You may remember in the last Punch I aired three concerns that struck me as we were emerging from the enforced close down of the sport due to Foot and Mouth. I asked:

I guess, after our events at Bridge Wood and Sutton Common, some answers have been given. I'm disappointed though not entirely surprised.

John provided us with a nice little warm up event prior to our AGM at Bridge Wood. The turnout was low - we have however managed to form a club committee (albeit smaller in number than before) to carry things forward for a further year.

The Sutton Common Colour coded EAGAL event benefited from lovely autumnal weather and a high attendance by the junior members, as the event acted as the Regional qualification fixture for the Yvette Baker Trophy

I feel particularly reluctant to keep asking the same names to work behind the scenes in order to stage events in such circumstances. If we are to stage events for the 2002/3 season we need more of you to share the organisational load.

We are beginning to think of scheduling events for the 2002/3 season. We will probably return to the northern part of Rendlesham for a colour coded event in November next year and to Knettishall Heath in January 2003 for our main colour coded EAGAL fixture. Mac and Andrew have offered to plan the courses for these events - we do however need to identify who will organise the fixtures.

We therefore need 4 new faces to assume responsibility for organising the first 2 events of the 2002/3 season. With the increasing use of electronic punching the old job of event organiser splits logically into two roles - the overall organiser ( to oversee the pre-event permissions/publicity etc. and recruit/ mobilise the helpers on the day) and the Sport ident team manager ( together with the planner to set up the event on the computer and configure the SI boxes , to run the SI system on the day and prepare the results).

So there's the challenge. I am not going to spend evenings on the phone trying to persuade people to take on these jobs - that's not my style - I also have a life outside orienteering. It is therefore up to you to volunteer to fill these roles. I am sitting by my phone - 01394 384399. Alternatively you can drop me an email : clive.coles@freeuk.com.

If we don't have these roles filled by this year-end we will not reserve SUFFOC slots in the BOF fixture calendar. If we do not have a fixture programme in place for 2002/3 it is likely that the club will cease to exist after the next AGM. That's sad but let's be realistic.

I will be renewing my BOF membership for 2002 this month as I currently enjoy participating in events that are staged by other clubs in the region - will you still be orienteering in Suffolk in a years time ?

Rendlesham Jan 2001

Our next orienteering event at Rendlesham will be primarily a "Badge" event. A range of courses will be provided, with each one designated for specific age groups. The standards required for each age group are set out by BOF, the British Orienteering Federation. A BOF member who puts up a fast enough time on the course for their age class receives a credit towards a Gold, Silver, Bronze or Iron Badge. If they achieve three credits within two years they can then apply for a badge. For example, if they have obtained a Bronze and two Silver credits they can have a bronze badge, and then if they later pick up another Silver they then get their silver badge.

People who are not BOF members can run on the same courses, but are not eligible for badge credits. Competitors can also run "down a class or two", (e.g. a 25 year old could run the shorter M60 course), but are not eligible for a badge credit, whether they are a BOF member or not..

Colour coded courses are for any age class and are graded by length and physical and technical difficulty. Roughly speaking the various colour coded courses correspond to the following badge courses:-

Orange M12A, M14B, W12A W14B

White M10B & W10B

Yellow M10A, M12B, W10A W12B

Light Green M75S & W60S to W75S

Some clubs combine the colour coded courses with the badge courses. However, this can lead to dissatisfaction with some competitors paying more than others to run the same course and allows groups on the easier or shorter courses which can be distracting to the serious competitors at the extreme ends of the age range..

At Rendlesham any reasonably competent individual, competing on their own will be allowed to run a badge course of their choosing, but pairs and groups will not be allowed on any badge courses.

To avoid overstraining our resources we will not be running colour coded courses at Rendlesham. Instead we will be providing one separate course, called either a Wayfinders or Wayfarers course, for pairs and groups and anyone else who does not feel up to a badge course. This will be geared towards beginners and family groups who want a purposeful guided walk in the forest rather than a competitive challenge. There will be a choice of distances available as there will be scope for short cutting by those who want a shorter distance.

