Worlebury Woods - Comments

Comments from the organiser are now available on the event results page.

September Committee Meeting Minutes

A summary of the minutes of the committee meeting held on 18th September 2008 is now available.

Membership Database

BOK Membership Secretaries, Mark & Jenny Selley, write:
It's that time of year again - every current member should have or will be receiving their renewal notices from BOF shortly. As all renewals are through BOF now, it is important that you ensure that all the details they hold for you are correct and if they have any outdated information please can you let them know.

We try to keep accurate records of your addresses, emails and telephone numbers, and of course use these in the annual membership list, but this is based on the BOF information.

If you notice some of the information held by BOF is not correct, please do let them know or let us know so we can at least ensure our database is accurate.

Bristol Long-O - Officials' Comments

Comments from the organiser, controller and planner are now available. We hope to be able to publish updated results later this week.

Bristol Long-O - Results

Provisional results are now available.

Bristol Long O - Final Details

Final details for the 'Bristol Long O' on Sunday 26th October 2008 are now available on the event details page.

Compass Sport Cup Final - Start Times

BOK's start times for the Compass Sport Cup Final are now available on the website via the Hot Links. Final details of the event are also available from here.

Those travelling by coach should by now have received an e-mail asking you to choose which of the 3 pickup locations you will be using - Nailsea, Bristol Grammar School or Bradley Stoke. Please let your Klub Captains know as soon as possible.

We have 67 runners. Thank you for your support and we look forward to an enjoyable competition on 19th.

Worlebury Woods - Final Details

Final details for the local event at Worlebury Woods on Saturday (11th October) are now available.

Leigh Woods - Officials' Comments

Comments from the organiser, controller and planner are now available. Detailed results and organiser's comments are also available for the Club Championships. A few more photos have been added to the album on PicasaWeb.

AGM - Minutes

Minutes of the AGM held on 10th September 2008 are now available. Username and password required (as printed in BOK News).

Leigh Woods - RouteGadget

The map and courses of the Leigh Woods event have been uploaded to RouteGadget by Christophe Mutricy. You can trace your route and compare it with the other competitors. There is some help and a test event if you'd like to practice before drawing today's route.

Leigh Woods - Results and Photos

Provisional results (including Splitsbrowser and WinSplits) are now available. Also Club Championships results and event photos (on PicasaWeb). RouteGadegt to follow.

Club Championships - Start List

The start list for the Club Championships is now available. Please note that there is 'no entry on the day' for the Championships (this is however available as usual for the district event within which the Championships are incorporated). A prize giving will be held at 1pm in the assembly area.

Club Championships - Entry Deadline

Entries for the Club Championships at Leigh Woods on Sunday 5th October must reach Neil Connelly by Monday 29th September.

Headless Hill - Flyer

A flyer for the BOK Galoppen event at Headless Hill, Forest of Dean, on Sunday 23rd November 2008 is now available.

Three Brooks, Bradley Stoke - Comments

Comments from the organiser are now available. Photos on PicasaWeb [album; slideshow]. Articles about the launch event can be seen on the Bradley Stoke Journal and Bradley Stoke Matters websites. Read more about the Three Brooks permanent orienteering course.

Wimborne Galoppen - Sunday 14th September

After so much summer rain, we were fortunate to enjoy fine weather at Wimborne's event at Turf Hill. The Galoppen season got off to a competitive start, with Ben Chesters trimming 13 seconds off Clive Hallett's time to win Brown, and Mark Selley putting in a good performance to finish 6th, two places ahead of Charles Daniel. On Blue, David Hunt was 2nd and 5 minutes ahead of Andy Creber, while Charlotte Daniel finished just over a minute ahead of Jackie Hallett. Isla Simmons excelled herself by finishing 5th overall on Green, one place ahead of SARUM's Alice Butt. Matt Jeffery was 3rd on Light Green and Michael Hallett 5th on Orange. Full results here.

Yvette Baker Trophy - Sunday 14th September

Despite some excellent results from the small group of BOK Juniors who ran in the Yvette Baker Trophy at Wimborne's event last Sunday, SOC were represented in greater numbers and scored 894 points against BOK's 792. So thank you to all our Juniors who competed and well done to SOC for going through to the final.

Compass Sport Cup Final - Sun 19th October

The Compass Sport Cup Final will be held at Sutton Park on Sunday 19th October. BOK can look forward to strong competition, so we need as many members as possible to represent us. Please put the date in your diaries now and let’s see if we can field a strong team to improve on our 3rd place of 2 years ago – or perhaps even win it.
To make the day more of a Klub outing and social event, we’ve organised a coach for the day. With a small BOK subsidy, and also making use of the extra cash we inadvertently collected from you at the Qualifying Round, you should find the cost of transport quite attractive. The event is pre-entry only via your Klub Captains and an entry form is available via the Hot Links on this website. Please indicate on this whether you would like to take advantage of the coach. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis, so get your entries in fast to avoid disappointment. You can give your forms to Chris or Helen Kelsey at the Caddihoe Chase.

