2007 British Schools Orienteering Championships

Final Details

17th/18th November 2007 Cold Harbour, Gore Heath, Wareham Forest Crane’s Moor, Bovington

Organised by Sarum Orienteering Club and Wimborne Orienteers With assistance from Wessex Orienteering Club

Supported by British Orienteering and the British Schools Orienteering Association

Final Details

Saturday 17th November –Training Event - Cold Harbour – ISSF Championships Qualification Race – Gore Heath Sunday 18th November – British Schools Championships 2007 – Crane’s Moor

General Notes

Enclosures

In the packs sent to schools you will find: A start list for your school for the Qualification Race (if appropriate). Final details for the Training Event, Qualification Race and Championships. Start list for your school for the Championships. One blank map of the Sunday competition area (the final map will NOT have the key and travel directions/car parks marked on it). Details of the overnight accommodation if booked.

Cancellation

It is very unlikely that we will need to cancel any of these events but if you are concerned about cancellation please check the BSOA website at www.bsoa.org.

Safety

Whilst we will do everything we can to make this event as safe as possible, competitors do take part at their own risk. It is the team leaders responsibility to ensure that competitors are properly prepared for the event and have been made aware of the event procedures, particularly in relation to safety, and clothed in a manner suiting the conditions on the day. No shorts – full leg protection is required. In the event of bad weather, cagoules may be compulsory – please come prepared. Notices will be put up at assembly. We will, of course, be monitoring the time that runners spend in the forest, but please help us by letting us know if you are concerned about one of your team. We would ask you to emphasise to your competitors that parts of the courses on Sunday enter an army training area and they must not touch or pick up any unusual objects. There is also barbed wire in some areas and other man made obstacles such as slit trenches. Competitors should not climb on military vehicles which are on the area, no matter how inviting the experience may be. We have full permission to be in the area and signs saying 'danger keep out' and the like can be ignored on the competition map. However competitors should not cross barbed wire apart from at marked crossing points

Photos

As in previous years, there will be officials taking photos in several places around the weekend’s events, so that they can be placed on the BSOA web site. There will be no names or ages attached. Should anyone want a child excluded from such photos, please let us know their names and ways in which we’ll be able to identify them in order to satisfy the request. Any other persons wishing to take photographs will need to give their details to Enquiries.

Punching

For the Training Event and Championships - Electronic SI control boxes will be mounted on an aluminium stake, along with an orienteering kite and the control code. For the Selection Race - green electric fence posts will be used with the Electronic SI control boxes side mounted. As a back-up device, all controls also have a pin punch attached to the stake, so that if the control box fails and does not beep and flash when “dibbed”, the runner can punch their map with the pin punch in one of the boxes provided. IT IS THE COMPETITOR’S RESPONSIBILITY TO REGISTER ACCURATELY AND COMPLETELY AT ALL CONTROLS. Rulings on mispunching, etc, possibly due to “dibbing” too quickly, have been strictly applied at a number of high-profile events, and these Championships are no different.

There are many controls in the forest, and runners can expect to see some that are not on their course. Please make sure control codes are checked carefully. If, however, a competitor does mistakenly “dib” a control that is not theirs, this will not matter, as long as they also “dib” at all the right controls, in the right order.

Maps

All maps for the weekend’s events are 1:10000 with 5m contours and will be overprinted with the appropriate course and written control descriptions. The legend will not appear on the map. For the Selection Race and Championships the maps will be printed on waterproof paper – for the Training event printed on paper. . Separate control descriptions will be available at start or those who require them. Legends are only on the maps supplied to schools in the final details. Trophies

If your school holds any of the trophies from last year, please return them to Enquiries on Saturday or Sunday as early as possible.

Competition Areas All competition areas are strictly OUT OF BOUNDS to all teachers and parents, and to competitors except when actually racing. Infringement of this risks the disqualification of your whole team. If you are concerned about the non-appearance of one of your team, please talk to the organising team rather than try to find them yourselves.

