/ BRITISH UNIVERSITIES
SPORTS ASSOCIATION / 20-24 King’s Bench Street
London SE1 0QX
Tel 020 7633 5080
Fax 020 3268 2120
E-mail firstname>@busa.org.uk
www.busa.org.uk

Date: 28 February 2006

To: Athletic Union Presidents / Sports Officers

BRITISH UNIVERSITIES ORIENTEERING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2006PRE-EVENT INFORMATION

Please find below the pre-event information for the BUSA Orienteering Championships due to take place on 11th-12th March 2006.

OUTSTANDING MONIES DUE

INSTITUTION / ENTRIES / SOCIAL / ACCOMMODATION / TOTAL
Queens / £51 / £48 / £60 / £159
Sheffield / n/a / £372 / £915 / £1287
UWE / £6 / n/a / n/a / £6
Chalmers / £4 / n/a / n/a / £4

Should you have any queries then please do not hesitate to contact me or the organiser Ross Sanderson

directly.

Marie Atkinson

Sports Programme Manager

Associate Sponsors and

Patron: Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Chief Executive: Ian Randell

BUSA is a registered charity No. 223324 VAT registration No. GB 392 4650 36

Edinburgh University Orienteering Club

proudly presents -

The BUSA Orienteering Championships 2006.

11th – 12th March.

Edinburgh University welcomes you to the British Universities Sports Association Orienteering Championships of 2006. We have attracted a large number of entrants, from a wide variety of Universities keen to compete on what promises to be tough Scottish terrain. BUSA 2006 will also incorporate the University Students v Combined Services match, where the best of the Combined Services will try to beat the students at their own championships! The individual race is also a selection race for the world students, thus attracting the very best British Students.

We hope you enjoy the weekend. Final details are below, including start lists. Please note, some details are provisional and please take check that the details regarding accommodation etc are correct. Any problems feel free to e-mail me or call.

Ross Sanderson

Event co-ordinator.

Home phone: 0131 4772168

Mobile: 07709 105810.


Competition Details:

Day 1 – Individual. South Achray.

Directions:

South Achray is located to the north east of Aberfoyle. Parking is at Dounan’s Camp Outdoor Education Centre, north of the A821 which goes through Aberfoyle.

If travelling from the North, leave the A9 just north of Dunblane and take the A820 to Doune. At Doune turn left on the A84, travel 1 mile then turn right onto the B826 towards Thornhill. After 4 miles turn right onto the A873 and then the A81 both signposted Aberfoyle. Signposts at the junction of the A81 and A821 ½ mile before Aberfoyle.

If travelling from the South and passing through Edinburgh, come off the M9 at junction 10 just north of Stirling and take the A84 signposted Doune. Come off after 4 miles taking the A873 to Thornhill, and then the A81 signposted Aberfoyle. Signposts at the junction of the A81 and A821 ½ mile before Aberfoyle.

If travelling from the South and passing through Glasgow, head for the M8 west bound into central Glasgow. Come off at Junction 16 of the M8 and head north on the A879, signposted Milngavie. Just before Milngavie, turn right onto the A81 and follow it north for 22 miles to Aberfoyle. Signposts at the junction of the A81 and A821 ½ mile before Aberfoyle.

Assembly area:

Parking is at Dounan’s Camp Outdoor Centre. Please park as directed.

We have the use of a classroom and toilet facilities. Download and results will be situated in the classroom and you can buy lunches (courtesy of Liz Macgregor’s café) and other snacks (courtesy of Edinburgh University Orienteering Club) from there.

SI hire cards can be collected from download. Any changes to SI card numbers must be made before the competition preferably by e-mail sanderson_ross@hotmail, or on the day at download.

Drinks will be provided at the finish.

Starts:

Starts are from 12.00. See start lists below.

The Start is very close to car-parking/assembly (and the spectator control) all within the grounds of Dounans Camp.

