Course Setter :

Course Vetter :

Coordinator :

Map Storage : Annette Wilson/Mark Roberts 636 4539/521 9535

Equipment Officer : John Powell 624 1513

Controls & Flags: Mark Roberts 521 9535

Events Officer : Mervyn Paitry 625 9709

AOA technical officer: Mark Roberts 521 9535

AOA CHH forest liaison Rob Ambler (09) 424 7010
 
 

Setter’s Responsibilities

• plan courses and select start/finish and registration areas.
• place and collect controls.

• evaluate the courses, control sites, start/finish and registration areas proposed by the setter. Evaluative criteria are appropriate technical and physical difficulty, safety, suitability and practicality
• negotiate changes to setters proposal
• check control descriptions, master maps, map corrections, and notices.
• help setter to place and collect controls.
• appoint a 3 member jury for a protest from appropriate available people and sit as a non-voting member on the jury.
• supervise the general organisation of the event and ensure rules are kept.
• check clip cards.
• publish results including course lengths, climb, coming events, and club secretary’s telephone number. Include, if desired, a report on the event and acknowledgments.

Setter to action, vetter to check progress.

• become familiar with NZOF rules for setting courses. The club will lend you a copy if required.
• ensure AOA magazine Editor has details of the event
• obtain maps from map storage. Check with events officer for an estimate on number of maps required.
• plan courses at least 2 months prior to event. Consult previous courses on the map for a guide to course lengths and climb ( events officer will have these ). See course specification ( AOA rules for OYs or NZOF rules for A level events ) or consult AOA Technical Officer. Check with events officer if event is a secondary schools competition event. Check with club chairperson about provision of a string course for young children. Visit control sites and record control circle on map, control code and control description. Place controls and flags. Setter and vetter should do this together. Mark sites where necessary.
• check with event coordinator the permission for use of map area is obtained for all visits to the area. Check with AOA forest liaison officer that forest on map is not to be felled prior to event.
• plan the area for start and finish and registration. The walk to the start should avoid areas where other runners can be seen. Finish may be visible from car parking and registration area to allow spectators to see runners. From the last control to the finish should be a clear run - no fences, remove large trimmings, use tape.
• If using tape to finish it should be unambiguous - if other courses tape to last control ( course 8 may do this if there are no handrails ) then stop tape to last control short of last control.
• plan car park area. This may require additional permission from landowners - a farm paddock, or Inland road used during a week day.
• plan drinks stations around the course. NZOF rules state that water should be provided every 30 mins. around a course (based on winner’s speed). Auckland Club has a policy of providing disposable paper cups at drinks stations.

• obtain required number of control standards and flags from equipment officer
• finalise the courses
• prepare and copy control descriptions ( the club computer has this capability)
• decide whether to use preprinted maps or master maps. The club has a computer and plotter to print courses on to maps. Photocopying masters may be an alternative. Previous event entries give a guide to number of preprinted maps. Preprinted not used for handicap series events. If using master maps for OYs then 2 copies for course 1, 3 copies for courses 2 to 5, 2 copies for courses 6 to 8. For handicap series 3 for courses 1 to 5, and 2 for courses 6 and 7. Copy map corrections on to master maps. Make 3 copies of map corrections if there are lots. Mark master maps with a large clear course number so that runners can easily identify their own master maps. Ensure that purple marker pens work.
• prepare 3 copies of master map layout with every control marked on it

• place controls on sites.
• the Club has a computer and plotter to print courses for pre-entry events.
• print an information sheet to be handed out or posted on a notice board. Auckland club has a policy of offering a recreational grade at all events. Ensure that information is available to participants. They write "R" or "recreational" on their clip card and results will not be displayed.
• write down any instructions to be read out by the starter.
• recruit helpers to collect controls after the event, if wanted
• check that coordinator is on track with event organisation.

· place drinks and cups. Allow 100ml water per person going through the site.

· be available to help with all aspects of the event

· layout master maps on boards. Place large numbers on each map to identify the course

· organise punch cards for checking finishers clip cards (may use first 3 similar cards)

After the Event

· collect controls with helpers

· claim expenses from club treasurer

· vetter to publish results

• setters are encouraged to discuss their courses with AOA technical officer
• if an OY, send copy of results with course lengths and grades to OY statistician, Keith Stone, 14a Melandra Rd, Whangaparaoa, (09) 424-2640, pebble@clear.net.nz
• give a copy of the master maps to events officer for master map file.

The OY (Orienteer of the Year) is a regional competition series with awards made in all grades at the end of the season. The winter/autumn/spring series is a handicap regional competition with competitors handicapped using OY results.

OY Grade combinations for 2000
 

Course		Grades	Ave length	% length/climb	Est win time
1	red	M21E	8.5	100	65
2	red	M21A, M40A W21E	6.5	76	55
3	red	M18A, M21AS, M50A W21A	5.3	62	45
4	red	M40AS, M60A W18A, W21AS	4.3	51	45
5	red	M70A W40AS, W50A, W60A	3.5	41	45
6	orange	M16A, M21B W16A, W21B	3.5	41	40
7	yellow	M14A, M21C W14A, W21C	2.5	29	35
8	white	M12A, W12A	2.0	24	25

Use results from past events on the map to find a benchmark length/climb for a course. Alternatively, run a draft course and use your time as the benchmark to derive the appropriate length and climb for that course. Then use the % column to derive the others.
 
 

Handicap Series
 

Course		Ave length	%length/climb	Est win time
1	red	7.2	100	55
2	red	5.4	75	45
3	red	3.6	50	45
4	orange	3.6	50	40
5	yellow	2.5	35	35
6	white	2.0	28	25

White (very easy); for young children and novice juniors.

• The course must follow obvious drawn linear features (tracks, fences etc.) Controls on handrails and a control site at every turning point. All control flags must be visible from the direction of approach. Where the course has to deviate from a handrail feature, the route must be marked all of the way to the next handrail feature. Compass use is optional and limited to map orientation. No route choice is offered. Doglegs permitted. English control descriptions should be used.
• no route choice, no terrain (contour) features.

• Controls must be on or within 50m of drawn linear man-made or water features, but preferably not at turning points. Limited route choice between handrails or running cross-country will be offered.
• Short distances may be permitted along linear features that are not drawn, such as spurs or re-entrants. Obvious catching features are essential in this case. Controls should be visible from any reasonable approach route.
• Limited compass use may be for rough direction only; doglegs permitted.
• No reliance on understanding of contours.

• Courses should have some route choice with obvious attack points near to controls and/or catching features less than 100m behind the control. Away from handrails.
• Control sites may be smaller point features, and control flags need not necessarily be visible from the attack point. No doglegs are permitted, so the exit route must not be the same as any reasonable entry route.
• Simple navigation by contours and rough compass with limited distance estimation may be required. Typically, an Orange leg would use a chain of prominent features as stepping stones to complete a leg.

Red (hard); for experienced senior orienteers.

• Navigation should be as difficult as possible with small contour and point features as preferred control sites. There should be no obvious nearby attack points or handrails, and no catching feature in front of the control.
• Route choice should be important on most legs; doglegs not permitted.
• It may be impossible to set red courses on some maps.