![[Rootstock description]](rootstock.gif)
Tree stump - The stump of a tree.Root stock - The upturned root of a fallen tree, with or without the trunk.
I write this having recently returned from a great Varsity Match weekend in Yorkshire, of which you'll read more later on. A week beforehand was the East Anglian Championships at Silverstone - congratulations to all the winners. Not my best event recently, as I managed to get hopelessly confused in almost exactly the same bit of dark green that I saw a lot of two years previously...
One disappointing feature of the Championships was the small number of juniors - there was nobody at all in W14, M18, W18 and M20, though of course Laurence Ball (M18) ran up to record a great win in M21. I don't think the quietly announced change in junior course badge lengths with the new guidelines has helped (16, 18 and 20 are all significantly shorter) particularly since it seems a bit of a lottery as to which set of guidelines any given event is planned to.
This is all set to become even more ridiculous with a second major change within a year, as BOF have decided that the controversial ageless junior classes should be adopted nationwide from the autumn, despite being rejected by the Event Standards Committee. [from ESC minutes 11/02, "Council is asked to NOTE: ... ESC recommend that the ageless junior badge trial should be halted."] So, what is the point of having an Event Standards Committee if it's going to be totally ignored!
On a lighter note, it's nice to see a Chasing Sprint back on the EA fixtures list after a brief appearance a few summers ago. This is a great form of head-to-head racing, which can make good use of one of the many smallish areas in the region, and is a good social event too with the enforced gap between prologue and chase. I hope to see you all at Bush Heath on April 27th to make the event a success and encourage more to appear in future.
Finally I wish all East Anglian clubs (but particularly WAOC ;-) good luck in the CompassSport Cup next week - reports from successful teams will be much appreciated, and in return I'll let you know how nice the Scottish round was - I'll be stopping off on the way to a training tour at Glenmore.
Mark Collis (DRONGO/WAOC)
First of all an apology. Back in November I opened an E-mail late at night - those that know me well realise this is a normal occurrence. It was from BOF asking for a reply by return for the membership fees for EAOA. Due to a tired brain, slightly ambiguous wording and the fact that I had just looked up SOS membership fees for something else, I banged off a reply with the SOS figures when in fact EAOA membership fees are zero. Our region includes EA membership in the club membership fees and the club pays a capitation levy to EAOA. The result was that all East Anglian membership renewals from BOF went out incorrectly. BOF were unable to correct these although they did adjust the direct debits to take the right amount. Word got round and many people deducted £7 for individuals and £11.50 for families from the total. If you didn't and just paid up, a refund will come to you from EAOA via your club. If you haven't renewed your BOF membership, then deduct the excess and send your cheque to BOF. Please note that the renewal reminders that will go out in March will be for the correct amounts - these will vary depending on club membership fees so I won't confuse matters further by quoting figures!
The busy autumn programme has given way to a busy programme stretching ahead into the spring - with a brief respite for Christmas and New Year celebrations. Theoretically I was due two weekends off. One of those was spent at BOF council and the romantic weekend in France turned out to include 'O' as well. More of that later.
The biggest news from BOF council is that the Junior Ageless Badge Scheme is to be adopted nationwide. For those of you who don't know anything about this scheme I will explain. It has been running in the north and across the border in Scotland for a couple of years. Basically there are five levels of technical difficulty (TD) - corresponding to TD of colour-coded courses. At TD5 (the hardest) there are different course lengths. The idea is that Juniors choose the course suitable to their ability and are not restricted by age. It is popular in the areas where it has been piloted and is designed to encourage wider participation. I believe the scheme has some merits especially where teenagers take up the sport. In particular, there was a strong representation from BSOA in support of the scheme.
The predicted BOF deficit for 2002 looks like it has turned into a small profit. Some of this is due to differences in the way lottery funded programmes have to be budgeted to include matching funding but then this doesn't necessarily get spent. However, it is also in part due to the decline in membership not being as great as the pessimists feared. This is good news although I hope that the increased fees this year do not reverse the trend.