Terrain:

South Achray is a typical tough Scottish forest. The race centre is at Dounan’s Camp on the edge of Aberfoyle. This is an outdoor activities centre with many huts and activity areas (rope climbs etc.) whilst the huts are mapped the activity areas are not represented. North West of the camp is an area of marshy deciduous forest with some fine contour detail. South east of the camp a hilly area of detailed forest with mature deciduous, semi and rough open land. These areas are low lying. Climbing steeply 200m to the north east of these areas is the main part of the forest, which is coniferous plantation. The majority of the forest is open runnable, steeply sloping and rough and heavy underfoot. Contour detail tends to be vague spurs and re-entrants.

The forest is crossed by a network of tracks and forest roads providing for route choice. There are some open felled areas; these are rough - shown by wide green hatching. Areas of fight and windblow (shown as dense green hatching) are to be avoided. Some areas of windblow have recently extended beyond the mapped areas. There are also areas on the 1:10,000 map where thinning work is ongoing. All competitors will have to pass through some of these areas on their course. A map showing the areas of thinnning will be on display in Assembly as well as on the Start line.

Map:

1:10,000/1:5000 contour interval 5 m.

Course details:

Course Number / Class / Distance / Climb / Controls / Loops
1 / Men’s A / 9.1km / 460m / 29 / 2 loops on 2 maps
2 / Women’s A/ Men’s B / 6.3km / 340m / 23 / 2 loops on 2 maps
3 / Women’s B/ Men’s C / 4.2km / 22om / 11 / 1 loop on 1 map.

Course Information

All courses use a common spectator control. This control forms the common start and end point for course loops.

Courses One and Two have 2 loops and will visit this control 3 times.

Course Three has one loop and will visit the control 2 times.

Competitors will see from their control descriptions that this control appears three or two times, depending on course, with the same control code.

All competitors must punch this control at each visit.

For Courses One and Two the 2 loops are printed on separate maps - the loop 1 map is 1:10,000, the loop 2 map is 1:5,000.

Both maps will be back to back in a single map unit.

The first loop course will show start and all controls in the first loop, the finish is marked but is not on the course.

On reaching the end of the first loop turn over your map to see the second loop which will show the common control and the finish, the common control is your starting point for the second loop. The original start triangle is not shown on the second loop map.

The common control will have dual numbers on the map appropriate to the loop. For Course One on the loop 1 map the common control will be numbered 1 / 16, on the loop 2 map it will be numbered 16 / 29.

For Course Two on the loop 1 map the common control will be numbered 1 / 10, on the loop 2 map it will be numbered 10 / 23.

For Course Three the single loop is on a 1:10,000 map with the common control numbered 1 / 11.

Descriptions for each loop will be printed on the map. A single separate description list will be available at the start.

Punching at controls is Sport Ident electronic punching. Course 1, Mens A has 29 controls. Standard SI cards will hold 30 punches with split times, they will also hold an additional 6 control codes (without split times). If you miss-punch simply re-punch at the correct control, there should be no problem. If in any doubt use the backup pin punch on each control to punch your map.

Blank maps of the competition area at both 1:10,000 and 1:5,000 scales will be displayed in the assembly area and in the start lanes.

Forestry work is at present being carried out in part of the forest covered by the 1:10,000 map. Although no work should be happening on the day of the event the areas where the thinning is taking place means that there may be cut trees, brashings and vehicle tracks in these areas. Maps showing the areas affected will be displayed alongside the blank maps in the assembly area and start lanes.

Start times will be from 12:00 hours. All competitors will be allocated a start time and no changes to this time will be made for any late starter. Courses will close at 16:30 hours. Please not that some of the controls from the earlier part of the course may be removed before that time.

Maps will be collected in for earlier starters in the interest of fairness.

Safety:

The area has had some recent felling and it is worked on by the forestry commission. Although no activity will be taking place on the day of the competition, there will be stacks of timber around the forest, and care must be taken.

Competitors take part at their own risk.

