Results of SOSOL 4 at Pitmedden Forest on 24th October 2004

Organiser - Phil Smithard, KFO, Planners - David Combe and Dave Prentice, Controller - John Emeleus, KFO

NB A word of apology for the lack of event details in advance on this web site - for a variety of reasons I have not been able to update the site in recent weeks. Thankfully, over 160 of you not only knew where to go, but turned up despite the rain and the roadworks!

On behalf of Tayside Orienteers, thankyou all for coming along to support the event; I would also like to acknowledge the support of Kingdom of Fife Orienteers (with whom the map is a joint venture) for stepping in to provide key event officials (in particular thanks to Phil Smithard, organiser, and John Emeleus, controller) plus invaluable help on the day.

David Sloan

Organiser's comments

Well, we couldn't have planned it worse. (The weather I mean, Dave, not the courses) Even setting out the travel signs was done in a water free environment and it was only at the first arrivals that the wind and rain got going. First thing to fall was the Registration tent - literally. Once all had left, the event officials were left in a lay-by with an almost clear sky and a wee peak of the sun.

Apart from the absence of on-the-day race results, for which I apologise, other aspects were firing on all cylinders and the traditional, but sincere thanks go to all those who helped on the day and in most part managed a run as well. The joint venture between TAY and KFO worked well and my thanks must go particularly to JOINT-Organiser Moira Laws who did an incredible amount of preparation and co-ordination work for the event.

Spare a thought for the Weir family who volunteered to look after the String Course and spent an entire day catering for just six youngsters. Sadly the weather did not really encourage the wee ones and chaperones out into the wilds of 'Clarence the Friendly Monster' land, but those who did had a great time.

Two things are worthy of note and information: -

The farming community still have a concern over infection of land and the arrangements made looked primitive (and were), but reflected the arrangements still in place at some marts and also the local wishes. The fluid advised to us was purely disinfectant from the local supermarket diluted to taste (what!!).
Toilets - a requirement of access put in place by the Forestry Commission on the grounds of there being no reasonable local facility. Attempts to insure the same in recognition of the recent article in Score produced a quote of �300, a figure that is prohibitive for a small event. As it was, entry fees had to be raised by 50p to cover the cost of hire. It could be that there are other companies who include insurance cover in the hire charge and perhaps an exercise might be done for Scotland to produce a tariff/insurance table of the various firms that would be of benefit to other Clubs for the future. I have raised the matter to SOA and discussion may produce an answer, perhaps with BOF involvement, that will reduce the high financial risk to clubs without raising entry fees to about �7.50 for an FC event. (since a rise to cover insurance as well would trigger levy charges also)

Final thank-yous must go to the local landowners who were happy to accommodate our event - provided we did not demolish the fences, which you didn't, thankfully - and to all you competitors who braved the ghastliest of weathers to hopefully enjoy a return to Pitmedden after such a long time away. We'll be back - at least I will as I have yet to have a run here. I think I was doing organising in 1968 Midlands Champs when the weather was even worse!!

I have one watch handed to the Start for safekeeping and not reclaimed - call 01383 722416.

Phil Smithard, more than ably assisted by Moira Laws.

Planners Report

Well done to all of you who despite the awful weather turned up. Returning after putting out the last controls I did wonder if all the effort was in vain, but thanks to you it was all worthwhile.

This was my first attempt to plan at this level and I must thank Dave Prentice ( who assisted earlier on, before going on holiday to Tanzania, and to John, whose comments as controller always resulted in an improvement. The feedback after the event suggested that we had been successful in presenting you with fair and challenging courses, making the best of the varied terrain. My apologies to those on the longer courses for Control 45 "Clearing E side", two weeks ago it was a lovely bright green clearing, on Saturday I found it under water, but it was too late to move the control site, at least it was in the shallowest part!

A final thank you to Phil who constructed the fence crossings over those fences we had to avoid damaging, or damaging the competitors.

Next time we have an event we must try and locate the shorter courses in the North and East parts of the map, which when the weather is favourable present glorious views to the North and South - but can we guarantee the weather?

David Combe

Controller's Report

Thanks to all of the competitors for turning up and making the organisers' and planners' efforts very worthwhile. I thought Pitmedden provided plenty of interest and also some challenges in course planning. The path network could be described as intricate in places and I was concerned about the yellow course in particular, with the requirement for controls not to be located at every decision point. For the more technical courses the main difficulty was in keeping competitors off the paths. Lots of controls and some less technical legs were necessary. David and Dave worked extremely hard in setting the courses and also in updating the map, necessary in part because numerous areas of gorse were removed following the new survey. I heard a lot of favourable comments on the courses, indicative that they had done an excellent job for the competitors. I'm very grateful to Phil for pointing out to me that some of the competitors would need assistance with defined fence crossing points. Phil then built these - again, many thanks!

Looking at my role, in terms of how the running times matched the guidelines for colour courses, I was very happy with White to Orange, plus Blue and Brown. Times on Green and Light Green suggest the courses were a little too long; and, in particular, that some of the forest was evidently physically tough. Sorry about that. I hope that you appreciated a 'break' in the middle, with the trip out onto the farmland (split time analysis on the Winsplits website suggests so anyway!).

Finally, the process of copying from master maps in such conditions was grim. I was reminded of how other clubs are now doing things better. At Manchester and District OC's recent Twin Peak event, I received my map hot off the press, from a compact, colour laser printer sitting in a tent in the assembly field (at that event, with starts way up on the fellside, competitors were responsible for carrying their map, rolled up tightly and bound with tape, up to the start). I understand that MDOC also run this pre-marked map facility at 'district' events. Wouldn't it be nice for us to have this operational in Scotland?! It would also help deal with sometimes uncertain levels of entry on the day at the SOL events (i.e., pre-entrants' maps would still be printed in advance, with extra maps printed on the day to meet demand).

John Emeleus

If you have any problems or queries regarding this page or its contents, contact David Sloan - email: dsloan @computing.dundee.ac.uk