The BOF Child Protection Policy is proceeding. Council has decided that those working with Juniors and vulnerable adults should go through the Enhanced Disclosure process. I have done this and have a Certificate of Disclosure. It didn't prove too complicated although it took a bit of assembling all the relevant paperwork to prove who I was. If you have opened a bank account recently, then it will be no problem! The question to be addressed is to what level should this be applied. All coaches and instructors will be required to go through the procedure when their qualification comes up for renewal. The EAOA committee feels that the Squad Managers and Coach should submit themselves but that regular parent helpers should not. The basic process is probably sufficient. Clubs should consider where they stand on the policy. The issues are mainly around those involved in coaching Juniors especially those going into schools. However, many schools now ask for Disclosure anyway. It does not need to be applied, as some have suggested, to all helpers at events. A little common sense needs to be used. Alex Ross is authorised by CRB to countersign the forms. Alex or I can supply details of how to apply. As no-one is keen to entrust their identity to Royal Mail, Alex has asked for regional reps to check the documents on his behalf and I have agreed act as EAOA rep. If you need me to do this, contact me to arrange an event where we can meet up. I then forward the form (but not the documents) to Alex for countersignature.
Now I'm sure many of you are asking why so much money is being wasted on this and related issues such the recently launched Equity Policy. In short the answer is funding. These are required by the major funding bodies. This will have benefit to Clubs and Associations who apply for grants for local projects. Almost certainly the application form will contain questions about child protection and equity policies. All you need to do is answer that you subscribe to the relevant BOF policy and if necessary enclose a copy (available via BOF web site). However, I think we should not be ostriches about this. If, heaven forbid, a complaint was made, then orienteering would be crucified in the press if we had no safeguards in place. We would be foolish to assume it could never happen.
On a lighter note, back in the forest, the Juniors have started the Future Champions Cup series and the first tour selection race has taken place. Their schedule is packed for the next couple of months. For the rest of us, SMOC staged a successful East Anglian Championships. I thoroughly enjoyed my run at Silverstone - the sun shone and the woods were a delight. Thank you to Keith and his band of helpers. Congratulations to all our Champions - worthy winners all. It was a shame that the older Juniors were thin on the ground. The event clashed with the first selection race. The regional round of the CompassSport competition looms, rapidly followed by the Midland Champs at Chatsworth (EA members are eligible for trophies), the JK at Easter and the British Championships in May. The JK being based in Berks./Bucks. is not too far away and is well worth the trip to experience the largest event in UK.
For those less adventurous, there are plenty of events in East Anglia so check out the Fixtures List. I hope to see you in a forest soon.
Lyn West (SOS)
Congratulations to all the 2003 Champions, winning at the Silverstone badge event on February 23rd
M10 Thomas Louth (WAOC) W10 Alice Campbell (WAOC) M12 Adam Chalkley (NOR) W12 Sophie Louth (WAOC) M14 Jamie Taylor (WAOC) W14 - M16 Mark Chalkley (NOR) W16 Clare Woods (WAOC) M18 - W18 - M20 - W20 Nicola Robertson (SOS) M21 Laurence Ball (NOR) W21 Sarah Pilgrim (NOR) M35 Robert Campbell (WAOC) W35 Julia Wotton (WAOC) M40 Ian Maynard (HAVOC) W40 Helen Lloyd (NOR) M45 Richard Bonnett (SOS) W45 Kim Eden (NOR) M50 Richard Beard (WAOC) W50 Lindsey Freeman (WAOC) M55 Garry Parmenter (HAVOC) W55 Jenny Collyer (SOS) M60 John Ward (NOR) W60 Gillian Pilgrim (NOR) M65 John Webb (SUFFOC) W65 Clarissa Napier (NOR) M70 - W70 Anne Duncumb (WAOC)
The Joan George trophy for best performance by a junior goes to Laurence Ball, who as an M18 ran up and won M21.
At Day 2 of the Thetford Thrash at Warren Wood, there was a rather peculiar complaint about my map - that the features I had marked as rootstocks couldn't have been rootstocks because they were fallen trees which still had the trunk attached! Now apart from stating the obvious that said fallen tree was the most prominent feature where the green cross was marked on the map, and that there also happened to be a nice red and white flag next to it, I wondered whether it did have some sort of pedantic foundation.
A little investigation reveals the following, from the current draft IOF Control Descriptions:
Tree stump - The stump of a tree.
Root stock - The upturned root of a fallen tree, with or without the trunk.