Officials

Saturday Selection: Planner Ben Chesters; Organisers Di and John Tilsley; Controller John Warren. Saturday Training: Planners Charlotte Duncan and Ricky Thornton; Organiser Ian Sayer; Controller Andy Thornton. Sunday Championships: Planners Kirsty Staunton and Lynn Branford; Organiser Pat Hart; Controllers Ian and Caroline Moran

Road Problems A large section of the A351 at Sandford, between Wareham and ( outskirts), is closed for 3 weeks from 1st November and we anticipate this will cause problems. Please plan your routes and approach for both Saturday and Sunday with care. The best approach route for both Saturday and Sunday is from Bere Regis to the north using the A35.

Training Event - Saturday 17th November 2007 Cold Harbour, Wareham Forest, Dorset Grid Reference : SY 906896

This event is being kindly run by Wessex Orienteering Club with assistance from SARUM and Wimborne Orienteers.

Travel The venue can be approached from the north via the A35 near Bere Regis or from the south via A351 and Wareham railway station. Do not forget that parts of the A351 are closed at Sandford. Parking is at the Forestry Commission Offices at Cold Harbour (not the FC car park)

Terrain Cold Harbour is a mainly runnable Dorset forest and heathland, with a good path network. Parking is on hard standing at the Forestry Commission centre (not the public car park) Facilities will include - Toilets, 1st Aid, Enquiries, and traders will be Wilfs and Ultrasport. Starts and finish will be close to the parking area . There is no clothing dump or transfer.

Map and Control Descriptions A five colour map of the area of 1:10 000 scale with 5m contour interval will be overprinted with the controls. Control descriptions will be issued on registration. Plastic bags will be available.

Courses Training event – 2 each of White, Yellow and Orange; 1 each of Light Green and Green colour coded courses. Light Green and Green courses must only cross the uncrossable marshes using the track/bridge as indicated on the maps. SI Electronic punching [dibbers] will be used. (Dibbers available and included in cost of entry.) Splits printers will be used to give all a copy of their splits times but no official results will be published.

Cost Training event: Juniors £2.00 (including junior pairs) No adult runs. You may do as many courses as you wish. Training event commences at 11.00 am. Courses close at 3.30pm when controls will be collected in.

Selection Race - Saturday 17th November 2007 Gore Heath, Wareham Forest, Dorset Grid Reference : SY 922909

This information should be read in conjunction with the information titled ‘BSOA Qualification Races for the ISF World Schools Meeting – Scotland – April 2008

Parking All parking is at Cold Harbour.

Terrain Gore Heath is a very runnable Dorset forest with detailed and intricate contoured areas and a good path network. Accurate map work will be essential.

Facilites All facilities are at Cold Harbour Parking is on hard standing at the Forestry Commission centre at Cold Harbour (not the public car park) Parking facilities at Gore Heath are almost non-existant. Facilities at Cold Harbour will include - Toilets, 1st Aid, Enquiries, and traders will be Wilfs and Ultrasport. Competitors will be taken from Cold Harbour to Gore Heath by minibus. No parents or teachers are allowed to accompany competitors. This is because of limited transport capacity, and more importantly, there is NO additional parking available for parents/teachers near the Start /Finish. There is only sufficient space for the official minibuses delivering competitors to turn off the road & safely deliver/collect them. To have any other vehicles trying to stop & park would be extremely dangerous for all concerned. Please adhere strictly to this guidance. The officials at the Start & Finish are concerned with ensuring a fair Selection Race & the safety of the competitors. Competitors are reminded that as this is a selection race for the World Schools Meeting it is forbidden to take maps with them to the competition area (failure to comply with this will result in instant disqualification for both the competitor and team). There will be toilets and first aid at the start and finish at Gore Heath. Clothing dump - Please bring a carrier bag to put clothing for transfer in & ensure it is clearly marked with your name. Starts will be close to the minibus drop off point. There will be a clothing dump and transfer to the finish. Competitors will have a warm-up map with a few practice controls in the warm-up area. Allow at least 15 minutes for the minibus journey and then also plenty of time to warm up and use the practice area prior to starting. Afterwards competitors will be returned to Cold Harbour by minibus and download there. Results will be displayed at Cold Harbour only.

Map and Control Descriptions A five colour plastic map of the area of 1:10 000 scale with 5m contour interval will be overprinted with the controls. Loose control descriptions will be issued in start lanes.

