BSOA NATIONAL SCHOOLS SCORE CHAMPIONSHIPS

SAT 11TH OCTOBER 2003

Final Details

Start Lists

Two start lists for your school are enclosed, one in start time order, the other in age class order. Please email Dave Binks, with the competitors names against start times and year, as soon as possible and by Thursday 9th October at the latest. It will help greatly with the smooth running of the competition and speed of results if the names could be sent in advance. If you are not on email then post the start time order list with names against the start times to: Dave Binks, 13 Stone Riggs, Stockton on Forest, York, YO32 9UG. It is recommended to keep a photocopy of the list that you send in). If by some remote chance you are not able to get the names of competitors to Dave then ensure the list gets to Registration as soon as you arrive on the day. Also enclosed are, old map of the area, start slip (one for each competitor, to be handed in at the start), and a sketch of the Car Park/Assembly area.

Travel Directions

The event is being held on the north side of Gilling Woods and access is via Gilling village. The grid ref of the car park is O.S. Sheet 100, SE 587 765. Below are suggested routes to travel.

1.From York. Take the B1363 north from York through Sutton on Forest, Stillington, Brandsby to Gilling. In Gilling turn left immediately after the Fairfax Arms public house. Follow the single-track road, with passing places, for approximately 2 miles.

2.Alternatively, from A1 (Jct 49) take A168 to Thirsk, then A170 towards Helmsley and Scarborough. Over Sutton Bank. Approx 1.5 miles before you reach Helmsley take a right onto the B1257 to Malton/York. After approx 2 miles turn right onto B1363 (Oswaldkirk). After approx 1.5 miles you reach Gilling village, turn right immediately before the Fairfax Arms public house. Follow the single-track road, with passing places, for approximately 2 miles.

As you enter the car park please have your parking fee ready.

Coaches £8

Minibuses £4

Cars £1

The car parking is on hard surface for coaches and in a field for mini buses and cars – please be aware of other vehicles when you have left your transport. The Assembly field is next to the car park.

On arrival, will the lead adult go to the Registration/Enquiries Tent in the Assembly Field

There is no entry on the day. Hopefully, you will already have sent in your completed start list. If not, adults accompanying school teams are asked to hand in the completed start list to registration as soon as they arrive. This will enable names to be entered into the computer. You can also pick up the number bibs for PAIRS here, which need to be worn whilst pairs are competing. Please make sure that the correct competitor is entered in each start time or the results will be wrong. At registration you will also receive a bag containing certificates, and any final/final details. Money for late entries, and any other payments owed must be paid at this point.

Late Entries

It may be possible to accept late entries, subject to map availability. If you have missed anyone off please email Dave Binks or ‘phone Steve Corrigan on 01904 652546 no later than Thursday 9th October. Entry fees for late entries will be £3.50 for all competitors payable at registration, when you arrive.

Punching

SI punching will be used and is much simpler than pin punching. The SI electronic card is in the shape of a small finger and has an elastic strap attached to it so it can be fitted to a finger on the hand. Each electronic card is individually numbered. We refer to the electronic cards as dibbers. They are very expensive to replace and any lost dibbers will be charged at £20 per dibber. A demonstration of how to punch at a control site will be ongoing in the Assembly Field. Briefly though, when you visit a control the dibber should be placed into the hole on the control block above the kite. The control block will bleep and a red light will flash, this registers you visiting the site and it should happen almost immediately. If the control block does not respond when you insert the dibber, then there will be a pin punch available to punch your map with in one of the squares A, B, or C. If you revisit a site and punch the control again that is not a problem, the dibber just records two visits. The electronic card will not tell the competitor which controls they have visited until they finish and download the info.

Start

The start is 5 to 10 minutes walk from the car park. The Woods are out of bounds to competitors and spectators until after the prize giving. Call up will be 5 minutes before your start time. On call-up each competitor will need to produce their start slip. The start slip will have all the details of the competitor on it (no start slip no go). The start official will tick you off on a start list. You will then enter a 2min holding area where you will receive your dibber). You will then move into other boxes at –3mins, -2mins and –1min. When you reach the –1 box, you will be allowed to pick up your map and study it for 1 minute before you start. Once you have started you MUST report to the finish even if you are retiring. Please note that parents and teachers will not be allowed beyond the call-up point. The start officials will be able to help the competitors if necessary. Remember, no start slip no go. The start slip allows us to allocate the correct dibber to the correct competitor at the correct time. We will not be able to change start times at the start, so please turn up in plenty of time.

Finish

The finish is in the Assembly field. Please dib at the finish control and then immediately go to download your dibber for your result.

Map Collection

After you have passed through the finish and downloaded you MUST place your map in the map collection bag allocated to your school. Maps will be collected until 12.35 p.m. After 12.35 a representative from your school may collect the maps.

Anyone found in possession of a map before 12.35pm showing the controls will disqualify their school team from the competition.