(The version in the 1997 BOF rules has the latter definition only)
So am I in the clear? At first glance maybe, but the official version uses two words rather than one, whilst in a dictionary a rootstock is a synonym for rhizome, and I can't find a definition for the two word version. Whilst I can't remember who to credit, I'm sure that someone told me that the two word version actually arose from a mistranslation, and doesn't really mean anything in English at all! In summary, I think my heinous crime was to omit the space in the legend :-)
As a gift for Christmas, I presented Lyn with the opportunity to spend three whole days with me. So you can tell from the start, as if you didn't already know, how caring I can be. The silver lining for this particular cloud was that the three days would be based in Biarritz in south-west France. Our visits to France are largely based upon the cuisine and vintnery that may be found there, as well as the opportunity to stroll around markets and enjoy old towns with a different heritage to those in the UK. The itinerary was therefore planned around the evening restaurants that promised a gastronomic experience - but that is another story - and on getting out of Biarritz itself, which was a Society watering hole from mid-nineteenth century until the Second World War, and is just coming out from a period of faded glory. It sits at the southern end of dozens of miles of sandy beaches stretching north to Bordeaux and beyond, and is in the French part of Basque country adjacent to Spain at the western end of the Pyrennees.
Arriving on the Friday evening with a full plane load of Ryanair customers, we were in our hotel within ten minutes of leaving the airport. An amble around the town lead to a pre-prandial snifter of epic proportion for me - a biere flambee, which proved to be an evil cocktail of liqueurs, largely based on Cointreau and Grand Marnier, deposited in the base of a litre glass, warmed to allow ignition into a conflagration which was then dowsed by the addition of a bottle of Adelscott (a peated beer or 'biere au whisky') and a bottle of export Guinness. This concoction took some considerable time to imbibe: certainly long enough to swear the requisite three times that I would not repeat the dose before Hell freezes over. On the positive side, I think a measure of Cointreau in a cold 1664 could just work.
Saturday evening saw the gastronomic highlight, when we went to Les Platanes, a small restaurant with a menu beautifully explained by M le Patron, and the opportunity to try a little of several dishes rather than the conventional three course dinner. Conversation at some point in the evening turned to the following morning - I had discovered through the web page of the Federation Francais de Cours d'Orientation (FFCO for short) that, of the two orienteering events in France on February 16th, one was no further from Biarritz than Norwich is from Dedham. It seemed too good a chance to miss.
A phone call to the monolingual wife of the organiser had elicited the starting time of 10am, and advice to be there early. Duly we arrived at about 9.40 at Agnos, near to Oloron Sainte Marie in the foothills of the Pyrennees, and a mere twenty miles from Pau, the town with the first rugby club in France. (Travel is educational, you see!) Fortunately, a couple of people on registration duty were able to parler quite good Anglais, and the awful truth slowly revealed itself.
The French are not like us - they do things somewhat differently.
Of the four courses on offer, D was described as a family walk (4k and 80m climb) and C was for beginners (9k and 300m). To enter either of the proper courses, we needed a licence - or indeed a letter from our doctor stating that we were fit to participate in sporting activity. For a few moments, the C course beckoned, with its potentially 'Long Red' offering; then Lyn remembered a couple of BOF cards, only just out of date, that were eagerly accepted as proof of fraternity in orienteering. The real courses then were on offer at 12 - 15k or 15- 20k. Lyn thought that she could do part of the B course and retire, and I was optimistic about 12k. At 10am, all runners amassed on the road, jogged 200m along, then 200m up a track, then 200m across a field to the maps - and we were away!
Course details first - 13k and 500m climb, 21 controls, with the course being fairly circular around the perimeter of the map - so no short cuts for Lyn. The map was 1:20 000, 10m contours, with only three grades of wooded vegetation and remarkably little detail. Oh, and the weather was chilly at about -2C. The first few legs were Red standard, including that with a control marked on the corner of a barn. After circumnavigating said barn and finding no control, an arriving runner enquired of me 'Est-ce dedans?', so we looked dedans, but it was no more dedans than it had been dehors. Several more runners arrived to discuss the missing kite: I decided that I needed more to get to the finish in the daylight than worry about where the planner may have mislaid his control. As I climbed away from the barn, the other five jogged off towards another barn, 400m distant, where indeed the planner had mistakenly planted control 41.
After 75% of the distance, the course became a little more technical, and consequently more enjoyable in the woods. A suitably judicious route choice did see me skirt the field with the llama grazing in it, and hug the margin of the forest. It must be said that the standard of orienteering was no better than Straggler average, either in navigational or speed terms, which made it relaxed for Lyn and me as we were able to keep up with the crowd, and to enjoy little navigational victories for the British!
Three and a quarter hours for me and an extra hour for Lyn, who did finish the course, saw us back well before courses closed (4pm) and in time for our inclusive bowl of soup and cup of coffee, and inexpensive chips or crepes. The members of Club Equidistance 64 were sociable in staying around for discussion of the courses and presentation of a small number of prizes, including a very nice trophy for the winner of the A course. What they thought about the visitation by two mad Brits was not clear.