Please note also that we've been advised that there will be another event in Sutton Park on Saturday 18th. Competitors for the Compass Sport Cup Final must not participate in that event.

Ashton Court - Organiser's Comments

Comments from the organiser are now available. Katy has also written an account of the BOK interview on BBC Radio Bristol.

Bristol Half Marathon Sunday 14 September 2008

Grant Floyd says:
"I am a BOK member, and I have an entry for the Bristol 1/2 Marathon on Sunday 14th Sep 08, sadly I am not going to be able to run it, and would like to recoup some of my costs and make sure it is used. Is there a way of letting the whole club know this is available (for only £15!!), via a user group or the website?"
If anyone is interested, please contact the Secretary, Robin Walker, via this link to the Bristol Orienteering website ASAP. Thanks

BOK Members Interviewed on Radio Bristol

BOK members Katy Dyer and Anne Donnell were interviewed on this morning's Weekend West programme on Radio Bristol. Katy and Anne chatted with presenter Ali Vowles about orienteering in general and were also able to advertise today's 'come and try it' event at Ashton Court. You can 'listen again', until 12th September, using the BBC iPlayer. The orienteering chat starts 1 hour 17 minutes into the programme (you can use the +15 button to get there quickly).

Club Championships - Flyer and Entry Form

A flyer is now available for the Club Championships that take place on Sunday 5th October at Leigh Woods (in combination with a BOK District/ASO Event). Entry forms (PDF, MS Word) must be returned by Monday 29th September.

SWOA Website Updated

The SWOA website has been updated. The changes include:

• Final results of the SWOA Summer Relay Series
• Minutes of the 25th June 2008 SWOA Committee meeting
• New list of SWOA Controllers

BOK AGM/Skittles Wed 10 Sep 2008 19.30hrs

The committee hopes as many people as possible will come, as we have an important decision to make about future event fees which will affect everyone - see 'Why you need to come to the AGM', the BOK blog posted 6 Aug. Of course attendance at the AGM is free of charge and everyone is welcome.
The Klub's informal social get-together, which follows immediately after the AGM at about 20.15hrs, consists of skittles and a substantial buffet. The Landlord of the Ring O' Bells, Nailsea, has now given us until Sunday, 31 Aug, to give him the final numbers for the buffet, so there is still time to complete the form which came with the last BOK News. For your subsidised buffet (£6 for adults, £3 for children) you can either tranfer the money electronically to the BOK account and email me your details or send me your form and cheque, made out to 'BOK', to Tricia Walker, 18 Mulberry Close, Backwell, Bristol, BS48 3HX, Tel: 01275 462879 as soon as possible. For my email address or any other details about 10 Sep, please contact me via the above tel no, the BOK Membership list or the website.

Publicity Help Required

Jonathan Hurford writes:
I have produced a poster for the September come-and-try-it events. Could members please print-off and distribute, particularly if you live in Bradley Stoke and Thornbury. There is also an excellent colour poster [large file - 388KB] advertising the Bradley Stoke event, which it would also be good to distribute. If anyone would like copies of these documents please contact me via the publicity section of this site.

Why you need to come to the BOK AGM

BOK Secretary writes:
The new British Orienteering levies for 2009, agreed at their 2008 AGM , will have a dramatic effect on the cost of BOK events - see Mark Dyer's Treasurer's report in the BOK committee minutes of July 10th, available now on the BOK website. This will force us to increase event entry fees and these changes will need to be discussed and voted on at the AGM on Wednesday September 10th. Come along and have your say - with skittles and a buffet it will be a very pleasant evening anyway. Deadline for your reply is August 27th - there's a form in your newsletter. Don't leave it to the last minute, do it now!

Club Championships

Neil Connelly writes:
Because of difficulties in arranging the Club Championships at the usual time (July ­ to ensure brambles, stinging nettles and bracken are at their best), they will now be held on October 5, to coincide with theBOK/ASO League event at Leigh Woods. The usual accurate and fair handicapping system will be used to ensure that all entrants have the same random chance of winning.

The coincidence of the Championships and the League event may pose some logistical complications but will, however, hopefully enable/encourage more members to take part. There may even be prizes though the accolade of 'Club Champion' should be enough.

Details and an entry form will be posted nearer the date. Meantime, continue to hone your fitness and orienteering skills, and think of good (legitimate) reasons why you should receive a helpful handicap.

July Committee Meeting Minutes

A summary of the minutes of the committee meeting held on 10th July 2008 is now available.

Ashton Court - Flyer

A flyer for the 'come and try it' event on Saturday 6th September 2008 is now available. Please note that the venue has been changed from The Downs to Ashton Court.

Leigh Woods - Flyer

A flyer for the district event and 2008 club championships at Leigh Woods on Sunday 5th October 2008 is now available.

