Chalkney WoodSun 17 Sept

SOS Colour Coded and ESSOL

Regional level event

Terrain type: Woodland

Results

• • Results are now final
• • Routegadget now availble here

Report

ORGANISER:

I must firstly thank all of the club members who volunteered on Sunday to fill all of the roles and performed them wonderfully. I must also thank Roger, Taylor-Finnen, JP and Clive for the planning and controlling, the fact that we were able to open courses early is a great testament to their efforts putting out and checking controls. Thank you all!

Having the use of Lamberts Farm is a massive advantage, affording us a dry room, electricity, water, toilets and ample parking. Our thanks go to Sally once again for allowing us to use her farm and for continuing to support our events in Chalkney Woods.

This was Roger’s and Taylor-Finnen’s first time as planners for a full regional event and judging from the feedback from the runners on the day they were both very successful in planning an interesting and challenging series of courses.

Thanks to all who bought tea and cake from the cake stall in support of the Club Juniors.

Jeff Patteson

PLANNER(S):

I eventually gave in to Julie Laver (SOS) Coordinator’s requests & agreed to plan Chalkney Woods with Taylor-Finnen (Taylor-Finnen = White - Light Green & Roger = Short Green - Brown). After the first couple of Recces it soon became evident that the Base Map needed some serious updating with a big area of felled trees, new paths etc. We were also conscious of not using the same Controls as the last two previous events, so new Controls were found. Also, to utilise the Sloping North Eastern Area & the Navigationally Challenging ‘Chalkney Triangle’ in the Centre. Big thanks to Eddie Banks (SOS) for updating the Base Map & to Steve Partridge (SOS) for overseeing our Planning & helping sort the Course Maps as I’m not very ‘techy’ at all and would have been totally lost without him! Also, Clive Wilkinson (SUFFOC) for Controlling. I thought I was a perfectionist, but he’s something else! And to Jeff Patteson (SOS) for Organising having arrived at the Farm for 8am & therefore having everything ready for the 9am/ 9.30am SOS Helpers to arrive. Also, to JP Carraud (SOS) for a bit of a return favour in helping him at some unearthly hour of the morning at Writtle Forest putting out Controls! Plus all the other SOS Members that Volunteer throughout the day to make it all happen. We had all x 49 Controls out by 7.45am with Clive back from Controlling at 9.15am & the Start ready 1 hour early at 9.30am, which led to a more relaxed feeling around the Farm for Enquiries, Download & more importantly the Cake Stall! Great to see people from as far & afield as Cornwall & Derbyshire too! 😊

I feel like I gave it my all & made x15 trips to Chalkney Woods so feel like I know it like the back of my hand now, so should be in for a win at the next event! 😉

Roger Gooding

A good experience which helped me understand what goes into planning a course and an appreciation for planners in general due to the amount of work involved. Found making up different routes the most fun especially trying to push the orange in particular with some harder controls and route choice for this area.

I decided to vary yellow and white from previous years and create two new courses using different controls and slightly different areas.

I also learnt the rules/ necessities in yellow and white (Steve said these where usually the hardest to plan, due to all the rules) like the fact that a white control is on every decision point and there kite is positioned to lead them in the right direction.

Taylor-Finnen

CONTROLLER:

It is always good to work with the stragglers team on events. I was pleased with the positive reactions to Roger's course planning which encouraged orienteers to run across the grain. Chalkney is steadily becoming a better area to orienteer in.

Clive Wilkinson

Last updated: Mon 25 September, 2023

Location Info

Near: Earls Colne
Lat,Lng: 51.91106,0.72862
OS Grid Ref: TL877271
Postcode: CO6 1AP
What3Words: What3Words:///pounds.presented.trout

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