Colin West (SOS)
At the Colchester and District Sports Council Personality of the Year Awards ceremony held on February 3rd, Chris Sellens and Jo West received Certificates of Commendation in recognition of their achievements in 2002. Congratulations to them both.
Essex Stragglers received a grant of £250 from CDSC for use to support talented atheletes in travel to National and International competitions-specifically Interland in Belgium, World Schools Orienteering Championships in Portugal and British Championships in Northern Ireland. Chris & Jo were among those who benefited.
![[Chris Sellens & Jo West]](cdscpy.jpg)
They are pictured with the Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Colchester who presented the Awards.
Lyn West (SOS)
![[Knettishall]](knettishall.jpg)
A cold and crisp start to the year
White 1.7km 1. Henry Mole (IND) M5 15:35 2. Caitlin Campbell (WAOC) W8 16:27 3. Thomas Hemingway (WAOC) M6 18:08 Yellow 2.4km 1. Thomas Louth (WAOC) M10 21:15 2. Ashleigh Hogg (NOR) W12 29:38 3. Carters (WAOC) W9 30:02 Orange 3.0km 1. Helen Buckley (IND) W21 38:11 2. Laura (HH) W12 47:19 3. Betka Kucharova (IND) W16 48:47 Red 5.1km 1. Paul Taylor (IND) M60 45:59 2. Scotting Cooper (IND) M21 55:05 3. Ray Valler (SUFFOC) M40 64:38 Light Green 3.8km 1. Maurice Hemingway (WAOC) M45 37:45 2. C. Davies (SUFFOC) M50 40:45 3. Edward Louth (WAOC) M14 43:51 Green 4.7km 1. Barry Parker (NOR) M50 41:03 2. J. Rushmer (NOR) M55 41:10 3. Julian Dean (SUFFOC) M35 44:09 Blue 6.6km 1. Ian Renfrew (WAOC) M21 53:37 2. Kevin Smith (NOR) M45 56:11 3. Helen Gardner (WAOC) W18 58:17 Brown 8.4km 1. Laurence Ball (NOR) M18 52:16 2. Robert Frost (NOR) M21 55:24 3. Rolf Crook (WAOC) M21 57:01
White 1.2km 1. J. & P. Goldsworth (SPARHAWK) M10 13:00 2. Goldsworthy & Hampson (FALCON) W10 14:28 Yellow 2.3km 1. Adam Chalkley (GOODERSTONE) M12 24:51 2. Matthew Bedder (THORPE) M12 26:41 3. Hampson & Goldsworthy (FALCON) W10 36:09 Orange 3.0km 1. Daniel Tinker (WYCOL) M14 30:08 2. Robert Charlesworth (WYCOL) M14 40:07 3. Ruth Taylor (WYCOL) W14 44:52 Red 5.4km 1. Richard Thomas (IND) M40 48:40 2. Pauline Smith (NOR) W40 52:27 3. Paul Taylor (IND) M35 54:01 Light Green 3.5km 1. Wilson Man (LANGLEY) M16 47:56 2. T. Eden & L. Paterson (NOR) M45/M50 54:14 3. Carrie Abbott (NOR) W21 54:35 Green 4.6km 1. Barry Pilgrim (NOR) M55 51:18 2. Nigel Berry (COWA) M35 55:00 3. Kate Penny (WAOC) W21 55:55 Blue 6.9km 1. Paul Price (NOR) M40 75:56 2. William Morgan (NOR) M50 80:38 3. Graeme Corden (NOR) M40 83:21 Brown 8.4km 1. Robert Frost (NOR) M21 62:43 2. Laurence Ball (NOR) M18 71:14 3. Richard Towler (NOR) M50 83:17
![[Warren Wood]](warrenwood.jpg)
I hope you all enjoyed the bumpy bit of Warren Wood as much as I had fun mapping it!