WMOC 2008 (Portugal) - Full Report

This is Jackie Hallett's full report on the World Masters Orienteering Championships:

This event was held in Portugal in the Leira region in Pinewoods planted back in the 13th and 14th centuries to support Portugal’s naval ambitions for world supremacy. With over 3500 competitors Britain was the 5th largest nation with 232 competitors; the Scandinavian countries fielded the most with Norway having the highest number with 686. There were 13 competitors from BOK. The age groups spread from M/W35 to M/W90 but the largest fields for both men and women were the M/W60 category with 622 competitors. The week consisted of 2 competitive events – a sprint and classic. The sprint race had a qualification race in the old town of Leira which contained narrow, often steep slopes or steps. For those who have not competed in sprint races the courses are short, mine being 1.5 km with a winning time of 14 minutes. I think sprint is possibly the wrong word as it is really intense orienteering with a map scale of 1:4000 controls come up very fast and it is easy to miss a turning or to find yourself the wrong side of a flower bed or a wall (which are not crossable). Unfortunately I had a punch which didn’t register and so was disqualified – really disappointing as I would have been second in my heat. The sprint final was quite different as it started in forest, then onto sand dunes before finishing in the old town of Praia da Vieira. The scale of the forest and sand dunes caught many people out but there were good results from Alice Bedwell 5th W 45 and Mark Saunders 9th M45. I managed to win the B course but it was little consolation. We followed this event with a traditional Portuguese dish – sardines. We certainly did not expect the size and amount of sardines as we only ordered enough for 6 even though there were 8 of us. Even so, and delicious as they were, I did have to stop after 4 although a few hardy souls managed 6! A rest day followed or the option of an open race near to where the long distance final would be. Mark Saunders had entered us for this event and upon arriving at the start I discovered my course was 8km. Needless to say I treated it as a practice and just did some controls.

The long distance race has 2 qualification days in lovely pine forested sand dunes with lots of small contour detail. Mistakes were costly but easy to make in the 2½ m. contours with it being difficult to know what was up or down at times. Conscious of being disqualified in the sprint I made sure my dibber beeped twice at every control. I was careful and kept in contact with the map to ensure I always knew where I was. No one was more surprised than me to find I had won my heat. The second qualification day was in similar terrain although we had 19 controls in 4.4 km. I wanted to have a clean run but did not really want to end up as a last starter as the final always has the best athletes from the qualification starting last so I tried to be steady but take a little more time. I wasn’t the fastest on the day but with both days added together was fastest overall in my heat. Many BOK runners had made the A finals which in itself is a good achievement. A rest day followed with time for some sightseeing. The final was in a different forest which has been described as Culbin with attitude. There were some denser areas of younger trees near the finish and some hillier parts but also still some vague areas. Early starters were off at 9am but unfortunately I had a 12 o’clock start as did Alice. I was pleased with my race although I felt really tired in the heat especially in the middle of the course where we had some long uphill legs. I did make a few small errors but was pleased to finish in 6th place overall. It was great to see 2 BOK people on the podium both achieving fantastic results by coming third on their courses– Alice Bedwell W45 and Anne Donnell W75.

Adams Avery & ASO Relays - Final Results

The results have been declared final by the organising team. Further comments (from the Deputy Controller) and photos (courtesy of Jamie Hayward) have been added.

Dorset Coast Path Relay - Report

Tim Britton writes:
In the absence of our Club Captains, BOK newcomer (but seasoned coordinator for the Wimborne team) Tim Britton took on the logistical challenge of arranging the 2008 BOK team.

The line-up looked promising with 15 strong runners willing and able to help carry our baton over 100km from the Devon/Dorset border at Lyme Regis all the way along the Dorset coastline to the ferry at Sandbanks, Poole.

The day dawned bright with seven teams on the start line, led rapidly down the slopes towards the Cobb by Clive Hallett. We were in the lead up the first hill, eventually being overtaken at the top by Wessex, with a team almost twice the size of ours, sprinting their baton past Mark Saunders. With their many runners punctuating the route, Wessex soon pulled ahead of the rest of the field.

A close battle up and over Golden Cap saw Tim Britton overtake the Junior Squad’s Ben Chesters, with KERNO not very far behind. Second, third and fourth places were fiercely fought-over throughout the day between us, KERNO and the Junior Squad. Mark Bown came through West Bay in second; at Hardy’s Monument we were in fourth, having lost a couple of places to the two larger teams. Tom Cochrane and fiancée Emma climbed hard along the rollercoaster cliffs behind Durdle Door, and by Lulworth Cove we had made it back into third place, ahead of the Juniors. There were five minutes separating each of these three teams at Kimmeridge Bay, with BOK still chasing KERNO.

Mark Bown ran a very fast long stretch along the Purbeck coast, claiming most of the five minutes back from his old KERNO team mates.