Courses M/W 14 and 16 only No adult or other age runners are allowed to run No entries on the day

Course Distance Climb W14 3.1km 95m M14 3.9km 95m W16 4.5km 105m M16 5.4km 160m * Subject to final controlling. Sport-Ident Electronic punching [dibbers] will be used. (dibbers available and included in cost of entry) Starts 12.00-2.00 pm. Courses close at 3.00pm. BRITISH SCHOOLS ORIENTEERING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007 Crane’s Moor, Bovington, Sunday 18th November Travel The assembly area is at Holt Road, Bovington GR SY 828888. (This is approx 200metres from theTank Museum) We would recommend that your approach from Bere Regis on the A35 north of Bovington and follow the very large brown signs for Tank Museum and Monkey World. Please go past Monkey World (initially ignoring the signs for Tank Museum) and then a mile after turn right following the signs for Tank Museum. This is important as you will then be on the correct side of the road for dropping off competitors and not have to cross the road. When you reach the Tank Museum you will need to follow the orienteering signs to the drop off point by Bovington First School and then on to parking. Assembly and finish is 150 metres from the drop off point.

Parking Marshals will be in place, and the Assembly area open from 8.45am.

Parking We are using a number of car parks. Minibuses will be using the Bovington First School play area in Holt Road. Trail-O and any other disabled persons will be using the Teddy Bears Nursery School Car Park also in Holt Road. All coaches and cars after dropping off competitors will need to continue north for about 1 km to the ABRO car park which will take about 300 vehicles. It is important that coaches and cars do not attempt to get closer to the assembly field and enter Holt Road as it is almost impossible to get larger vehicles round the bends. It will then take about 10 minutes to walk back down to the assembly area. When ready to leave schools will need to ring their coach drivers to return and pick them up.

Toilets There will be portaloos, urinal and a disabled toilet at the Assembly Field. We also hope to have a toilet at both starts.

Enquiries A responsible adult from each school needs to Register at the Enquiries tent which is at Cold Harbour on Saturday and Assembly on Sunday. Here you will be able to collect a school package consisting of numbers, safety pins and certificates for each entry. Dibbers will be handed out in the Start process. There is no entry on the day. However, if illness or injury requires substitution of runners, please notify such changes to Enquires. This should include cases where only one of a registered pair now intends to compete. Also if there are any mistakes or changes needed to names, class, or start times this should be done at Enquiries .If this is required, details will be taken and a permit for a changed start issued to take to the start officials.

Start There are two starts and it is important that you check which start your competitors need. Starts are timed. PLEASE ALLOW ENOUGH TIME - START TIMES CANNOT BE ADJUSTED FOR LATE ARRIVAL. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!! All starts will be at GMT. Both starts are signed from Assembly and are approximately 800 metres – you should allow a good fifteen minutes to get there. Competitors will be called up ten minutes before their start times – and you need to be at the start area in advance of call up. No spectators/staff are allowed beyond the call up. Start times are from 10am to 12.00midday.

Competitors must wear their numbers on their chest so that the number is clearly visible. For pairs, each runner will have bib (with the same race number), but only one dibber. Dibbers will be issued in the start tent. Please make sure they are securely fixed. Lost dibbers will be charged to the school responsible at £20. Loose written control descriptions will be available if required at the same time as dibber issue and will also be printed on the map.

Maps (without courses) will be on display in the start lanes at -2 minutes. Years 5, 6, 7 and 8 will be able to pick up their race maps at –1 and will be helped by officials if required to orientate themselves. All others will pick up their maps after they start. For Years 5 and 6 only smiley and sad faces may be used at some decision points to assist competitors. Note that there is no clothing dump or transfer from the Start to the Finish. Please make your own arrangements for adequate protection before and after the race.

Road Crossing Towards the end all courses will have a compulsory road crossing. It is important that you explain to your competitors the procedure.

1 All competitors must obey the instructions of the road marshals. 2 On the map competitors will see a normal control circle and number. 3 On control descriptions competitors will see the following

Example only 9 573 Path junction 10 100 Road bend Road crossing. Punch the control on both sides of the road 11 136 Path junction

4 On the ground there will be one set of control units on each side of the road – both with the same control code (100). Competitors must punch one unit on each side of the road 5 The time taken between the 2 units (up to 2 minutes) will be deducted from the race time. 6 Continue on and complete your course.