Combined times for both days:
M10A 1. Thomas Louth (WAOC) 41:27 M12A 1. Jonathan Crickmore (SO) 57:55 2. Dryden Williams (SMOC) 60:12 3. Adam Chalkley (NOR) 74:01 M14A 1. Edward Louth (WAOC) 88:46 2. Byron Williams (SMOC) 189:41 M16A 1. Mark Chalkley (NOR) 110:46 2. Simon Gardner (WAOC) 117:34 3. James Lyne (SOS) 122:35 M18A 1. Niklas Wansolin (OK Ravinen) 86:08 2. Erik Strandberg (OK Ravinen) 96:26 3. Josh Jenner (CHIG) 97:11 M18B 1. Richard Marr (OD) 145:14 M21L 1. Nick Barrable (FVO) 111:17 2. Rob Hart (OK Linne) 120:35 3. Duncan Archer (HH) 120:45 M21S 1. Andrew Powell (NUOC) 93:43 M35L 1. Stephen McKinley (SN) 120:56 2. Jon Cross (FVO) 122:28 3. Martin Skinner (SN) 140:21 M35S 1. Ronan Cleary (LOK) 121:55 M40L 1. Neil Crickmore (SO) 127:26 2. Paul Fox (SN) 129:12 3. Mark Selley (BOK) 136:22 M40S 1. Paul Lowe (SUFFOC) 140:25 M45L 1. Pete Jones (SN) 92:08 2. Stephen Bingham (SMOC) 104:59 3. Tony Harden (BOK) 107:12 M45S 1. Clive Baker (NOR) 89:19 M50L 1. Axel Blomqvist (BAOC) 86:07 2. Richard Payne (EPOC) 104:06 3. Dave Marr (OD) 105:17 M50S 1. Bruce Marshall (WAOC) 107:53 M55L 1. Mike Murray (SLOW) 83:12 2. Stephen Wright (NOC) 104:06 3. Garry Parmenter (HAVOC) 104:36 M55S 1. Barry Pilgrim (NOR) 95:58 M60L 1. David Peregrine (WAOC) 128:18 2. Hally Hardie (WAOC) 129:37 3. Simon Ford (LEI) 133:19 M65L 1. Robin Campbell (CHIG) 90:37 2. John Evans (LEI) 97:34 3. David Hale (CLOK) 99:05 M65S 1. Calvin Manning (SN) 123:43 M75L 1. Ken Hale (SAX) 100:02 2. Denis Hamment (BOK) 101:45 3. John Peel (NOR) 108:14 W10A 1. Alice Campbell (WAOC) 48:46 2. Megan Malley (SOS) 80:20 W10B 1. Caitlin Campbell (WAOC) 39:55 W14A 1. Bryony Crickmore (SO) 63:05 2. Lauren Ferrand (SWOC) 92:30 3. Sarah Lyne (SOS) 107:01 W14B 1. Rachael Malley (SOS) 81:44 W16A 1. Joanne West (SOS) 97:07 2. Clare Woods (WAOC) 117:32 W18A 1. Katie Sellens (SOS) 103:02 2. Heather Houghton (HOC) 113:11 W21L 1. Pernilla Karlsson (FVO) 110:29 2. Helen Gardner (WAOC) 120:56 3. Katerina Novotna (HH) 121:17 W21S 1. Kay Fowler (NOR) 101:04 W35L 1. Susan Skinner (SN) 103:00 2. Julia Jarvis (SO) 103:07 3. Woo Allen (BAOC) 110:19 W35S 1. Alison Fox (WAOC) 100:21 W40L 1. Helen Errington (HH) 111:14 2. Jane Archer (SN) 129:03 3. Louise Jones (LOK) 131:52 W40S 1. Helen Pedley (EPOC) 74:15 W45L 1. Jenny Selley (BOK) 90:04 2. Jackie Chapman (SLOW) 91:10 3. Kim Eden (NOR) 108:34 W45S 1. Catherine Springett (BKO) 90:13 W50L 1. Lindsey Freeman (WAOC) 103:33 2. Heather Smithard (KFO) 105:11 3. Helen Wise (SO) 115:25 W50S 1. Maureen Weldon (WAOC) 76:46 W55L 1. Julianna Grant (MV) 92:43 2. Jen Gale (DVO) 111:23 3. Sue Bicknell (OD) 122:26 W55S 1. Rosalind West (CHIG) 107:24 W60L 1. Gillian Pilgrim (NOR) 85:56 2. Carol Evans (DEE) 92:50 3. Sue Vine (NOR) 112:02 W60S 1. Ann Wilson (BKO) 131:07 W65L 1. Ruby Campbell (CHIG) 88:55 2. Alison Sloman (HOC) 92:35 3. Barbara George (NOR) 94:00 W70L 1. Dorothy Hale (SAX) 103:53 2. Beryl Pay (WRE) 111:03 3. Jean Peel (NOR) 142:08
