Planner's Comments

As always there are some comments and observations to make about the planning process. Check points (221 & 151) were shared between all the courses; this was necessary as BOF have a rule, not in the planners guide, about taping the route from the last CP to the finish. So at the request of the diligent and patient controller (Peter Brett) the final legs of all courses and the location of the finish were changed, which also meant other aspects of the courses were changed to keep the distance to BOF guidelines. A small technicality with a big impact.

Finally there are many people who have helped me with the Planning duties: Peter Brett as controller, David and Mary Nixon as Organisers and others. However the following must be publicly thanked: Charlie Richardson and Ray Massey who Checked many of the CPs on Sunday and after running their courses stayed behind to help collect in Controls. Also to be thanked are Martin Edney and Mike Dearman who helped collect in CPs in the rain and the dark. Finally to Jan (my wife) and Rachel (our daughter) who helped during the year by locating potential check points, running courses, checking maps, control sheets and finally helping with the cleaning of kites, controls and stakes after the event, to you all a heartfelt thank you.

Iain Robinson (SOC)

Controller's Comments

Unfortunately while the sun shone, it later became apparent that the draft map didn’t, and the version with which your planner, Iain Robinson, was working was bereft of detail. Promised deadlines fell by the wayside as an electronic file transfer corrupted the cartographer’s PC, and the final map was not available until just 6 weeks before the event. Ample time you might think to plan a Regional event. However, all control sites need to be vetted by the forestry commission due to the sensitivity of the New Forest and this provided for added uncertainty as to whether there would be a need for last minute changes. Given these difficulties congratulations should be extended to Iain for his hard work and diligence under what were far from ideal circumstances.

Congratulations should also go to the car parking team who toiled under the most appalling of conditions to get everyone into the rain sodden field, and then successfully got everyone out again. All too often praise (or criticism) is saved for the organiser and/or planner of events while the “support” teams often go unrecognized, but this was a team which worked above and beyond the call of duty. Well done and thank you!

Peter Brett, Wimborne

Organiser's Comments

We accept full responsibility for the map bags not being sealed. It was our decision, and in retrospect a wrong one in view of the weather. We will also recommend that in the future the colour coded courses should be overprinted. This is the first year we have provided colour coded courses instead of Wayfarers, and participants said they found the terminology easier to understand. They knew exactly what standard and length their course would be.

Apologies to the competitor on course JM2 for him not being aware the bag of maps for courses 13 and 14 were placed before the start line.

We agree with the Entries secretary, having M/W 21 N courses is a waste of time. Planning two extra courses for 3 and 1 competitors respectively is an unnecessary burden, especially when people could have run on the red or orange colour coded courses.

We are sure many of you would be concerned at being bussed – so were we, but we needn’t have worried. For the third consecutive year Wilts and Dorset Bus Company provided an efficient service. We even got a “Buy 3, get ONE FREE” deal this year, although that was unplanned! When one bus wouldn’t start early on Sunday morning, they sent along two smaller buses which gave us greater capacity and a faster turnaround. Almost everyone got on the first available bus. We are just glad that we don’t have to clean all that mud from the floors!

Our heartfelt thanks to all the club members who helped both beforehand and on the day, especially Team Leaders and Deputies. We allocated them their helpers and left them to organize their teams and duties. Our sympathies to those who drew the short straw – the car park team, site, finish, forest drinks point and the gate by the first control and courses 13 and 14. They spent all their time out in that awful weather.

Finally our thanks must go to the Planner and Controller who both helped to make this an event memorable in more ways than one!

Mary and David Nixon (SOC)

Acknowledgements

Lost/found property

Please contact the Organisers for everything else on 01794 516298 or e-mail on