NOY 2
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Planner's report:
Given the events of the preceding week, it was a wonder we had any event at all, but it was testament to the tenacious spirit of orienteers that so many turned up for NOY2. As planner, it can be a little disheartening to put in lots of effort and have few entries on the day, so I was thrilled that so many made the effort, especially those who were still struggling with problems at home, like the lack of power or fallen trees. Over 70 entries was a good result and orienteers were greeted with cool, grey conditions, with rain holding off and even the forecast high winds managing to stay away until quite late.
Many noted the long course lengths and even Alex Massey couldn't break the supposed 45 minute winning time. The courses had been devised to take advantage of relatively open running on a largely flat course (Long & Medium Hard courses had one serious hill to tackle), but the amount of fallen vegetation combined with slippery creek crossings (and slippery everything else) and difficult (and in some cases dangerous) erosion gullies, meant that it became far more of a trial than I had ever foreseen. Luckily, most controls could be placed pretty close to where they had been intended to be and only one control had to be deleted (from the Easy course) when it became apparent it was no longer of the standard intended. To those who found it more of a trial than normal, I do apologise, but by the time I could assess the difficulties of running under the changed conditions, it was too late to be restructuring courses and reprinting maps. I hope you'll forgive me once you're back in your lounge room with a cup of tea or a stiff drink, as your needs dictate!
There was such a flurry of activity at the set-up and packing up stages that I have truly lost track of who did what, so rather than embarass myself by omitting people, I offer a blanket "Thank You" to the many, many people who put in the effort to help out on the day. It truly shows what a wonderful spirit we have in our club and I can assure you that after all the work of planning, it is truly heartening to have so many people who take the time to assist in whatever way they can, be it big or small, casual or regular - it is a real load off a planner's back to have the "show" running itself so efficiently. To everyone who was part of my team, my sincere thanks.
A couple of special mentions: Extra thanks to Peter Newton for driving the gear around and staying right to the end of the show, even past the "we should be gone now" time. Also, to the ever-reliable Rudi Landsiedel for control collection, which can be a real chore without some assistance. Lastly, but certainly not leastly, to the award-winning Denis Lyons (if you don't get that joke, you might want to go down the page a bit). Denis vetted the courses with a kindly eye, expertise and enthusiasm, helped significantly in updating the map, particularly where vegetation had changed and was highly relevant to control location, and then backed up to collect controls, heading out twice. I know he won't read this, but I'm extremely grateful for all his effort nonetheless.
Hopefully people enjoyed the day, in spite of the challenges it provided and are looking forward to the next event on Mothers' Day (ed: Coaching day on 9th May is next). See you there!
UPDATE: As of 6pm Friday night the event will proceed as normal. On arrival please be sure to check the notice board for any specific notices about your intended course. Expect it to be muddy (bring a change of shoes at the very least)
Venue: Make your way to Ferguson St, Abernethy. Turn south from the Mulbring - Cessnock Road ("Lake Road") just east of Kearsley. Follow Ferguson Street approximately 2km to the parking area.
Parking can be on both sides of Ferguson St - please take care to not block any private pathways and any roped off areas. One resident (on the East side) has specifically asked us not to park on the lawn in front of his property and this is clearly identified with orange safety fencing. Also we are requested not to park in the area opposite and to the south of Abernethy guest house.
The assembly area will be in the vacant lot just south of the guest house, while the start will be an easy 200m walk north, back along Ferguson Street.
Map: "The Chimney" - 1:10,000
Terrain: Open runnable forest and complex spur / gully, intricate vegetation detail in some places, with some limited use of steep sections on longer courses.
Courses: Standard NOY range of courses.
Very easy - 2.0km 10 controls
Easy - 2.2km, 11 controls
Moderate short - 2.5km, 12 controls
Moderate long - 3.6km, 14 controls
Hard short - 4.1km, 16 controls
Hard medium - 5.6km, 18 controls
Hard long - 7.1km, 20 controls
Hard courses use a pivot control and have elements of both middle and long distance formats.
Entries: Enter on the day from 9.30am to 11.30am. Course closes at 1.00pm. Please ensure you start your course with enough time to complete it prior to course closure or you my be disqualified.
Planner: David Kitchener
Organiser: Peter Newton
Vetting: Denis Lyons