With most of our team waiting alongside most of KERNO to run the final leg along the sandy beaches of Studland, word came through from Swanage that only one minute separated KERNO and Mark Selley. KERNO hit the beach first, with BOK in hot pursuit, now less than a minute behind. BOK gradually gained on the KERNO front runners as the two teams fought with the wet sand and ankle-deep seaweed underfoot. Tim hit the finish line first, followed closely by KERNO’s front man, then BOK were brought triumphantly into overall second place by Mark Bown and Clive Hallett, just 26 seconds ahead of KERNO.

Thank you very much to all of the BOK team (including our two guest runners Laura and Emma) for putting in such a great effort throughout the day.

The team comprised Alice Bedwell, Mark Bown, Tim Britton (and Laura Pearson), Tom Cochrane (and Emma), Clive Hallett, Jackie Hallett, Michael Hallett, Ifor Powell, Mark Saunders, Mark Selley, Alison Simmons, John Simmons, and Phil Warry.

Full results can be found on the Dorset Coast Path Relay website.

WMOC 2008 (Portugal)

BOK members claimed two podium positions at the recent World Masters Orienteering Championships in Portugal:

• Alice Bedwell third in W45
• Anne Donnell third in W75

A total of 13 BOK members took part in the event. A full report will appear soon in BOK News. Photos from Jackie Hallett.

Adams Avery & ASO Relays - Officials' Comments

Comments from the organiser and planner are now available.

BOK Downs Informal Wednesday 25 June

Katy and Mark Dyer wrote:

Shortly after returning from 3 weeks in Scotland climbing Munros, we had to
come down to earth and prepare for the informal orienteering event we were
to organise on the Downs. Having planned there many times, the task was not
too difficult. However I did run round the control sites again just to
make sure all the benches were still standing and the holes in the ground
had not been filled in by the Risk Assessment brigade. All seemed well and
even the weather was going to be kind, if a little windy. Fortunately I
have experienced ‘a little windy ‘ before and packed my warm outdoor
clothes I had worn in Scotland. The plans to get the controls out and do my
teaching went smoothly and we were ready before 6pm.

Lots of people came! Many families and groups were trying the sport for the
first time. Sue Curtis brought her Guides and they had a good time too. The
sun shone and the wind blew very hard but failed to dislodge my garden
stones which were holding down all the papers. I knew I had collected the
stones from the beach for a reason. We had 4 courses: yellow, orange, green
and blue. I think there was something for everyone. Adam Potter impressed
us with his speedy zoom round the blue course and we were pleased to see a
good range of age groups. Nearly all the choc bars were used up we had so
many beginners. Anne Donnell braved the chilly wind and gave us sterling
help with the novice runners. We enjoyed putting on this event so much we
will be on the Downs again on September 6, organising a Come and Try It
orienteering event for new and fairly new comers to orienteering. Watch
the BOK web site. and bring your friends.

Adams Avery & ASO Relays - Provisional Results

Provisional results are now available.

Adams Avery & ASO Relays - Final Details

Final details have been added to the event details page.

Purdown - Results Update

The results have been updated - mainly to reinstate runners who were affected by stolen control units. String course results and officials' comments have been added.

Tuesday evening training runs

This is just a reminder and particularly for any new BOK members that we have a Klub training run every week on Tuesdays, starting at 7.15pm. The run usually lasts an hour or so and we try to go off road as much as possible, particularly in the summer when we try to vary the location as much as possible, including places as far afield as the Mendips and Cotswolds. Its very much a social occasion, as we usually meet at a pub, so have a drink afterwards. So you can always just come along for a drink and a chat, although any continued missing of the runs will be noted!

We always meet for a barbecue - usually at someone's house - on one Tuesday in the Summer, and this year Piers Angliss has kindly agreed to do the honours, so this will be on 15 July at Portishead; if you would like to come along please could you let Piers know by the previous weekend. Please note that the first 3 runs in July have been rescheduled from the original list, so are as shown in the BOK diary on the website and not as shown in BOK News.

Adams Avery & ASO Relays - Entry Deadline

Jo Foster reports that there are currently only 17 teams entered for our annual relay event to be held on Sunday 6th July at Stock Hill. Unless there are more entries received by Sunday night (22nd June), the event may not be viable. If you are unable to form your own team, you can enter as an individual and you will be assigned to a team of the organiser's choosing. More information and entry forms may be found on the event details page.

SWOA Summer Relay Series

This year's SWOA Summer Relay Series consists of the following events:

• Sun 29th June, Hardenhuish Park, Chippenham (NWO)
• Sun 6th July, Stock Hill, near Wells (BOK)
• Sat 19th July, Haytor, near Bovey Tracey (DEVON)
• Sun 27th July, Hethfelton, near Wool (WSX)

SWOA Relay Scorer, Mike Crockett, has asked us to point out that it is a requirement for the club name or initials to appear in the team name for it to be recognised as competitive in the SWOA inter-club relay league.

