Event report: WA classic & family camp

This year's WA Day long weekend saw a flurry of orienteering activities near Northam, including the traditional WA Classic event over two days, and a family training camp, all amidst the worst storm Perth has seen in 49 years.

WA Classic Day 1: Sunday May 31^st

The WA Classic on the WA Day long weekend was looking OK until a week or so beforehand, until the weather forecast got a bit more accurate and the time closer! The setters had been out on the lovely semi-open country some weeks before to check out control sites and found that good rain in April had brought up some fresh grass and a squillion ants, and the farm was looking good. More rain was needed by the end of May and the farmers got their wish on Saturday afternoon and Sunday when the heavens opened. Along with the showers were very windy conditions which threatened to blow everything away and made conditions very cold for runners and organisers on Day 1.

However, 64 people started the courses and almost all completed their courses. Rocks (no shortage of those at Peterdine!) were rather slippery and there were some minor flesh wounds but luckily all seemed to be OK. Many finishers were soaked and shivering.

The courses were roughly an 80% distance of those on a one-day event, and they seemed to work well, with some fairly steep climbs for the H1, H2 and H3 courses.

Great that we had five competitors from ADHOC and two from Bunbury (SWOT land) making the journey. Given the conditions, very few people (3) decided to brave the weather and camp!

Thanks to setters Anna and Peter, and a huge thanks to Controller Ian Fletcher, who gave a lot of his time both before and during the event, to Jan Fletcher for co-ordinating and Melinda for the IT work. It was lucky that we had the caravan, towed by Peter Gillon, on this occasion. Toilet towers were Rob Beattie and Jack Dowling.

Also many thanks to the hardy control collectors, who all got thoroughly wet again. They were: Volker Gartz, Ricky and Tash Thackray, Craig Dufty, Liam Dufty, Ceri Pass, Rohan Braid, Helen Bailey, Tony Simpkins and Peter Gillon.

Results are available on Eventor. Check out your fellow competitors' route choices on Livelox.

WA Classic Day 2: Monday June 1^st

A stormy night gave way to a sunny morning and a lovely day, with only a few drops of rain and winds decreasing as the morning went on. Only a few people had braved the weather and camped on site after Sunday afternoon’s event in the wild weather, with most of the rest finding shelter in Northam and returning in the morning.

Eighty two competitors made their way around the farmland, with several competitors opting for a second course. The courses were set as long style at 80% of standard distance (due to the two-day competition), and emphasis was on route choice. The winning times were largely in line with the guidelines, and it was pleasing to see the many different routes the competitors took on every course, especially on the longer legs. If you haven’t done so already, upload your route to Livelox and compare it with your fellow competitors!

A minor hiccup was caused by a malfunctioning SI master unit, which meant that the SI units could not be synced prior to going out, and the actual leg timings between two controls are not accurate. Hence, the punches on Livelox are also out of sync with the map. The start and finish bricks were synced, so the total course times are accurate, and you can still compare your relative leg times with your competitors.

A big thank you to Ian Fletcher who acted as a controller for both days over the weekend, to Sue for organising, and setter Liisa Hirvonen. Thanks to toilet towers Jack D and Rob B, control collectors Rob W; Rob B; Jack D; Simon W; Craig, Rachel, Liam and Amy; Hadrien, Ellie + kids, computer operator Melinda, and Sue, Lois, Jan, Dave, Anna and Peter for help with packing up. Also thanks to anyone else who I’ve forgotten to mention who helped during the event and/or stayed behind to help pack up after a long weekend.

Results are available on Eventor. Check out your competitors' route choices on Livelox.

Overall results for the WA Classic, for Days 1 and 2 combined, are now on Eventor. Congratulations to the winners of each class!

Family Camp: Saturday May 30^th - Monday June 1^st

The Winter Family Camp was held with over 30 participants. For the first time we ran the training camp with the whole family invited to participate instead of just juniors. The camp was run in conjunction with the WA Classic competition at Peterdine. 

The camp started on Saturday with some training exercises at Christmas Tree Creek. Craig and Liam led the hard/ moderate training assisted by Sten and Joseph, while Rachel led the easy/moderate training assisted by Rob. A well earned lunch was enjoyed, then a migrating controls competition provided a fun way to test out their skills. This was a 30 min score where the controls are only available at scheduled times. It was a close competition with only 1 point between 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Archie won the mens while Amy won the womens. Thanks to our control movers, Sten, Rob, Joseph and Liam, and to Mark and Quinn for setting up the results read out on the I-pad. After some time to set up camp in Northam, Rob led some games with balls and frisbees. In the evening Rachel and Amy hosted a quiz night to eek the last out of the participants' tired minds.

Despite rain and some strong winds on Sunday, the participants braved the conditions to learn more about the map features, and for the more experienced participants, how to make reading the rock detail easier at speed. Thanks to the coaches who led small groups, Craig, Liam Joseph, Sten, John and Rachel. Finally it was time to test out all the training with the events of the Winter Classic. A final pizza night on Sunday provided a chance for everyone to socialise before one last go at putting it together at the Winter Classic Day 2 on Monday morning.

Despite some challenges, such as failing tents, flat tyres and keys locked in cars, we managed to take away a weekend of good times with friends doing a great outdoor sport.

Photos: (from top) Day 1 starters, by Sue Dowling; prizegiving at the end of Day 2, by Liisa Hirvonen; Day 2 finishers, by Sue Dowling; Rainbow at Peterdine, by Liisa Hirvonen.