Scottish Championships 2011
Planners comments
I’ve never planned a relay before, so when the chance came up I was pleased to offer. SOC was to be handy for Edinburgh, should be easy enough. Then the saga began of Bowhill, of Bowanhill, of Craig a’ Barns, of Dunruchan and when the individual music stopped at Auchingarrich, the relay music began of Twenty Shilling Wood, of Auchingarrich, of Drummond, of Knock of Crieff, of Dechmont Law, of Kinnoull. A short interlude to sort out the Scottish Nights, and when I woke up we were back at Drummond Castle. On April 11th a draft map arrived and we were off.
The first visit was a revelation. I’d never seen a real forest in Scotland so nice, an oakwood with a low carpet of grass and the odd rock, fully deserving its European SSSI status. The bizarre rocky sills and thicker plantation in Torlum gave variety, and the beautiful assembly area to set it off. What could go wrong?
I drafted the courses, test ran the B in 38 (honest!), Eddie checked it all. Everything seemed under control, when I went off for two weeks to the US. During which time a hard disk crash put everything on hold, notably sending SNH the courses. When I finally got he computer sorted, they became exercised about the seasonal marshes on the map, demanding they be taped off and the courses adjusted to avoid them. Just go the extra mile with tape then. Two weeks to go, and a posse from EUOC went to run the courses, returning with talk of sub-6min kms. What could go wrong?
Monday: In the words of the shipping forecast Storm force 11. Exceptional.
Tuesday: Major Storm Damage through Perthshire. Drummond Castle uncontactable
Wednesday: Significant damage reported throughout the estate. Delay map printing.
Thursday: Controller Davie reports windblow renders large areas impenetrable. All controls still accessible. Map redone.
Friday: “The estate will decide on use of the assembly area at 8am on Sunday morning”
So it was late on the Friday morning that I collected the maps and headed out to hang the flags. A month since my last visit, it was unrecognisable: grass and bracken had shot up, fallen timber made running straight impossible and even the bushes were increased in tangly bushitude. It was going to be long, and too late now to do anything. So T-bars out, unseasonal unmarsh taped, then home in time for tea and an evening sticky-labelling the maps. Crash, ZZZ, beepity beep. And a morning sticky-labelling before heading out for a relaxing jog round Auchingarrich. Then back to Drummond to put out the SI units.
So the planning? The first leg, a long diagonal to controls strewn across the slope was intended to punish any excessive exuberance off the start. The A and B went off on a loop while C and D headed along the sill for some gaffled control picking, the slower ones being recaught by the As and Bs. An inevitable dozen-contour slog up Torlum, and then some widely spread gaffling in low visibility plantation to break up packs, Finally across the road for more control picking and a final loop in the field for the last leg courses A, C and LG.. Looking at the splits, lots of errors, it certainly seems to have been challenging enough.
Curiously, even though I know second hand many of you found it tough, everyone who spoke to me afterwards said how much they enjoyed their courses. It just goes to show what selective feedback you get!.
So if you thought your course was too tough, it’s not because I’m obsessed with long courses, or because I’m time-locked in the mentality of the mid nineties (both of which may be true, but they’re not the reason). It was just one of those exceptional things.