May Committee Meeting Minutes

A summary of the minutes of the committee meeting held on 22nd May 2008 is now available.

Let's Get Active - Blaise Castle Estate - Sat 14 Jun 2008

Anne Donnell, Christophe Mutricy and Robin and Tricia Walker from Bristol Orienteering Klub (BOK) promoted orienteering at this event run by Bristol City Council as part of the national 'Love Parks Week'. Our SW Regional Development Officer for British Orienteering, Celia Watkinson, supplied us with 500 nationally produced colourful handouts advertising orienteering and Martin Helfer kindly overprinted the back of each with details of upcoming BOK events.

Purdown - RouteGadget

The map and courses of the Purdown event have been uploaded to RouteGadget. You can trace your route and compare it with the other competitors.

Purdown - Provisional Results

Provisional results (including Splitsbrowser and WinSplits) are now available. RouteGadegt to follow.

Bristol Rat Race 2008 - Photos

There are lots of photos of today's Bristol Rat Race orienteering stage in our PicasaWeb Gallery [album; slideshow]. The Rat Racers arrived at Purdown from about 8:30am and completed a course consisting of five controls, before cycling on to their next challenge. Our own District Event then took place from 11am on the same area.

Summer Informals at Ashton Court - Report

Gwen Tanner writes:
More than 30 people turned out in good weather for the informal at Ashton Court. It might have been more, but an accident on the M5 made it very difficult to get to Ashton Court from North Bristol. Parking was in the new Mansion House car park, which had been closed the previous couple of days! Despite this, people seemed to enjoy their runs. This was my first experience of planning/organising an orienteering event, and despite the problems, I have enjoyed it. I would especially like to thank those who helped collect the controls afterwards.

Adams Avery & ASO Relays - Entry Forms

An entry form for the Adams Avery Relay at Stock Hill on Sunday 6th July is now available. An entry form for the Avon Schools Orienteering (ASO) Relays is available on the ASO website.

Dorset Coast Path Relay - 12th July

This year's Dorset Coast Path Relay will be on Saturday 12th July. As the Kelseys will be away that weekend, Tim Britton will be coordinating the BOK team this year, so if you'd like to take part, please contact Tim as soon as possible.

WIM Furrow Hoppers Relay (16th Jun) is Cancelled

John Shucksmith (WIM) writes:
Please note that Wimborne Orienteers have had to cancel the Furrow Hoppers Relay this year.

Mike Nelson BOKTrot - Final Results

The organising team have now declared the results 'final'. Details of the British Orienteering Badge Scheme can be found on the British Orienteering website. Details of the SWOA Colour-coded Award Scheme can be found on the SWOA website - to qualify for an award you must achieve the standard time on the same colour course at three events in a two year period.

Adams Avery & ASO Relays - Flyer

A flyer for the Adams Avery & ASO Relays at Stock Hill on Sunday 6th July is now available.

Mike Nelson BOKTrot - Provisional Badge Times

Provisional badge times are now available.

Mike Nelson BOKTrot - Provisional Ranking List Scores

Provisional British Orienteering Ranking List scores are now available.

Annual Dinner & Award Ceremony - Photos

Photos of the Klub's Annual Dinner & Award Ceremony that took place on 16th May have been added to the gallery. If you would like a copy of any of the photos, please contact Howard Thomas. Award winners.

JOK Chasing Sprint & Harvester Relays 17th-18th May

The JOK Chasing Sprint at Bloom Wood near High Wycombe provided an exciting warm-up before the Harvester Relays later that night. Tim Britton finished 12th in the Open class, with Clive Hallett and Mark Bown in 21st and 23rd places respectively. Clive put in an excellent performance in the chase, finishing 7th on that run but just failing to keep up with the pack of 12 youngsters bunched within 30 seconds just ahead; the single SI box at the last control didn’t help the less aggressive. Mark Bown on the other hand gained several places by not following the group ahead, who all turned up embarrassingly close to the finish before having to go back to the last control. Alice Bedwell finished 13th in the Women’s Open, Jackie Hallett 2nd in the Women’s Vets and Charles Daniel 17th in the Men’s Vets.
There were 3 BOK teams in the Harvester, despite having to find several last-minute substitutes due to injury and illness. The BOK Shooting Stars (Clive Hallett, Keith Agmen, Ifor Powell, Mark Saunders, Mark Bown, Mark Selley and Tim Britton) finished 5th overall in the A class, with Clive getting the team off to a flying start on the 1st night leg and Mark Bown also winning the 5th leg. The BOK Nightingales (Jackie Hallett, Alice Bedwell, Charlotte Daniel, Jo Foster and Christine Farr) finished 15th overall in the B class, 5th Women-Only team and 4th in the Women’s Handicap. Perhaps the best that can be said of the BOK Moonlighters (Christophe Mutricy, Mark Blackstone, Charles Daniel, Alan Honey, Duncan Innes and Chris Kelsey) is that they finished, not quite last but several hours behind the Shooting Stars! An enjoyable if tiring weekend. Full results for both events accessible from here.