World Students:

The individual event is a selection race for the world students. The A courses have been seeded with the top seed starting off last. Competitors in these courses will start off at 2 minute intervals. A jury of 3 controllers will be present at the competition to settle any disputes. The jury’s decision is final.

Results:

Results will be posted on the Saturday afternoon and will be available at www.rstrain.ndtilda.co.uk/results_06/busa/

Officials

Planner: Andy Kitchin (INT)

Controller: Robert Philp (KFO)

Day organiser: Sheila Strain (ELO)

Day 2 – Relay – Kinneil Wood.

Directions:

Kinneil Wood is situated in Bo’ness, half way between Stirling and Edinburgh.

From Edinburgh, come off the M9 at junction 3 and take the A803 (A904) north to Bo’ness. At the junction of the A904 and the A993, take the A993 through Bo’ness and turn left after approximately 3 miles at signposts, GR 986807.

Assembly area:

Assembly area is in the field which bisects the area, 300m from the parking. Start, finish and spectator controls are located in the assembly area. Toilet facilities will be available.

Some route choices will bring runners through / close to Assembly. Please be alert to this. The spectator controls will not be taped off, so, again, please avoid impeding runners.

Lunches:

Please note that is has been difficult to arrange to provide lunches for the relay. Competitors are warned that they may have to organise lunches for themselves for that day. More details on that will follow.

Drinks will be provided at the finish.

Team Declarations:

Team declarations must be made on the Saturday. Robin Strain will be available at the individual event and at the evening meal to receive relay teams. SI card numbers (and preferably, but not essentially, names) must be entered by the Saturday night. The declared SI card must be given to the correct leg runner. It will be possible to make some changes the morning of the race, but there will be very limited time for this. Changes to names may have to wait until the post event results processing.

Terrain:

Kinneil is a small area which is crossed by the Antonine Wall. Open fields separate some of the most runnable pine forest in the UK from a steep scarp dropping down to the Forth. This scarp will probably be muddy and slippery. There will be lots of spectator interest with competitors passing close to the finish several times. The area is a public access area and there will be walkers. Please be considerate to other users of the wood.

Map:

1:7500, contour interval 5m.

Course details:

The relays are teams of 3.

Mens 6.4km

Women 4.3km

Ad Hoc 4.3km

Timetable:

Call up for the starts will be 15 minutes before start time.

10.30 am Men’s course starts

10.45 am Women’s course starts

11.00 am Ad Hoc course starts

12pm Mass start.

2-2.30 pm Prize giving (will be held sooner if possible).

Maps will be collected from 1st and 2nd leg runners.

The winning team will be the first team to cross the finish line, not to punch.

There will be a jury of 3 at the relays to settle any disputes. The jury’s decision is final.

Results for BUSA Competition:

The overall Team result is calculated on the basis:

Adding the placings of the three best men and women’s individual competitors to the placings (multiplied by three) of its top placed men and women’s relay teams.

Every missing runner is treated as though they finished one place behind the last finisher.

If a university has no place in a relay competition, it is deemed to have finished one place behind the last team. The university with the lowest aggregate score is awarded the overall team championship.

Prize giving will be held at 2pm at the latest. Medals will be awarded for the first 3 in the A courses, as well as the winning relay team.

Please hand in trophies at the individual race.

British Students v Combined Services.

The result of this competition will be calculated on the same basis as the BUSA competition.

Security:

Kinneil Wood is used heavily by the public and also frequented by the ‘youths’ of Bo’ness. You are advised to leave unattended vehicles locked at all times.

Officials:

Planner: Dave God free (INT)

Controller: John Emeleus (CLYDE)

Organiser: Roger Scrutton (ESOC)


Weekend information:

Accommodation:

Accommodation at one of 2 hostels: either at Bruntsfield Youth Hostel, or at Budget Backpackers independent hostel in the Cowgate.

1) Bruntsfield Youth Hostel - For how to get there and more details see www.hibackpacker.com.

Facilities:

Dorm rooms of mainly 6 – 8 beds.

Showers, drying room, full kitchen facilities.

24 hour reception.

Games room.