Well it's come and gone - the club event of the year. We ended up a very creditable 4th against some very stiff opposition. Throughout most of the day there was only 4 clubs in the running, FVO, SARUM, SROC and WIM. We had an early lead but gradually got hauled in by the other 3 clubs and it was only right at the end that we dropped into 4th position. Each club had 13 counters for the final results.
Final results were
| Pos. | Club | Score | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4T | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8A | 8B | 9A | 9B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | FVO | 1289 | 199 (2) | 199 (2) | 197 (2) | 99 (1) | 197 (2) | 100 (1) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 98 (1) | 100 (1) | 100 (1) |
| 2nd | SROC | 1256 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 197 (2) | 196 (2) | 95 (1) | 193 (2) | 189 (2) | 0 (0) | 194 (2) | 98 (1) | 94 (1) |
| 3rd | SARUM | 1245 | 194 (2) | 189 (2) | 0 (0) | 188 (2) | 196 (2) | 89 (1) | 193 (2) | 196 (2) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| 4th | WIM | 1223 | 92 (1) | 93 (1) | 185 (2) | 0 (0) | 191 (2) | 184 (2) | 100 (1) | 94 (1) | 92 (1) | 94 (1) | 98 (1) |
| 5th | SOS | 1175 | 186 (2) | 172 (2) | 90 (1) | 163 (2) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 196 (2) | 176 (2) | 0 (0) | 96 (1) | 96 (1) |
| 6th | EPOC | 1165 | 0 (0) | 170 (2) | 190 (2) | 184 (2) | 91 (1) | 185 (2) | 81 (1) | 0 (0) | 86 (1) | 88 (1) | 90 (1) |
| 7th | LOG | 1130 | 170 (2) | 193 (2) | 85 (1) | 75 (1) | 173 (2) | 177 (2) | 87 (1) | 90 (1) | 0 (0) | 80 (1) | 0 (0) |
| 8th | SUFFOC | 1117 | 180 (2) | 77 (1) | 173 (2) | 81 (1) | 168 (2) | 90 (1) | 84 (1) | 98 (1) | 90 (1) | 76 (1) | 0 (0) |
| 9th | BL | 1097 | 183 (2) | 91 (1) | 95 (1) | 93 (1) | 180 (2) | 193 (2) | 166 (2) | 0 (0) | 96 (1) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
I had a quick look back at our results in recent years out of interest:
2014 4th 1223 points
2013 4th 1141 points
2012 Knocked out in 1st round by SBOC
2011 Knocked out in 1st round by SARUM
2010 7th 1053 points
2009 7th 1048 points
2008 3rd 1169 points
2007 7th 1098 points
Over the years it would seem that the top points have become more concentrated on a few clubs and each year the scores for the top teams are getting higher and higher - FVO nearly had a perfect score this year and lost 2 points on course 3 and 2 points on course 5.
So roll on next year when the 1st round is at Fonthill on Sunday 15th March 2015 - a date to put in your diaries now.
Our thanks go to Trevor Bridle - our Club Captain - for organising our team for this event.
Chris Branford
Results Team Results RouteGadget
Some random impressions from John Warren
What an event! Over 800 of the best competitors from all parts of Britain, so the competition was bound to be tough. I'm sure that for some WIMs this was the biggest event that they had ever been to, but with brilliant organisation most people enjoyed the day out even if the courses proved to be very technically demanding. Entering the event site you were greeted by a team from BAOC and a huge smooth grassy area divided into blocks with large labels designating a specific area for each club. Once you found your parking area you were immediately amongst friends and Trevor did a marvellous job as Club Captain 'meeting and greeting' everyone on arrival. The alphabetical layout positioned WIM perfectly for all event facilities, loos, shops, enquiries, finish and start all close at hand.
The weather was superb for December and with start slots from 10am to 12.30pm it was not long before a steady stream of WIMs set off to do battle. Remember that our friendly rivals SARUM were also in the Trophy hunt!
We'd been warned about 'Long Valley'. It's not really a valley, more a wide sandy heathland used by the Army for vehicle and infantry training so it has numerous tracks, gullies, pits, bumps and humps all covered for the most part by open birch and pine woodland which looks very much the same wherever you are. So it was a case of beware!
Start call up was at -5mins, as befits a major level A event, and after collecting control descriptions and a quick look at blank maps in -2 mins you were off on your course.
The Planner had put the start location in a broad gully so you couldn't see where people were going. Oh dear! Nothing for it but to set the compass and try to sort out what was shown on the map and the route to No1 which was nowhere near a path!. Two very technical controls with twists and turns followed and then came the first encounter with the dreaded track network. If you got it right tracks helped get you to an 'attack point' if not then the more you wandered hoping for something to turn up,the more likely you were to get completely disorientated. 'They all look the same' was an over heard cry! The mixture of tracks and pathless yet runnable woodland meant that you had to be prepared to switch technique constantly and with so many people running to a multitude of controls you had to believe in your decision making whilst keeping a wary eye on other competitors who just might have found that knoll, pit or depression that you were looking for. The sudden changes of direction and terrain tested everyone, but it was a relief to find that most of the area was really runnable with few brashings and no brambles.
On longer 'legs' it was tempting to 'relax' and run, but there was the ever present danger of picking the wrong track or path some of which looked like twisted spaghetti on the map and it was vital to keep counting if you were to reach your next control. All this could make your brain ache and it was quite possible to lose contact with the map leading to the 'apres O' discussion as to Why was I so stupid!!
One very useful part of the organisation was an excellent and informative commentary which was genuinely worth listening to in the assembly area. It had another benefit too. If you were within earshot up to 1k from the Finish you could hear the PA which if you were lost gave a useful general direction bearing! There weren't any echos either!.
Approaching the Finish always gets the adrenaline going. Run faster! Impress your friends or get it over with, all are motives! With a radio link it was possible that your arrival would be announced over the PA as you punched the penultimate control after which you could sprint through cheering crowds to the finish line. Well that was a nice dream anyway!
How did WIM do? Our early start times put us in an early lead but rivals gradually overtook us and we were narrowly placed in 4th position just behind SARUM. Keith Henderson had a brilliant run to win his course and our best placed lady was Sarah Horsler 2nd in her class For some people it was an 'If only' day. If only, I'd seen that track, gully, pit, vegetation boundary!, run harder etc, etc. You name it, it has happened. However isn't this the joy/frustration that we enjoy in our sport. It's unpredictable. Orienteering is a challenge both physically and mentally and the CompassSport Trophy certainly challenged everyone's abilities.
Next year the Final is in the Lake District so you can guess what sort of challenge awaits. All WIM has to do is to qualify!
Well done everyone and thanks go to SN, BAOC and GO for planning and organising a memorable event.
Photographs by Chris Branford and Keith Henderson
Mapping data licenced from the Ordnance Survey with the permission of the Controller of HMSO. Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence Number 100015287.
Selection of photographs by Tim Nicholls from Southern Navigators website