Map

The map is 1:10,000 with 5m contours and is a new edition. A blank copy of the previous map of the area is enclosed. It has been updated since this edition.

Pairs

Competitors running as a pair should pick up a map each, but will be given only one dibber. Pairs will also be required to wear a number. At the finish both runners need to be present before they dib/punch at the finish control.

Controls

Controls will be the standard orange and white kites. The control code will be on the stake. If the electronic

block does not work there will be a standard pin punch hanging on the control to use.

Control Descriptions

Control Descriptions will be in text format and printed on the front of the map. They will not be issued before the competition.

Scoring

All controls score the same, namely 10 points for each control correctly punched. 5 points will be deducted for every minute or part of a minute over your allotted time.

The time limit will be 45 minutes for competitors in years 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9, and 60 minutes for years 10, 11, 12 & 13. Competitors do not have to stay out for the whole of this time.

Course Details information from the planners

For this event there will be 25 controls in the area, with controls 1 to 8 in a loop equivalent to a Yellow course on the BOF Colour Coded system. The remaining controls will be a mixture of Orange and Light Green standard. No control is more than 100m from a line feature.

The area is quite hilly so what might appear to be a short distance on the map could take a relatively long time to cover because of the steep uphill areas. Can you ensure people don’t throw stones into the lakes. There is a 100m run-in from what we hope competitors use as the last control to the finish, which needs to be taken into account if time is tight.

Control codes are from 101 to 125 inclusive, and these correspond to the control numbers on the map. (i.e. the map shows control 101 and that is also the code for that control.)

Results

Results will be processed by computer. Interim results will be displayed and updated at regular intervals. Full results will be posted on BSOA and EBOR websites, or as soon as possible after the event. Results will be posted only to those schools who have requested them and paid £1. Anyone else requiring results should complete an envelope on the day, enclosing £1.

Prize Giving and Awards

It is hoped to hold the prize giving at about 2.00 pm. In the Assembly field. This will be approximately 15 minutes after the last scheduled finish. We have two celebrities to award prizes, Jenny Whitehead and Oli Johnson. Jenny and Oli are both members of the British Team. They competed at this years World Orienteering Championships in Switzerland. Jenny is the British Women’s Elite Champion and Oli the British Men’s Elite Short Race Champion. They will be free to sign autographs. The following awards will be made. First, second and third placed school teams and first, second and third individuals in each age group.

School Team Trophies

Primary (Years 5 and 6)BoysBest 4 scores to count.

Primary (Years 5 and 6)GirlsBest 4 scores to count.

Middle / Prep (Years 5 – 8)BoysBest 4 scores to count from at least 2 year groups.

Middle / Prep (Years 5 – 8)GirlsBest 4 scores to count from at least 2 year groups.

Lower Secondary (Years 7 – 9)BoysBest 6 scores to count from at least 2 year groups.

Lower Secondary (Years 7 – 9)GirlsBest 6 scores to count from at least 2 year groups.

Upper Secondary (Year 10 – 13)BoysBest 6 scores to count.

Upper Secondary (Year 10 – 13)GirlsBest 6 scores to count.

Schools with competitors up to and including year 7 are counted as middle / prep schools. In the event of a tie the shortest total time will count. Incomplete teams will count after complete teams. The first three teams will be awarded trophies

Individual Awards and Certificates

Years 5 - 9 will all compete in separate year classes. Years 10 and 11 will be combined into one age class as will years 12 and 13. Awards will be given to the first three competitors (or pairs) in each of the 7 boys’ and 7 girls’ age classes. In the event of a tie on points the shortest time will count. Certificates will be awarded to all competitors.

Toilets

There will be “portaloos” in the car park.

First Aid

The first aid point will be at Enquiries, close to the Finish.

Other Facilities

There will be a food outlet, “Fat Pigs”.

Photography

An official event photographer will be there to take photographs whilst the competition is on and at the prize giving. These photographs may be used on the British Schools' and Ebor’s websites to report the event. If there are any objections to competitors having their photograph taken can you please let me (Steve Corrigan) know.

Equipment Required

Orienteering kit, or a T-shirt, tracksuit bottoms and trainers (or shoes with a good grip - it is likely that the area will be muddy); Full leg cover - No shorts (if you turn up to the start wearing shorts you will not be allowed to start); A watch to let competitors know how long they have been out; a compass and a whistle are strongly recommended.

Safety

ALL competitors take part at their own risk and are advised to carry a whistle and know the emergency signal. Teachers who are worried about an overdue competitor should report their concern to enquiries and not go looking in the woods themselves.

Sponsorship

We are grateful to BOF, BSOA, for their sponsorship of this event.

Finally

Please check your entry carefully and ‘phone Steve Corrigan on 01904 652546 or email Dave Binks on if you feel we have got any of your entries wrong.

Good Orienteering!