Planner's Comments

Planning the Classic is a task that I've long looked forward to. It started about this time last year, working with Ray Massey, Peter Webb and other SOC members to update surveys and amalgamate cartography of previous maps and planning the general shape of courses with Kevin Bracher.

The course planning took into account a number of constraints. Foremost among these was competitor safety. It was disappointing to find that warning signs placed late Saturday night along the road bisecting the 1:15,000 map were removed by morning and that the replacements were also removed in the course of the event. Fortunately, there were no incidents. It was also disappointing to hear of the higher than expected number of injuries to runners. I hope you are soon fit for your next events.

All courses, other than 13 and 14 had different first controls to spread competitors through the forest. It was interesting to stand on the plateaux just west of the start to observe route choices, some more novel than others! Longer courses went into the north-west of the area before returning to legs along the re-entrants on the west of the Acres-Down plateau. This area provided some of the best runnable woodland on the area. The longer courses then crossed the road before crossing the river at the southern extremity of the area. Long legs followed, intended to test competitors' ability to prepare for the complexity and physical effort of the group of controls around the hill adjacent to Emery Down. The medium and shorter courses shared this area.

A large marsh generated a corridor along the north-eastern boundary of the map. Courses then split, with another hill for the longer courses, before coming together again at the finish.

As is often the case, the junior courses dictated the start and finish, which we aimed to keep as close as possible to the event centre. In fact, we started the planning from the finish, intending that the ridge between the car-park field and the last control would provide the opportunity to erect club tents. In the event, the weather was so favourable that few club tents were erected and people were able to gather on the south-facing slope and enjoy the autumn sunshine as they cheered in finishers.

On your behalf, I'd like to thank the forest team who set out all controls on Friday and Saturday, re-checked them in the frosty-white Forest of Sunday morning and collected them in well before dusk after the event. I must also thank Tim Angel for his meticulous organisation and co-ordination of all the teams involved in providing your day's sport and thank Emit UK for use of their latest control units. Kevin Bracher's contributions as assistant planner are too numerous to mention and I trust he will receive as much support in his role as Classic planner next year.

SOC strive to provide a top-quality event in the Classic. This depends largely on having an independent overview of the event. I must record our thanks to our Controller, John Cook of WSX, for his insights and guidance as your representative: your experience was all the better for his input.

Terry Smith, SOC

Controller's Comments

I felt the ‘November Classic’ offered challenging and fast legs with many technical controls, often, with point features, that would punish you for an inaccurate approach…and those “New Forest clearings” that kept you on your toes. Typical New Forest – “Great Courses” and the weather made it a glorious day for orienteering.

Votes of thanks go to the planners: Terry Smith and Kevin Bracher, a great team who did all the hard work and well done to club members for their superb on-the-day organisation.

The EPS performed as you would expect with 100% reliability.

John Cook, Wessex O.C.

Organiser's Comments

Thank you all for supporting the November Classic in such large numbers, especially those who travelled long distances and I hope you all enjoyed the orienteering in the New Forest on such a beautiful day. The conditions were conducive to fast running as shown by the winning times; however it also resulted in a number of runners suffering injuries mainly sprained and damaged ankles. These were expertly treated by Andrew Thornton’s first aid team from SARUM OC and I hope those who suffered injuries are now well on the road to recovery.

My thanks to Terry Smith and Kevin Bracher for planning excellent courses which, from comments heard at Download, were generally thought to be both fair and challenging. Having John Cook as our Controller was very reassuring and his light touch on the tiller, when we were about to stray off course, was much appreciated. On behalf of SOC and you the competitors I would like to thank Mrs Annie Cooper for allowing the use of Acres Down Farm for the event centre and also for providing the refreshments. It was great to see so many competitors enjoying the food in a picnic atmosphere.

When I agreed that the November Classic would host the Army’s Inter Corps Championships and the Interland 2007 Selection Races I did not fully appreciate the extra workload for the Entries Secretary. My thanks go to Di Smith for so successfully dealing with all the resultant problems. Finally I would like to thank all the members of SOC who helped put on the event and contributed to its success.

SOC looks forward to welcoming you all to the 40th November Classic to be held in the New Forest on 4th November 2007. We intend to make this event special and will be staging a re-run of the original Classic event on Saturday 3rd November. Check out the SOC website for details: www.southampton-orienteers.org.uk

Tim Angel, SOC

Lost Property - Please contact Tim Angel on 07770 226603
1 Precision in Orienteering Compass
1 Pair of Childs Bicycling Mittens