White 1.5km 1. Boyd, Carroll & Burley (KEGS) 12:20 2. Nick Aiken (2nd GP) 13:35 3. J. Steel & C. Turrell (KEGS) 13:38 Yellow 2.3km 1. Stephanie Miller (LATYM) 18:35 2. Eleanor Davies (FOREST) 26:26 3. Evelyn, Erica, Emily & Sophie (HH) 31:01 Orange 3.3km 1. Lenval Greer (HFPS) 29:55 2. Dean Miller (LATYM) 32:21 3. Ari Johnson (HFPS) 48:46 Light Green 3.7km 1. Garry Parmenter (HAVOC) M55 32:47 2. Adrian Mullis (HFPS) M40 35:14 3. Anthony Waller (HAVOC) M21 36:39 Blue 5.5km 1. Tony Maycraft (CHIG) M45 40:36 2. Chris Brolly (HAVOC) M40 46:28 3. Creighton (BAOC) M21 46:49
White 1. Abbie Hampson (Gowing) W10 14:29 2. Goldsworthy & Hampson (NOR) W10 15:01 3. Cait Campbell (WAOC) W10 16:54 Yellow 1. Alice Campbell (WAOC) W10 18:36 2. Ben Howe (IND) M12 25:52 3. Jo Wilson (IND) W18 26:46 Orange 1. Daniel Tinker (WYCOL) M14 35:39 2. Robert Charlesworth (WYCOL) M14 37:49 3. Ruth Taylor (WYCOL) W14 38:55 Red 1. Paul Taylor (NOR) M35 56:58 2. Juliette Butcher (NOR) W50 71:40 3. Pauline Smith (NOR) W40 74:12 Light Green 1. Tim Harrison (COWA) M21 49:04 2. N. Draycott (NOR) W35 59:15 3. Stephen ? (WYCOL) M16 59:59 Green 1. Kim Eden (NOR) W45 52:25 2. Mark Chalkley (WYCOL) M16 52:28 3. Barry Pilgrim (NOR) M55 55:10 Blue 1. Paul Price (NOR) M40 63:57 2. Tim Wright (NOR) M21 67:59 3. Sarah Pilgrim (NOR) W21 71:00 Brown 1. Robert Campbell (WAOC) M35 69:12 2. John Ward (NOR) M35 79:23 3. Kevin Smith (NOR) M45 82:47
![[East Anglian Trophies]](eatrophies.jpg)
A table full of trophies awaits the survivors of the green bits of Silverstone...
M10A 1. Thomas Louth (WAOC) 24:35 2. William Gardner (OD) 25:24 3. Duncan Taylor (WAOC) 32:17 M10B 1. Matthew Brigginshaw (HH) 28:17 M12A 1. Adam Chalkley (NOR) 36:33 M14A 1. Jamie Taylor (WAOC) 40:59 2. Edward Louth (WAOC) 49:01 M16A 1. Mark Chalkley (NOR) 60:14 2. James Lyne (SOS) 70:44 3. Russell Eassom (WRE) 78:00 M21L 1. Ed Catmur (OUOC) 71:13 2. Laurence Ball (NOR) 75:37 3. Robert Frost (NOR) 76:24 M21S 1. Andrew Powell (NUOC) 48:49 M35L 1. Robert Campbell (WAOC) 67:18 2. John Ward (NOR) 77:04 3. Ian Jones (NGOC) 81:51 M35S 1. Ian Wilson (LEI) 52:29 M40L 1. Ian Maynard (HAVOC) 64:17 2. Clive Giddis (DEE) 67:39 3. Michael Muggeridge (HAVOC) 67:59 M40S 1. Neil Humphries (WAOC) 45:19 M45L 1. Richard Gardner (OD) 57:48 2. Allan Rosen (HH) 60:09 3. Stephen Templeton (HH) 66:40 4. Richard Bonnett (SOS) 67:10 M45S 1. Charles Taylor-Keane (TVOC) 47:54 M50L 1. Richard Beard (WAOC) 54:09 2. Richard Payne (EPOC) 56:39 3. Alan Williamson (SO) 56:45 M50S 1. Mike Spencer (KERNO) 46:22 M55L 1. Stephen Wright (NOC) 48:11 2. Chris Bosley (LEI) 50:43 3. Mike Hampton (OD) 52:05 7. Garry Parmenter (HAVOC) 57:08 M55S 1. David Cooke (NOC) 35:33 M60L 1. John Ward (NOR) 50:26 2. Chris Morley (WAOC) 52:33 3. Richard Moss (SOC) 53:28 M60S 1. Robert Titterington (LEI) 30:55 M65L 1. Derek Wise (SN) 44:04 2. Peter Pratt (HH) 45:51 3. Robin Campbell (CHIG) 46:29 6. John Webb (SUFFOC) 53:48 M65S 1. Geoff Bristow (TVOC) 39:44 M70L 1. John Spence (TVOC) 44:02 2. E. B. Smith (TVOC) 53:28 3. Donald Moir (LEI) 54:02 M75S 1. Edwin Power (LOK) 73:29 W10A 1. Alice Campbell (WAOC) 23:38 W10B 1. Caitlin Campbell (WAOC) 22:39 W12A 1. Sophie Louth (WAOC) 34:08 2. Katrina Taylor (WAOC) 72:25 W16A 1. Clare Woods (WAOC) 50:03 W20L 1. Becky Carlyle (OUOC) 50:55 2. Nicola Robertson (SOS) 57:03 W20S 1. Marianne Mehta (NUOC) 48:33 W21L 1. Katerina Novotna (HH) 70:12 2. Sarah Pilgrim (NOR) 74:02 3. Jane Stagg (BOK) 78:14 W21S 1. Emily Parkin (NUOC) 54:43 W35L 1. Sarah Francis (SN) 57:23 2. Julia Wotton (WAOC) 60:30 3. Catherine Galvin (LOK) 80:53 W35S 1. Gillian Hanson (HH) 44:53 W40L 1. Janet Rosen (HH) 53:25 2. Helen Lloyd (NOR) 54:17 3. Helen Errington (HH) 58:16 W40S 1. Wendy Smallwood (SYO) 30:36 W45L 1. Jackie Chapman (SLOW) 44:59 2. Kim Eden (NOR) 49:03 3. Lyn West (SOS) 54:54 W45S 1. Carol Iddles (HH) 33:12 W50L 1. Lindsey Freeman (WAOC) 42:06 2. Judith Holt (LEI) 51:58 3. Lesley Brown (HH) 53:34 W50S 1. Maureen Weldon (WAOC) 40:35 W55L 1. Julianna Grant (MV) 42:05 2. Pauline Ward (DVO) 42:10 3. Hilary Palmer (NOC) 42:23 4. Jenny Collyer (SOS) 44:03 W55S 1. Maureen Webster (HH) 51:12 W60L 1. Shirley Moss (SOC) 36:25 2. Seonaid Dudley (WCH) 55:07 3. Gillian Pilgrim (NOR) 58:56 W65L 1. Clarissa Napier (NOR) 47:18 2. Susie Hall (HH) 49:09 3. Barbara George (NOR) 51:37 W70L 1. Anne Power (LOK) 50:07 2. Anne Duncumb (WAOC) 78:04
White 1. Alex Ware (SOS) M10 19:16 2. Taylor & Powell Davies (IND) 29:27 3. Rhiannon Ware (SOS) W6 33:25 Yellow 1. Riley & Houlding (SOS) M60/M10 33:47 2. Oliver Taylor (SOS) M12 34:18 3. Emily Hardisty (ST MARYS) W12 34:19 Orange 1. James Lyne (SOS) M16 26:11 2. Scott Callender (IND) M20 29:11 3. Hex & Philip (KEGS) M16/M18 37:04 Light Green 1. Mark Powell Davies (IND) 52:27 2. Alan Alford (SOS) M45 52:33 3. Nancy Powell Davies (IND) W50 59:12 Green 1. Chris Sellens (SOS) M20 31:36 2. David Birkett (SOS) M40 44:51 3. John Webb (SUFFOC) M65 54:32 Blue 1. David West (SOS) M18 46:02 2. Peter Lake (CHIG) M35 48:34 3. Martin Sellens (SOS) M50 48:42
At the last EA committee meeting, there were suggestions made that the colour coded courses assigned to classes for EAGAL events are not appropriate for some classes, the specific ones mentioned being that M60s on Green is too short and W65s on Green is too long. But looking into it, that's far from all - it looks to me like a complete revision of courses is needed, especially because the new older junior badge courses are significantly shorter and in one case (M16) they're expected to run over a third further for an EAGAL than at a badge event!