Graeme Ackland
Trophies
| Class | Trophy | 2011 Winner |
| M10 | Wooden and Silver Shield | Alistair Chapman (MAROC) |
| M12 | Silver Cup | Rowan White (INVOC) |
| M14 | Wooden Trophy (Eagle) M13/14 | Alexander Chepelin (GRAMP) |
| M16 | Wooden Shield | Chris Galloway (INT) |
| M18 | Pewter Tankard (Int Men) | Andrew Lindsay (ESOC) |
| M20 | Shield (Junior Cup) Milk MB | Tim Gomersall (GRAMP) |
| M21E | Silver Cup | Oleg Chepelin (INT) |
| M21E | Gwen Mayor Trophy – 1st Scot Club | Oleg Chepelin (INT) |
| M21E Nat | Silver Cup Native Scot | Ewan McCarthy (AROS), 2nd |
| M21L | Wooden Plaque (new 2002) | Adam Hunter (FVO), 3rd |
| M35 | Silver Cup | Graeme Ackland (INT) |
| M40 | Silver Cup (Wm Younger M43) | Ben Hartman (INT) |
| M45 | Wooden Goblet (GRAMP) | Jon Musgrave (MAROC), 2nd |
| M50 | Silver Cup | Martin Dean (FVO), 2nd |
| M55 | Silver/Wood Plaque | Rob Hickling (GRAMP) |
| M60 | Octagonal Wooden | Dave Armitage (GRAMP) |
| M65 | Octagonal Wooden | Dave Coustick (FVO), 2nd |
| M70 | Mounted Small Silvery Plaque | Bill Gauld (ESOC) |
| M75 | The LOCHOC Boulder (new 2005) | Jim Clark (ESOC), 2nd |
| Class | Trophy | 2011 Winner |
| W10 | Silver Cup | Lizzie Stansfield (FVO) |
| W12 | Antlers | Grace Molloy (FVO) |
| W14 | Wooden mounted | Jennifer Ricketts (MAROC) |
| W16 | Picture | Rona McMillan (MAROC) |
| W18 | Wooden Shield | Rona Lindsay (ESOC) |
| W20 | Silver Cup (W19 Trophy) | Jo Shepherd (EUOC) |
| W21E | Carol Mcneill Stag Trophy | Helen Gardner (SLOW) |
| W21E | Gwen Mayor Trophy 1st Scot Club | Janine Inman (FVO), 2nd |
| W21E Nat | Shield Native Scot | Sarah Dunn (MAROC), 3rd |
| W21L | Quaich | Not awarded (no Scottish finishers) |
| W35 | Silver Cup (Wm Younger) | Mary Ross (INT) |
| W40 | Silver Cup (Wm Younger) | Heather Hartman (INT) |
| W45 | Wooden Goblet (GRAMP) | Hazel Dean (FVO) |
| W50 | Silver Cup | Christine Patterson (CLYDE) |
| W55 | Octagonal Wooden | Gill Berrow (ECKO) |
| W60 | Octagonal Wooden | Sheila Strain (ELO), 2nd |
| W65 | Silver Cup | Eleanor Pyrah (ESOC), 3rd |
| W70 | Quaich | Norma Coutts (ESOC) |
| W75 | No Trophy | Not awarded (no Scottish finishers) |
| Relay Classes | Trophy | 2011 Winners |
| Open | Rose Bowl | NOC Men in Tights (James Taylor, Andy Llewellyn, Richard Robinson) |
| W Open | Silver Cup | Wee Bonnie Lassies (EUOC, Alice Leake, Sarah Tullie, Kirsten Maxwell) |
| BOF 40- | Quaich (2004, INVOC) | INVOC Eagles (Finlay Todd, Rowan White, Callum White) |
| BOF 48- | Quaich (2004, CUNOC) | GRAMP 8 (Calum McLeod, Alexander Chepelin, Jack Gomersall) |
| Handicap | Handicap Quaich (2005, East Area) | FVO Facetious, Handicap 6+ |
| Handicap 6+ | No Trophy | FVO Facetious (Ben Stansfield, Jason Inman, Martin Dean) |
| Handicap 9+ | No Trophy | StripeyESOCs (Walter Clark, Les Dalgleish, Martin Caldwell) |
| Handicap 12+ | No Trophy | The BASOC Boys (Andrew Hyslop, Callum Scott, Alex Campbell) |
| Handicap 15+ | No Trophy | RR Wisp (John Tullie, Lindsay Knox, Robin Sloan) |
| Handicap 18+ | No Trophy | MDOCtor Who (Chris Rostron, Dave Mawdsley, John Britton) |
Individual Championships, Saturday 28th May 2011
Planners: Mike Stewart (ESOC), Grant Carstairs (TAY)
Controllers: Brian Porteous (FVO), Alastair Lessells (ESOC)
Day Organiser: Ian Doig (KFO)
Relay Championships, Sunday 29th May 2011
UK Relay League 2011
This event is part of the UK Relay League, there is a new UK Relay League website with more info about the other events in 2011.
Planner: Graeme Ackland (INT)
Controllers: Eddie Harwood (MOR), Davie Frame (TAY)
Day Organiser: Roger Scrutton (ESOC)
Contacts
Information enquiries: Robert and Fiona Findlay (ESOC)
Entry enquiries: Simon Firth (ESOC)