Finish All courses have a common final control before the run in to the finish banner. Runners must dib at one of the control boxes at the finish banner, at which point the race is over. They will then follow the tapes to the download tent, where they will hand in their dibber and their map, get their print-out of all their split times, and where any problems will be sorted out.

Competitors competing in pairs must stay together and both be at the finish when dibbing. If one of a pair arrives at the finish on his/her own, he/she will be asked to remain there until their partner arrives, on penalty of disqualification!

On leaving download, every competitor will be given a memento of the event.

Maps can be retrieved from map collection by staff from around 12.30 pm. They will be in a single bag per school.

Club Tents It may be advisable to bring a tent to provide shelter for clothes and competitors before and after their run. You are welcome to put these up either in the Assembly field or in the Finish area next to the Finish funnel. Please accept directions from marshals when choosing your site. Also please do not pitch on the football pitch. The organisers are not providing any shelter tents for competitors.

Terrain Crane’s Moor is a mixture of heath land and mixed woodland with many paths and a well defined vehicle track network. Most dark green areas are rhododendron and usually best avoided. To the north of the map there are a number of sandy areas which only the older competitors cross. These can be very heavy going in wet weather. Competitors should be aware of how these areas are marked on the map. Ignore any ‘Out of Bounds’ and ‘No Admittance’ notices for the duration of the competition. Year 13 Boys only will need to cross a double barbed wire fences – one way over metal gates and other way over two stiles. The fence must not be crossed in any other place. The lines on the map have been deflected through these crossing points. No other courses need to cross barbed wire fences.

Results Regular updates of intermediate results will be on display in the assembly field and on www.live-o.org (mobile communications permitting). Final results and splits will be available via the British Schools Orienteering Association website at www.bsoa.org and at www.cix.co.uk/~neper/bsoc07.

Complaints Process Complaints initially should be made in person or writing to the Sunday Organiser, Pat Hart, via enquiries. If the matter cannot be resolved to your satisfaction, you may submit a protest in writing accompanied by a £5 fee to the Controllers – Ian and Caroline Moran. If the controller and organiser do not agree with the protest, a jury will be convened as soon as possible.

Safety First Aid will be in attendance at Assembly. It is imperative that all competitors report to the finish whether or not they have completed their course. A part of the area is used by members of the public, including horse riders – please be courteous. There will be event marshals in the woods who will be wearing fluorescent yellow bibs. They can be approached for assistance by any competitor.

Courses close at 2.00pm Please ensure everyone is back by 2.00pm and has reported to download to hand in their dibber whether they have completed their course or not.

SuperStar Guest We are absolutely delighted to welcome Helen Bridle - one of Britain’s most successful Orienteers of recent years to our event. Helen will be available from about 11am to sign autographs in the BO/ BSOA tent in Assembly, and answer questions about her orienteering career.

Prize Giving The main prize giving will take place at 2pm in the Assembly Field

Other Amusements TheTank Museum (200 metres away) will be open for the weekend and is a world renowned attraction. Monkey World is also nearby (just over 1 mile)

Catering Wilfs will be in attendance.

Ultrasport Raffle There will be a prize raffle with prizes kindly donated by Ultrasport. Please support this and buy tickets – the draw will be made prior to prizegiving – winners must be present to claim their prize – unclaimed prizes will be redrawn. Prizewinners will be presented with vouchers to redeem at Ultrasport. There are no cash alternatives.

Discover Adventure Prize Draw Discover Adventure, operators of worldwide school expeditions, have kindly donated a Merida Sub 20V mountain bike as a prize. At the start of prize giving a draw will be made based on competitors bib numbers. It will also include the letter ‘A’ or ‘B’. The winner must be present – otherwise a redraw will be made. If the winning bib number is a pair – the ‘A’ or ‘B’ will determine who the winner is by referring to the start lists produced by Michael Napier – ‘A’ being the first named competitor. A mountain bike will be on display and should this be of a suitable size the winner can take it home. However should it be an unsuitable size for the winner - Discover Adventure will arrange delivery of a suitably sized mountain bike. There are no cash alternatives.

