Windy Pits Ranking Badge Event

04 May 2003

Badge Times

Course Gold Silver Bronze   Course Gold Silver Bronze
JM1 17.47 21.21 28.28   JW1 21.38 25.58 34.36
JM2 27.43 33.16 44.21   JW2 27.43 33.16 44.21
JM3 38.45 46.31 62.01   JW3 38.45 46.31 62.01
JM4 37.51 45.25 60.32   JW4 41.06 49.19 65.46
JM5M 46.38 55.57 74.36   JW5L 59.41 71.36 95.28
M21L 77.31 93.31 124.41   JW5S 46.15 55.31 74.01
M21S 65.19 74.06 98.48   W21L 77.58 93.54 124.44
M35L 91.02 109.15 145.41   W21S 50.41 60.49 81.05
M35S 64.44 77.38 103.25   W35L 84.34 101.29 135.18
M40L 79.25 95.18 127.04   W35S 59.37 71.29 95.18
M40S 46.36 55.53 74.31   W40L 64.49 77.47 103.42
M45L 73.31 88.12 117.36   W40S 50.14 60.17 80.23
M45S 47.47 57.21 76.26   W45L 68.43 82.28 109.56
M50L 77.51 93.25 124.34   W45S 46.32 55.51 74.27
M50S 45.44 54.52 73.11   W50L 61.25 73.42 98.16
M55L 78.56 94.44 126.18   W50S 45.35 54.43 72.56
M55S 55.36 66.43 88.58   W55L 71.43 86.04 114.44
M60L 62.11 74.38 99.31   W55S 53.14 63.53 85.11
M60S 48.13 57.51 77.08   W60L 56.32 67.51 90.26
M65L 79.34 95.29 127.12   W65L 56.32 67.51 90.26
M70L 68.44 82.28 109.58   W70L 89.41 107.38 143.31
M75L 81.32 97.51 130.28          

Planner's Report

If it could go wrong, it did! What with foot and mouth, clear felling of the original Start/Finish area, problems with the map, pheasant pens and me bring ill at a crucial stage, not to mention the torrential rain on the Friday night as I was setting out controls, I was very apprehensive when the day dawned. However, the weather really turned up trumps.

Windy Pits does have some runnable areas and I tried to take you through these wherever possible but the physical nature of the area was always going to impose restrictions, never mind the large out of bounds field in the middle! A few weeks earlier and we could have crossed it, which would have allowed greater possibilities on certain courses.

I know the temptation to use the tracks was there, but straight line routes through the forest were not only possible but on some legs the better choice! Finish times were, on the whole, about what was expected.

I would like to thank the great help given by those who put out control boxes and also collected in everything at the end, in particular Matthew and Russell, who also gave lots of help throughout the event. I am also grateful for the support and good advice of Paul Taylor. Thanks also go to the hard work of all Ebor members who always make events look easy, Dennis Hooton the Organiser, in particular
Mike Ridealgh

Controllers' Comments

The challenge at Windy Pits will always be physical rather than technical, in fact I don't think it possible to attain TD5 here. On the other hand physical difficulty 5+ is easily achieved. Many appreciated this fact and were pragmatic about it, while there were several grumbles from those who failed to appreciate the limitations imposed by factors not so obvious to the casual observer. There were some nice bits, perhaps the contouring route between #137 and #141 was my favourite. Well done Mike for all your hard work in setting the courses - mostly within the recommended badge standard times and well done to Dennis for stepping in at a late stage to rescue the organisation, including making some vital amendments to a rather disappointing map. Paul Taylor

Organiser's Comments

Thanks go to Kevin Holland who did a lot of the early work on this event. The dry spell of March and April meant the field was suitable for parking and assembly but the rain in the week before the event was worrying. Thanks to all the Ebor helpers who turned out and did their jobs without any fuss. The day itself ran very smoothly. I have been asked by Jackie Butcher of SYO to thank the competitors who stopped to help her 7 year old son who managed to get himself very lost. There was an inhaler left behind at enquiries.
Dennis Hooton