Armidale Twilight-O attracts some wigglers
- Last Updated: Friday, 22 February 2013 17:22
Judging by the number of entries for this week’s Twilight-O from Northern Tablelands, orienteering is alive and well in Armidale!
Numbers were up which resulted in a shortage of maps and some last minute printing by the organiser. There was practically a mass start for the Moderate course, with an atmosphere like a Sprint-O event.
Although the cunning old foxes Don Barker and David Symons were quickest on the Moderate course, some of the Juniors, such as Lindsay & James Symons, Torsten von Strokirch, Sam Watson and the Lesurf boys produced very impressive times (James was quickest on the Easy course). Just as impressive were some of the scratches from the blackberries!
Only 3 people took on the “Wiggly Line” course, with Eric Baker's experience easily meeting the challenge. For those who don't know, a Wiggly Line course is where a competitor gets a normal map, but with no controls shown (control descriptions may be supplied, at discretion of planner). Instead of control circles, the competitor sees a meandering line overprinted on his/her map. If this line is followed closely, controls will be found, as the line runs over or beside various features. Ideally other controls, not right on the line, should be visible, so competitor has to judge whether each control he sees (or more correctly the feature that the control is next to) is on the line or not. As Garry Slocombe commented, it was a good exercise, and made him concentrate much harder on his navigation than he usually does.
Winners:
Moderate: Don Barker 14:36
Wiggly Line: Eric Baker 24:47
Easy: James Symons 16:48
Thanks to Alec Watt for this report
WHO beat the Big Foot speedsters?
- Last Updated: Monday, 18 February 2013 18:42
Sunny weather greeted the 80+ entrants at the St Ives Showground for a testing course set by Big Foot's Miles Ellis in the 6th event of the Sydney Sprint Series. A mixture of bush and open areas mixed with areas dedicated to special interest groups (Mini-bikes, radio control cars, Equestrian, Farnarkling etc), made for an interesting course with runners weaving through horse floats and picking left or right route options around open ovals (marked out-of-bounds) in search of human fodder racks (picnic tables).
Fastest man on the day was WHO's Andy Hill, followed by the swift Patrik Gunnarsson of Big Foot and evergreen veteran Jock Davis, also Big Foot.
Darwin-based visitor Suzanne Casanova was the fastest female followed by Big Foot training partners Tracy Marsh and Paula Shingler.
The next Sydney Sprint is on 25 February at Castle Hill Showground
Thanks to Miles Ellis for this report
Embargoed area for 2013 QB3
- Last Updated: Wednesday, 13 February 2013 15:14
Illawarra Kareelah Orienteers have announced an embargo on an area to be used for the QBIII in June this year.
The area concerned is the north east section of the Miners Despair map. For details see the area enclosed by the pink boundary line on this sample map.
The only exception that has been granted is for the DuO Adventure race on 10 March which has been given permission to use the area for its bike legs.
Anyone requiring further information should contact Kevin Curby.
Waggaroos President John Oliver turns up the heat on the competition
- Last Updated: Sunday, 10 February 2013 21:35
Once again hot weather meant that only the 30min time limited event was conducted at the latest Waggaroos event at Torbourkelands. John Oliver held off strong challenges from Trent Seaman and Steven Moore to win this latest event in the Waggaroos summer calendar. Blazing his own trail he started low and then steamed away strongly picking off the high point controls on the ridgeline. As a tactic it worked and he finished with an excellent 135 points ahead of those who preferred to run long and low.
Trent Seaman and Steven Moore, went north in slightly different directions but finished with the same score of 120points, Trent taking the handicap honours for the second week in a row. Briohny Seaman, winner of the event at Kooringal last week was not far behind with 110 points.
The next Waggaroos event is 14 February at Turvey Park.
Thanks to John Oliver for this report