Course details Class Standard Length Climb Start G5 White 1.4 20m N G6 White 1.5 20m N G7 Yellow 2.6 40m S G8 Yellow 2.5 40m S G9 Orange 2.7 50m S G10 Orange 2.8 50m S G11 Light Green 3.4 80m N G12 Light Green 3.7 80m N G13 Green 4.0 110m N B5 White 1.7 20m N B6 White 1.5 20m N B7 Yellow 2.7 40m S B8 Yellow 2.9 40m S B9 Orange 2.8 50m S B10 Orange 2.9 50m S B11 Light Green 3.7 80m N B12 Light Green 3.7 80m N B13 Green 4.2 110m N

ALL COURSES SUBJECT TO FINAL CONTROLLING Some of the control circles on the maps for Years 5 and 6 are very close together (and even touching) and care will need to be taken to punch all controls. Check the control codes carefully.

Acknowledgements We would likely to gratefully acknowledge the following sponsors and other contributors, without whose help this event would not take place.

British Orienteering British Schools Orienteering Association Discover Adventure Outspan PGL Ultrasport Christchurch Power Tools supported by Honda Emit UK and BAOC

British School Championships Trail Orienteering Championships Sunday November 18th Bovington Camp Travel

As for the Foot-O competition

Parking

Competitors for the Championships Trail-O and any other disabled persons should park in the Teddy Bears Nursery School Car Park in Holt Road. Foot-O competitors doing the enter-on-the-day Trail-O course after their Foot-O course should not use this car park.

Toilets

There is a disabled toilet in the main Assembly field which is 100m along Holt Road from the car park on the opposite side of the road.

Registration/Enquiries

There will be a green tent about 30m away from the car park which is the Registration/Enquiries/Start/Finish for all the Trail-O.

Courses

There are two courses. The Championship (or Elite) course (which is pre-entry only and not open on the day to anyone who is running a Foot-O course) and an Enter-on-the-Day course which is open to anyone, entry fee £2. The Elite course is about 1.6k and the EoD course 1.3k. There will be timed controls on the Elite course, but not on the EoD course. The map is A4 size at a scale of 1:4 000 . The decision points are marked on the ground but not on the map, and competitors will be loaned a punch with which to mark their special waterproof control cards. You must punch your card before moving to the next control.

Start Times

Starts for the EoD course are from 10.00am - 1.00pm, which should give most competitors a chance to try Trail-O either before or after their Foot-O course. Note that the course closes at 1.45 so that all competitors are back in the assembly field in time for prize-giving at 2.00pm. Competitors for the Elite course should report to Registration three minutes before their Start.

Terrain

The course follows a convoluted route around the residential roads to the North of the Assembly field. It will be marked with streamers to aid navigation. Competitors should keep to the pavements wherever possible and take care crossing any roads. The route makes two short forays into woodland. Wheelchair users should take great care here, particularly on the second of these points. Control clusters will be hung on features clearly visible from the paths and tracks. Decision points will be clearly marked on the ground. There will be marshals present to assist if necessary. Most control clusters are common to both courses, although the problems set may differ.

Procedure

Competitors should remember that in Trail-O, you are not allowed off the track to visit the controls themselves. You are however, allowed to walk backwards and forwards along the track away from the decision points. Indeed in many cases it will be necessary to move away from the decision point to in order to solve the problems, although you will need to remember that if the flags appear to swap places as you move,you may need to to return to the decision point to re-check the control cluster before punching your control card.

At the decision point, the flags are read from Left to Right A, B,C,D and E and the appropriate square on the control card is then punched. On the Elite course only, there is also the option that none of the flags are correct, in which case the box Z (for Zero) is punched. Please be careful in punching your card - two punch marks in the same column will be taken as a wrong answer.

The winning competitor will be the person who gets most controls correct. In the event of a tie on the Elite courses (for which prizes will be awarded) the winner will the person with the shortest time at the timed control. (An incorrect answer at a timed control also carries a Time Penalty of 60 seconds to discourage guesswork.)

There are two tracks which must not be crossed and these are marked on the map with a red cross and on the ground with red and white tape.

Maps will be collected from competitors who finish before the last start at 1.00pm and may be reclaimed after 1.00pm from the Trail-O Enquiries tent together with a solution sheet showing the correct answers

Results

Results will be displayed near the Trail-O Enquiries tent.

Planner/Organiser

Dick Keighley (WIM) Controller Keith Henderson (WIM), with assistance on the day from members of WIM, Sarum & QO)