Club News by Karin Kirk news@octavian-droobers.org
Easter Orienteering Festival
The annual Orienteering Festival took place in Southern England this year and over the 4 days a variety of races, from sprint, middle and long distances plus a relay were staged. This, the JK2019, is the largest event in the UK calendar and some 4000 competitors from around the UK and overseas enjoyed the brilliant weather. OD club members were well represented and there were some good results. These are the Initial results and full results including the combined Day 2 and 3 and Relay results to follow soon.
The initial results showed that William Gardner won the M21E Elite sprint race around the Aldershot Army Garrison. Other top ten results at the sprint event were, Hilary Simpson 2nd on the W80 course, Peter Carey 3rd on the M75 course, Richard Gardner was 4th on the M65 course, Sheila Carey 5th on the W70 course, Sue Bicknell 6th on the W75 course, Barry Elkington was 7th on the M60 course and Philip Lunn 9th on the Novice course.
On Day 2 at Windmill Hill the middle distance initial results were: 2nd place for Lesley Ross on the W50 Long course, 3rd Hilary Simpson W80 courses, 4th place for William Gardner on the M21 Elite course. 5th Alistair Landels on the M50 Long course, 5th Sheila Carey W70 Long course, 5th Max Straube-Roth M10 Acourse, 1st Carolyn Marr W70 short course, 4th John Bowman M75 Short course, 5th Mykyta Chubynsky M40 short course, 5th Sian Gardner W60 Short, 5th Tom Jeffries and 7th Daniel Roth on the M45 Short course, 6th Richard Gardner M65 Long Course, 7th Anne Straube W40 Long course, 9th Stephen Elkington M21 short course, 9th Barry Elkington M60 Long course, 9th Vivianne Lawson W50 short course, 10th Juliette Soulard W45 Long course, 1st place for Alfie Bullus on the M20 Long course, 5th Thomas Chapple M14 B course, 3rd Ruben Jeffries M10 B course.
In the Cotswolds at Cleeve Hill
The North Gloucester Orienteering Club staged a great event, high up on the Cotswolds at Cleeve Hill. Orienteers navigated over open terrain across the steep sided hills and around old quarry sites. The variety of races attracted a high number of participants with many using them as an opportunity to hone skills prior to the big Easter Weekend of Orienteering Festival being held in Southern England, featuring 4 days of races. The British Night championships are set to be at this venue in 2021, so this was the last chance for many to practice as the area is now embargoed.
Sam Leadley M20 was the highest placed orienteer from the club on the long Brown 8.4km course with a massive 290 metres of climb coming in 3rd in 51.09mins only 9 seconds ahead of clubmate Alistair Landels M50 in 4th place. Alfie Bullus M20 was top OD on the 5.6km Blue course with 180 metres of climb taking 45.30mins to find the 17 controls putting him in 5th place and Anne Straube W40 was the fastest woman on the same course taking 50.22mins. On the 4.3km Green course Bruce Bryant M60 was 6th in 41.18mins. Max Straube-Roth M10 was 1st on the Yellow 1.8km course and took 19.27mins to find the 9 controls.