Klub Weekend (Pembrey) 20th-22nd June

For this year's Klub Weekend, we're planning once again to join SBOC for their Midsummer orienteering weekend at Pembrey Country Park. There will be three events: a Friday evening informal at Llanelli; a Welsh league event at Pembrey on Saturday (which will also be their club championships); and the popular 2x2 relays on Sunday, also at Pembrey. The 2x2 relay is pre-entry and SBOC has also asked us to let them know what courses you intend to run on Saturday so that they can estimate map numbers. See the SBOC website or the flyer on the BOK website (see Diary) for details of all events.
We will camp in the park, which has play areas, visitor centre, dry ski slope and access to the beach, as well as miles of parkland. Bring a barbecue for Saturday evening, which often features a very informal rounders match too.
If you would like to come, please contact Chris and Helen Kelsey so that we have an idea of numbers and if possible please tell us what course you will be running on the Saturday. Remember that you will need to pre-enter the 2x2 relays yourself, no later than 16th June.

Purdown - Flyer

A flyer for the district event at Purdown on Sunday 15th June 2008 is now available.

SWOA Galoppen - Final Scores

The final scores for the 2007/2008 South-West Galoppen Series have been published on the SWOA website - follow the 'current season' link in the 'related pages' panel on this page.

Walcombe - Final Results

String course results and colour standard times have been added and the results declared 'final'. Details of the SWOA Colour-coded Award Scheme can be found on the SWOA website - to qualify for an award you must achieve the standard time on the same colour course at three events in a two year period.

Silk Wood - Final Results

Colour standard times have been added and the results declared 'final'. Details of the SWOA Colour-coded Award Scheme can be found on the SWOA website - to qualify for an award you must achieve the standard time on the same colour course at three events in a two year period.

Mike Nelson BOKTrot - Results Update

Some minor updates have been made to the results. String course results, officials' comments and more photos have also been added. We hope to be able to declare the results 'final' next week, when ranking list points and badge times will be made available.

British Orienteering Coaching Day for Individuals

Have you noticed that British Orienteering are running a coaching day for all levels from Orange upwards on Saturday, 7 June, at Corndon and Stapeley, 15 miles from Shewsbury, the day before the HOC National event at Brown Clee? Click the following link (flyer and application form) to find out more.

Mike Nelson BOK Trot - RouteGadget and Splitbrowser

RouteGadget and Splitsbrowser are now available.

Mike Nelson BOKTrot - Provisional Results

Provisional results (including WinSplits) are now available. Photos. Splitsbrowser and RouteGadget to follow later.

Mike Nelson BOKTrot - Control Descriptions

Control descriptions for the age-related courses may now be downloaded from the event details page. The descriptions will also be printed on the maps and extra copies will be available at Assembly.

Penhale Galoppen - 27th Apr 08

For a few BOK members, the lure of Penhale sand dunes was enough to counterbalance the long journey and poor weather forecast. But after driving through some fairly wet weather over Bodmin Moor, we were greeted with sunshine at Penhale. David Maliphant secured a win on Blue, keeping alive his late chase for the Galoppen title. Pete Maliphant was 3rd on the same course, Mark Dyer 3rd on Green and Charles Daniel 5th on Brown. While it may not have been as tough as some recent Penhale events, it was nonetheless very enjoyable and well worth making the effort to get there. Full results here.

Summer Informals 2008 - Publicity Brochure

The Klub's 2008 series of summer evening informal events gets under way on Wednesday 28th at Warmley Forest Park. There are six events in this year's programme, which is co-ordinated by Christophe Mutricy. These events are ideal for beginners of all ages - help and friendly advice will be available. A brochure about the series may be downloaded from the Publicity page.

Mike Nelson BOK Trot - Start Times for ASO competitors

The start times for the juniors taking part in the ASO championship have now been posted on Fabian4. Follow the link from the event page and click on "Display" to display the start list.
Please note that for ASO competitors, it is a precise start time not an half-hour block.

Mike Nelson BOK Trot - Start Times

The start times are now available on Fabian4. Follow the link from the event page and click on "Display" to display the start list.
The start are in half-hour blocks. The time quoted on the start list is the start of the block i.e. if the list shows 11:00 for an orienteer, he should start between 11:00 and 11:30.
The start time for the juniors competing in the ASO championship haven't been allocated yet.
Helpers have an "Open" start time.

Mike Nelson BOKTrot 2008 - Final Details

The final details for this year's Mike Nelson BOKTrot regional event are now available on the event details page.

Bristol Long O - Preliminary Flyer

A preliminary flyer for the 'Bristol Long O' on Sunday 26th October 2008 is now available.

Vehicle Management Squad needs your help at the BOKTrot!

