you lot are using eMit for the next 100 years" Advert at the end.

[EddieH]

Absolutely. Wonderful magazine as usual.

[Mr timE]

Apologies to FromTheGrassyKnoll, Sorry you were offended by the EMIT advert, it was meant as a light hearted jest after the JK and was actually in the last issue as well.

Somehow I don't see us using either EMIT or SI for the next 100 years, with the advances in technology that have occurred since EMIT first appeared in the early 90's I would expect us to be using a far more advanced system in just 10 years time. The latest Emit cards being developed already work on wireless technology so that they can be interrogated as someone runs past a reader at various stages in the race, surely the next logical step is full satelitte tracking. I think the only real limitation in orienteering is going to be us being able to afford the technology and also having the people capable of operating such systems, at the moment most of the development is funded on the back of the huge ski racing population in Scandinavia.

As with many new IT systems these days we may have to change the way we do our orienteering to fit in with a COTS package (that's Computer of the Shelf) so that we can afford the latest technology advances.

Can I also add my appreciation of Nick & his teams efforts on CompassSport, great mag, all we need now is a decent CS Cup format to truly compliment it, but that is another matter for later.

[Blanka]

all we need now is a decent CS Cup format to truly compliment it, but that is another matter for later.

I actually think that the current Compass Cport Cup/Trophy system (at which I assume you are getting) works very well, much better than the previous scoring system, which was much more restrictive. So I'd say leave it as it is (seeing as it's only been used for a year or two).

You might be getting at BAOC's inability to be competitive due to the lack of junior/veteran runners, but I don't think closed clubs should necessarily be competitive in the CSC/T, which is not really meant for them. BAOC/RAFO members, as University club members, should be encouraged to also be members of their local open club for which they can compete in club events such as the CSC/T.

[graeme]

It would only need one tiny rule change - allowing all slower runners to count - to make the competition accessible to BAOC. At the same time it would remove the pressure currently put on people to "run up" out of their age class. I've never understood why the CST (especially) wants to stop slower runners from counting when most clubs can't raise a full team anyway.

oh and OUOC, what a brilliant club! If i had my time again i'd definitely apply there

Me too!

Graeme (non-counter for an incomplete team, 2007)

[djc]

a COTS package (that's Computer of the Shelf)

That's "Commercial off-the-shelf" where I come from!

Yours,
Pedant

[Mr timE]

Sorry yes you are right djc in this context, it was done in a rush and in the military we do use the other term sometimes.

Re the CSP Blanka you actually hit on one of my concerns, a lot of closed club personnel do run for their other clubs but that is not reflected in the club classification as they are not counted in the tally for a smaller club and with even less clubs now counting as small (local members now counted, but figure remains at 100) it may be even more significant.

The problem with all of these competitions is we try to cater for everyone and all types which results in very complicated scoring systems. Having just scored an YBT round on Sunday it was horrendous trying to check the rules for all the possible variants.

I quite like the SE League format where everyone who attends can get a score, even if only 1 point on a string. This favours clubs getting as many as possible out so the big clubs do tend to win, but for some events other clubs make a big effort and can challenge. Very simple system, if you run you can score, the better you run the more you score, but even an M/W90 could still contribute. At the moment SO dominate as they get most out, but they didn't always, other clubs have dropped off and so need to work harder to get their membership back up.

I am not fussed about BAOC competing as it is one of the few occassions I can compete for my other club, but if we wanted to we could is slower runners scored. So what if OUOC should win it by signing up 100 undergradutes from the athletics club, good on them. All it needs is a list saying who can run on which course, I also agree with graeme it would be nice not to have to run Brown as an M50 all the time as I'm no Colin Dickson.

Despite all this i agree with freezing the format for 3 yrs as they have, this prevents knee-jerk reactions to something that may never occur again.

[PeteL]

Don't really see the point of fine tuning the CSC to be fair to all when there's one thing that can't be fixed - geography. Like it or not, geographically remote clubs have to make more effort to get their teams in a position to win, which, if you're of a mind to complain, is unfair. I appreciate the final moves around each year so at some point most clubs would be 'in range' of the final but I wonder what the response would be if INVOC offered to host it?

I'd much rather all those big brains out there were putting their intellect into producing good events rather than trying to devise the perfect team competition. CSC can be a good wheeze and should continue but it's just a bit of fun really isn't it?

[Carnage Head]

When I first started orienteering as my main sport three years ago, I was not attracted to Compass Sport when I saw it at events. But now it is always welcomed and devoured... whether it's me getting older or the magazine improving, I'm not sure

The interviews with the Class Leaders are particularly interesting to read. I wonder how a 'Know Your Class Average Bod' section (using some kind of random selection method), or even a 'Know Your Class Lantern Rouge' one would go down!