Thorndon Park Colour Coded 3 March 2002

Controller's Comments

This was my first event as a controller and it all seemed to be quite straight forward, largely due to the confidence I could place in the experience and reliability of planner Brian Daniel and organisers Zbig and Jenny Gebka.  Brian planned some excellent courses which needed little input from me.  They made good use of the land and the harder courses offered direct routes through terrain which is at its most runnable at this time of the year.  The map needed some updating because of the construction of the goat pen which you walked around on the way to the start. Therefore the opportunity was taken to reprint the updated map and to provide overprinted courses at the same time. The overprint map numbers were well judged though there were traditional master maps ready as a back up. Bagging the maps seemed a reasonable precaution against bad weather.

Zbig and Jenny's organisation coped well with the good turnout.  This was HAVOC's fourth full colour coded event using SI electronic punching and I think we are getting the hang of it.  Competitors seemed to appreciate the simplified registration and dibber hire procedures, the flexibility over start times and also the efficient finish and results service.  It was nice to see so may juniors taking part and also the strong demand for the string course (or was it the sweets at the end).  Congratulations to all officials and helpers who played their part in putting on the event.

Paul Beckett, Controller

Planner's Comments

Walking around Thorndon Park at Christmas, it was clear that it was more runnable than it has been at any time since the great storm that devastated the area in 1987, and I was moved to offer to fill the vacant Planner's slot for this event. However, the map needed updating to reflect the greater runnability and the changes to paths and fenced areas that had occurred. Many thanks are due to Keith and Mary Ryder for helping me revise the map for this event during January and February. Laser printing overprinted maps direct from OCAD map files allowed us the maximum preparation time.

The courses that I planned generally seemed to be well received on the day. The use of SportIdent (SI) electronic punching allows the planner more scope on fragmented areas like this. I tried, as far as possible, to keep runners on the more technical courses off the major paths and made maximum use of the small escarpment to the S/SW and the major re-entrant near the Finish. The use of the Woodland Trust & farmland to the SE of Thorndon Park on the Brown course was not ideal, but enabled runners to stretch their legs for a bit as an alternative to the control picking nature of most of the course.

Thanks to Claire and Jane Daniel for their support, Paul Beckett for controlling efficiently, Anthony Waller for his help with the SI system, Zbig and Jenny Gebka and the HAVOC faithful for organising the event and everybody who helped collect in controls (especially CUOC).

Thanks for coming!
Brian Daniel, Planner

Organiser's Comments

We enjoyed the event. Hope you did. The weather, fresh air, absorbing competition and brilliant courses made it a very enjoyable day out for Havoc as organisers, and hopefully for you as competitors, walkers etc. It was wonderful to see such a great turnout. It really does make the hard work behind the scenes so worthwhile.

From an organising point of view things seemed to go pretty well. Car parking in Thorndon is always going to be difficult. It is a very popular country park with a variety of users: ramblers, dog walkers, horse riders and occasionally orienteers. We tried to accommodate  the public but lack of space does make things difficult. I sometimes do feel that on areas like Thorndon the public feel we are a nuisance spoiling their day out but I was very pleased to get a comment from a dog walker to say how wonderful it was that this natural amenity was being used by so many people.

Apologies to the orienteers who found themselves going to the start at the SE end of the car park. If I am ever asked (volunteered) to organise again I will try to come up with some signs that are 2.8m high so they are visible. The information provided in the leaflet did state the NW end of the car park by the car park entrance. We did try.

I feel the introduction of electronic punching is a great leap forwards for orienteering events. There is more work to be done prior to the event and at registration but results are available quicker and there is no need for control card checking. It also provides greater flexibility especially at the start, allowing officials to start competitors at any suitable time. Rough start times were given to prevent over long waits and crowding.

All helpers at orienteering events are volunteering their free time so that many others can enjoy themselves. So lets all try being polite and happy rather than critical and grumpy when we are competitors. Organisers always strive to do their best and I certainly will be a lot more understanding at any future events I attend.

My thanks again to all Havoc helpers. Without your help the event would not have taken place. To Brian for his great courses, mapping,  Paul for controlling and much appreciated support, Anthony for grappling with technology (just because its computerised doesn't make it easy) to provide the results and to Barbara for talking me into organising (she is quite persistent !!!) and providing the string course maps. Finally thanks to Jenny, my better 'arf, as co-organiser, for stepping in to perform all sorts of jobs as they materialised to make things run as smoothly as possible.

Zbig Gebka

P.S.  Weren't the laser over printed maps great !!!!