Roger Mann writes:
In order to ensure that three road crossings are safe for all competitors, I am looking for volunteers to man these. All helpers get half price entry and can have early or late starts to suit need. Please help to make our premier event safe, by contacting Roger Mann [email] with offers of help.

British Championships - Culbin 20th-21st April

A small group of BOK enthusiasts made the long journey north to this year's Brtish Championships at Culbin on the Moray coast. There were some excellent results on both the Individual and Relay days, with 2 top-three places on each occasion. Jackie Hallett just missed out on adding the British W50 title to her JK and Middle Distance wins, finishing in what must have been a disappointing 2nd place having been 5 minutes ahead of the field until an 8 minute error at the 3rd to last control. But to clinch 2nd place under such circumstances is itself impressive. Clive Hallett finished 3rd on M45L, with Mark Saunders close behind in 8th place, while Alice Bedwell achieved 4th on W45L. Our new 'youngsters' represented BOK well in the M21E class, with Mark Bown and Tim Britton finishing within seconds of each other in 29th and 30th places. The juniors faced equally tough competition, with David and Ben Maliphant 14th and 15th respectively on M16A and M14A; Michael Hallett was 12th on M12A. In the Relays, we only had 4 teams competing, but the M40 Stingrays team of Clive Hallett, Mark Saunders and Ifor Powell secured 2nd place. The BOK Sharks team of Jackie Hallett, Alice Bedwell and Jo Foster, while not managing to retain their W40 title from last year, still achieved a podium place finishing 3rd. (Unfortunately they didn't actually make the podium as they had to leave to catch their flight home).

Mike Nelson - A Brief Resume

Following Chairman Phil Fawkner-Corbett's announcement earlier this year that the Klub's annual showpiece orienteering event will forthwith be known as the Mike Nelson BOK TROT, we are pleased to announce the availability of a brief resume of Mike's contributions to BOK and Orienteering in general. Many thanks to Mark Blackstone for producing the article in time for this year's event, which takes place on Sunday 11th May at Brierley in the Forest of Dean. Thanks also to all who sent Mark information and anecdotes about Mike, whether recently or for the special edition of BOK News that appeared last year.

Sarum Galoppen - Grovely Woods 13th April

A brief sunny interlude in this part of the country gave us favourable conditions for a change. The courses favoured the runners with many path options, but nonetheless it was a pleasant area and an enjoyable event. Kathini and George Logut took 1st place on White and Yellow respectively and Michael Hallett finished 2nd on Orange. Ben and Jack Kelsey excelled themselves on Green and Light Green, finishing 1st and 5th respectively, while Andy Creber fought off the challenge of David and Pete Maliphant to win the Blue.

British Elite Middle Distance & Sprint Championships - 5th-6th April

Yet more snow! While some members took advantage of the BOK & Avon Schools league event on the Mendips, others ventured further afield to the British Elite Middle Distance & Sprint Championships. Whatever the choice, snow was back only 2 weeks after the JK.

In the Middle Distance races at Hopwas Woods, Tamworth on Saturday, Jackie Hallett earned herself yet another W50 win while Clive Hallett finished a very respectable 10th in M21, with Tim Britton 14th. Michael Hallett was 4th in M12, Isla Simmons 6th in W16 and Charles Daniel 8th in M50.

On the Sunday at Warwick University for the Sprint races, Alice Bedwell finished 13th in the Women's B final, closely followed by Jackie Hallett in 17th and Isla Simmons in a very creditable 26th place. On the Men's courses, Mark Bown and Mark Saunders were placed 31st and 41st respectively in the B final and Charles Daniel was 8th in the C final.

JK Roundup

Apologies for a rather belated roundup of notable BOK performances at this year's JK, memorable for both its wintry weather and some excellent BOK results. A full report will appear in the next BOK News, but meanwhile the following are worthy of special mention...

Individual days (overall):
Clive Hallett, 1st M45L; Jackie Hallett, 1st W50L; Anne Donnell, 1st W75
Dave Parkin, 3rd M75L; Jo Foster, 4th W50L; Mark Bown, 6th M21L
Jane Stagg, 6th W35L; Alice Bedwell, 7th W45L; Alison Simmons, 7th W50L
Tony Noott, 7th M70L; Mark Saunders, 8th M45L; David Palmer, 9th M60L
Isla Simmons, 10th W16A

Sprint:
Jackie Hallett, 1st W50; Mark Saunders, 2nd M45; Ifor Powell, 9th M40

Relay:
Men's Short, 4th (BOK Falcons - Mark Bown, Keith Agmen, Ifor Powell)

Annual Klub Dinner and Awards

Sally Thomas writes:
The clock is ticking! Don't forget to reserve your place at the Klub Dinner on Friday 16th May. You'll find details and menu choices (+ enclosed booking form) in the March edition of BOK News. We have a Registered Osteopath, Alex Prince, from MOTI running shop in Bristol as our guest speaker this year. Come and hear some professional advice on all those injuries we orienteers spend hours discussing!

