Results from West Wight Downs

Green        5.2km

1	Trevor Ould	M35	53.08
2	Ian Ralph	M40	76.36
3	Steve Hull	M40	89.50

Light Green     3.4km

1	Richard Eastaff	M18	42.00
2	Jeff Goodbourn	M50	44.38
3	Simon Webb	M21	47.48
4	MalcVaughan/KellyKing
	M45/W21		54.28
5	Chris Ody	M45	56.54
6	Robert & Tom Stead
	M45/M15		62.22
7	Vann/Ody  Mixed		66.30
8	Eileen Reeves	W65	76.30
9  	Pat Hart	W55	92.35

Orange     3.7km

1	Carole Goodbourn	W45	47.15
2	Jan & Harry
	W45/M40		49.24
3	Shorter family   	-	51.46
4	Felix Pickard	M16	52.18
5	Colin Eggleton	M40	54.38
6	Vanns  M45/W12		56.50
7	Stephen Perfect 	M11	66.55
8	Ben Ralph	M11	67.26
9	Vicky Basford	W50	67.54
10	Chris Stokes	W50	76.56
11	Eggleton/Pickard	W45	91.54
12	Jim Hollinshed	M70 	118.26
Sharon Johnson - W21 - missed No.6
Aaron - M15 - retired

Yellow     2.3km

1	D.Ody/M.Vann  
          M10/M12		26.16
2	Chris Yates	M10	28.09
3	Sheila Howse	W50	29.45
4	C.Eggleton	M7	32.38
5	Gostling family Mixed	40.55
6	Vivienne/Jill  W55/60	47.25
7	Ash & Dave  M13/16	64.21

White      1.5km

1	Clare Scutt	W6	23.31
2	Jamie Yates	M8	25.14
3	Melanie Ould	W8	26.42
4	Alex Ralph	M7	27.55
5	Bethany Baven 	-	30.03

String    1.0km

1	Alex Ralph	M7	11.56
2	Abigail Mackett	W5	16.58
3	Melanie & Danny Ould -20.24
4	Joseph Wolton	M4	25.06
5	Nico & Luca Paonessa
	   M5/M1		50.00

 
 

REPORT FROM CAR PARK

Compton Farm is a fine place for parking and registration. Plenty of room, tree trunks for propping up the information boards and a lovely view.

We are grateful to Mr.and Mrs.Phillips for letting us use the field. It was bustling with life on May 12th as, in addition to orienteers, there was a church service going on at the other end of the field and paragliders floating around behind us.

The downs were lovely, early in the morning, when Steve Taverner came to lay out the string.

Larks singing and cowslips and early purple orchids in bloom on the chalky turf. The chalk is so close to the surface, here, that boring a hole for a control stake takes some effort. Thanks to Steve who had to get right back to Arreton for his next job that morning. Thanks, also, to the Yates family who, after coming down from the hill after their boys had finished their runs, plodded back up to collect the string and cuddly markers.

Thanks to Eileen who came out to help with registration and then went off to have a run despite having spent the previous day at the Walking Festival Launch. We were pleased to see people who had come to visit our stand at the launch coming out, also, to Compton Farm to try orienteering.

Chris Lipscombe

After running down the same stream bed twice, slipping and sliding through another thicket that looked exactly like every other, I realised that there was more to Orienteering than running, however fast you may be. Once you have ventured beyond the Yellow and Orange courses there seems to a whole new world of terminology and experience. Gone now the trail and crossroad checkpoint, welcome to the bramble, re-entrant, and vegetation boundary. If you're from a running background, it can be difficult to go back to running 3k or even 6k, especially when you realise that you can't do your 5 and 6 minute mile averages like you used to.. This was hammered home during my last two runs, where my results were disastrous. When you count 15 people going past you because you are having to double back again, you will know what I'm talking about. Orienteering is a different type of running, as a beginner it seems to me that, although speed is a necessary factor, accurate compass and map work is where the secret lies. However, it is one thing knowing that and quite another applying it to your run. There is only so much that you can pick up on your own. I have had some great times racing through forests, jumpimg ditches and on one occasion even wading waist deep across a stream, but there comes a point where, if you wish to improve, others need to come alongside and like in any sport, start to train or coach newer members.

As WIGHTO is rising in public profile with advertisements in the local press and leisure centres, there will probably be an influx of new members who, after several attempts at Yellow and Orange courses will either want to know more or leave. This is a thoroughly exciting time for the club and Orienteering as a sport or leisure activity in general. It is also an excellent opportunity for experienced members who may wish to train new orienteers who want to go into greater depth in their commitment to the sport. WIGHTO events have become a high point in our family's calendar and the hard work that the organisers have put in is excellently reflected in the range and quality of the events that we have attended.

All ages and abilities are catered for, whether a family out for a walk or an experienced athlete looking for a challenge in a more competitive style. Writing this as a new member of WIGHTO who is thoroughly bitten by the Orienteering bug, I hope that this beginner's view will encourage others to give this really great sport a go.

John, Ruth and Naomi Ashall

Comment from the Editor. We are delighted that John has been so thoroughly 'bitten'. Some years ago we had several training events, of different sorts. After a while there were very few takers and it was not practical to offer such events. However, if there are any others who would like to join John in training, no doubt we could find some experienced trainers. Just let us know. Ring 872693, as a starter.