David West (SOS), Edmund Kelleher (NOR) and Helen Gardner (WAOC) have been selected for the Junior Home Internationals in October.

World Class Start Programme

BOF has obtained lottery funding through Sport England to run the World Class Start Programme aimed at talented young orienteers to help them fulfil their potential and hopefully gain World Championship medals in the future. The region are delighted to have a large number of juniors selected for this. They all went on training tours during the summer and will attend a weekend training session in Scotland in half-term. Hopefully we will read reports from them in due course!

Glenmore Lodge, Scotland
The first report is now here, courtesy of Laurence, who gives his account of his trip to Glenmore Lodge

BOF has begun the World Class Start Programme this year. This is basically a system of coaching, sponsored by lottery funding, and training excursions to aid junior orienteers from around Britain to achieve future success in major international competitions. Myself and Ed Kelleher were selected along with four other boys from around the UK in the M15 age group. Our first experience of the programme was a week of training at Glenmore in July.

I was then met at the station by Blair Young, tour leader, and the other juniors. We drove to the lodge (which is also an outdoor centre) and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it looked comfortable and even included such luxuries as a TV and stereo, and the centre itself had a ski slope, sauna and swimming pool! I was to find out during the briefing that unlike the previous tour I went on in 2000, Glenmore is more interactive and involves the juniors taking turns to cook meals every day (under supervision), and doing chores. We had a briefing and chose our roomies, then retired for the night.

The training involved driving out to the location in the morning, doing about two or three exercises and having lunch, before competing in a race or relay in the afternoon, which, despite urgings from the coaches, we all took very competitively (especially the boys). During the week we visited all the classic areas in the region - Inshriach, Loch Vaa, Strathmashie etc. which you may or may not have heard of. The terrain was extremely technical and I was forced to change my handrails - from paths, rides and fences - to re-entrants, spurs and marshes, a transition which to my surprise didn't completely flummox me as I'd thought previously. The big races of the week were of course the tour championships, which took place on the last two days. My results for these completely contrasted - from completely messing up the Short race to doing much better in the Classic.

All in all I found it a very satisfying week, and am hoping to see its effect on my upcoming results. I'm already looking forward to my next training weekend in October.
Laurence Ball (NOR)

Peter Palmer relays congratulations to SOS who finished third behind NOC and LOK in the Peter Palmer Junior Relays, which this year returned to their original venue in Sutton Park, Birmingham. WAOC and NOR also entered teams and SOS had a second team in the small clubs section.

At present a levy of 50p is charged on senior competitors for its maintenance and improvement in an event where it is used.

A rule change of ‘Competitors shall be allowed to mark their map before starting’ is being considered further next year. At present White and Yellow competitors are allowed to do this. The thinking behind this change is marking your map is now part of the skill of Orienteering.

A form is enclosed with the Punch for members who do not belong to BOF to renew their club membership. Club fees as with BOF fees remain unchanged from 2001.

tel 01603 411540.

For application form, please send SAE to Paul at: 28, Blenheim Crescent, Sprowston,
Norwich, NR7 8AW

Dave was one of WAOC's leading M35 orienteers, a former Chairman who worked tirelessly for WAOC, currently as our Web-site Maintainer, Newsletter Editor and Fixtures Secretary, and we shall not see his like again. He was a key member of the club, truly irreplaceable, and we shall all miss him enormously, not just for his contribution but also for his calm, sensible approach and great good humour.

The competition consists of a preliminary round with matches based in regions from September to November, with a national final in December. Courses used in each match are Yellow, Orange, Light Green, and Green. Men and women are scored separately on the Light Green and Green, but together on Yellow and Orange.

Pairs may compete on the Yellow and Orange courses, this will allow novices to compete but shadowing by adults is not allowed. Scoring in all classes is from 100 downwards with all eligible juniors from competing clubs scoring points.