Walcombe - Officials' Comments

Comments from the organiser, controller and planner are now available.

SARUM Galoppen (13th April) - Grid Reference Correction

Sarum Orienteering Club have asked us to point out that the grid reference for their Galoppen event on Sunday 13th April is shown incorrectly in SINS and the BOF Fixture List (prior to correction on 9th April). The correct grid reference of the car parking location is SU005344.

Walcombe - RouteGadget

The map and courses of the Walcombe event have been uploaded to RouteGadget. You can trace your route and compare it with the other competitors.

Walcombe - Splits

Splitsbrowser and WinSplits are now available. RouteGadget to follow.

Walcombe - Provisional Results

Provisional results are now available. Splitsbrowser and WinSplits to follow.

March Committee Meeting Minutes

A summary of the minutes of the committee meeting held on 13th March 2008 is now available.

Facebook Group

David Maliphant writes:
A small number of the Klub's juniors have decided to make a Facebook Group for all BOK members, past and present. You are all invited to join, and although it will be 'maintained' by the Juniors, members of all ages are welcome! As well as being a way to stay in touch with orienteering companions between events, it could be used for posting photos (the best of which will probably end up on the BOK website) and having discussions... or anything else, really!

Grade 3 Controller's Course - 5th July 2008

A SWOA sponsored course for those wishing to become Grade 3 controllers will be held on Saturday 5th July 2008. It will take place at Priddy village hall on the Mendips, with the practical exercise at Stock Hill Forest nearby. [more details]

Items Left at the JK

Items left in the BOK tent on relay day:

• 1 pair of red gaiters
• 1 pair of grey socks
• 1 Wilf's mug - blue

If anyone would like to claim ownership of these items, please contact Jenny or Mark Selley [email].

JOK Chasing Sprint & Harvester Relay 17th-18th May

This year’s JOK Chasing Sprint and Harvester relay events will be held in the Chilterns area on the weekend of 17th-18th May. The JOK Chasing Sprint will be held on the Saturday afternoon in the runnable deciduous woodland of Bloom Wood. This event comprises two short races, with results from the first detemining start times for the chase. The Harvester relay, to be held in typical mixed woodland around Bradenham (just a few miles from the JOK event), is a multi-leg night/day event, commencing late on the Saturday evening and continuing into the early part of Sunday morning. There is a 7-leg A course and a 5-leg B course, with various classes available including a handicap. For the Harvester, please let your club captains (Chris & Helen Kelsey) know if you’d like to enter so that they can co-ordinate the team entries - the closing date is 3rd May. Further details should be available shortly on the TVOC website.

Silk Wood - Comments etc.

Officials' comments, string course results and photos are now available.

JK Relays - Teams

The BOK teams for the Jan Kjellstrom (JK) 2008 relay event on Monday 24th March at Eridge Old Park, Tunbridge Wells, have been announced by Klub Captains Chris & Helen Kelsey.

Silk Wood - RouteGadget

The map and courses of the Silk Wood event have been uploaded to RouteGadget. You can trace your route and compare it with the other competitors. There is some help and a test event if you'd like to practice before drawing today's route.

Silk Wood - Provisional Results

Provisional results (including Splitsbrowser and WinSplits) are now available. RouteGadget and photos to follow.

British Night Championships 2008 - Final Results

The organiser has declared the results "final".

Tyntesfield - Final Results

Colour standard times have been added and the results declared final. Details of the SWOA Colour-coded Award Scheme may be found here on the SWOA website.

Registration next Sunday 16 March

To save time at next Sunday's orienteering event at Silk Wood, Westonbirt, don't forget to complete a BOK Competitor Registration Form, available here or under The Klub on http://www.bristolorienteering.org.uk/ and take it with you.

Cotswold Way Relay - Saturday 28th June

Ashley Cooper writes:
The Cotswold Way Relay runs from Chipping Campden through to Bath Abbey using the waymarked route of the Cotswold Way. The race comprises 10 back-to-back races starting each stage with a mass start at the expected arrival time of the 1st runner from the previous stage. The route is over 90% off-road, taking in many hills, woodlands, fields and tracks, all offering spectacular views of the countryside around. The stages vary in ascent and length, to offer a differing flavour for each runner in the team. There are no marshalls on the route, so route finding is all part of the spirit of the event. BOK usually enters 1 or 2 teams (more would be welcome) and this year the race date is Saturday 28th June. The final details for 2008 haven't been announced yet, but to get an idea of the event, take a look at http://www.cotswoldwayrelay.co.uk/. If you would like to take part, put the date in your diary and let Ashley Cooper know by email, stating any preference for running a particular stage.

Press Coverage - Primary Times

Primary Times, a magazine distributed free in primary, junior, infant and middle schools throughout the former Avon county area, recently featured an article about Avon Schools Orienteering. You can read the article here (PDF, 598kb), or via a link on our publicity page.