My full list of potential changes:
M16 down from Blue (36% longer) to Green (7% shorter) M20 down from Brown (24% longer) to Blue (15% shorter) M40 up from Blue (24% shorter) to Brown (11% longer) M60 up from Green (21% shorter) to Blue (15% longer) M75 down from Green (17% longer) to Light Green (17% shorter) ? W16 down from Green (28% longer) to Light Green (9% shorter) W20 down from Blue (20% longer) to Green (18% shorter) W40 up from Green (25% shorter) to Blue (9% longer) W65 down from Green (21% longer) to Light Green (15%)
I don't know who officially sets the rules, how long the old courses have applied, or how much consultation would be expected before changing them, but it seems to me that we ought to change at least the junior classes this year to correspond with the introduction of shorter badge courses - there is still just enough time as the only EAGAL that has taken place yet was CUOC's Santon Warren badge event.
No, not the rugby match - there are Varsity Matches between Cambridge and Oxford in all sports, including orienteering. So on the first weekend of March a minibus left Cambridge bound for the North York Moors with a team keen to defend the trophies we'd brought back from Sweden last year, but with an uphill task as last year's stars Mark Bown and Rachael Elder have now graduated.
Though the weather driving up on Friday night had been pretty grim, Saturday morning was much more promising with bright sunshine poking through the rather poor excuses for curtains in the outdoor centre where we were staying. And it was first blood to us when finding out the starting order; Oxford had left Alex Rothman, a former individual winner of the event while at Cambridge, out of their team altogether, and were going to send out their star squaddie Ed Catmur first, after failing to handle the pressure of head-to-head competition last year - what seemed an impossible task had now become an outside chance.
Unsurprisingly, Ed posted an early fast time, with the race on behind to see if anyone could beat him as well as for the middle ranking places where the team match is often decided. Cambridge captain Alan Elder came very close, missing out on the individual win by just 19 seconds, whilst cross-country runner Matthew Hook, in his first ever orienteering event, showed his navigational skills by following Alan most of the way round... Sadly we didn't quite make it, losing by a minute and a half overall in almost five hours but we were still closer than we had dared hope beforehand.
In the women's race, Oxford were clear winners, thanks largely to Pippa Whitehouse's individual win by over five minutes despite having been ill in the weeks leading up to the event.
With the competition over, we returned to base before going to dinner at a pub in a nearby village. Driving a minibus back from the pub in such circumstances is not to be recommended if you're easily distracted! On our return it was time for the most important event of the weekend - the beer race :-) Here Cambridge's superior tactics paid off, with Ash and I doubling up, and we scored a convincing victory and took home the trophy for the first time in nine years.
So in the end a complete reversal of last year's results, with Oxford taking over the reins in the running, and Cambridge having uncovered a new talent for drinking... Our other success of the weekend was DRONGO retaining the ex-members trophy against JOK. Let's hope for an influx of new talent in October to help us regain more of the trophies next year. Many thanks to Cath Ashton (DRONGO/EBOR) for organising the weekend.
Men 8.7km 1. Ed Catmur (Oxford) 62:27 2. Alan Elder (Cambridge) 62:46 3. Tom Cochrane (Oxford) 65:56 4. Ashley Bown (Cambridge) 66:16 5. Matthew Hook (Cambridge) 78:30 6. Matt Dillingham (Oxford) 80:23 7. Ollie O'Brien (Oxford) 80:43 8. Mark Collis (Cambridge) 83:39 9. Huw Arthur (Oxford) 84:12 10. Chris Millard (Oxford) 89:59 Team (best 4): Oxford 289:29, Cambridge 291:11 Women 7.5km 1. Pippa Whitehouse (Oxford) 64:39 2. Cath Drew (Cambridge) 70:07 3. Rachael Holmes (Oxford) 71:19 4. Claire Warner (Cambridge) 76:07 5. Becky Carlyle (Oxford) 77:11 6. Ali Ingleby (Cambridge) 79:14 7. Blanka Sengerova (Cambridge) 80:12 8. Anne Osborne (Oxford) 83:12 9. Rosemary Dyer (Cambridge) 86:26 10. Christine Jones (Oxford) 126:59 Team (best 3): Oxford 213:09, Cambridge 225:28
![[CUOC at the Varsity Match]](cuoc.jpg)
So how many of CUOC do you recognise? Our VM team (left to right, front row first) was Niall Inverarity, Claire, Rosemary, Cath, Blanka, Mark, Emma Pooley, Jenny Costigan, Ali, Alan, Ashley and Matthew.
And finally, remember that contributions to Points East are always welcome, ideally the editor shouldn't have to write half the articles as well... Please send either by email to mwc22@cam.ac.uk, or by post to Mark Collis, Pembroke College, Cambridge CB2 1RF.