The photo above (left to right):  Ella May Rush, Tereza Rush, Martin Ward, John Embrey, Liz Godfree, Guy Goodair, Judith Goodair.

The 2018 UKUL is well underway. Birmingham University was race 11 out of 20, and events come thick and fast in the summer months when the forests are thick and slow! http://www.oxfordfusion.com/ukul/ gives the latest scores. Not many people have yet completed a scoring set but several of last year’s champions are already riding high.

Birmingham University.  Photos Credit: Steve Rush (BOK)

The area offers a mixture of the managed country park, golf course and a steep wooded valley to test different skills under the pressure of head-to-head racing.   

The Event Centre is based in a modern hut with the luxury of indoor toilets and hot showers. The top clubs from recent years (FVO, NOC, BOK and SLOW) are all sending teams once again so competition is expected to be tight at the sharp end of the race.

The organising club's chairman Steve Blount, says:  "Southdowns Orienteers are looking forward to welcoming teams to this iconic event. I was part of a working party in the area last Tuesday preparing the camping site, and can testify how nice the forest is looking there."

Officials: 
Organiser – Ralph Phillips (Southdowns Orienteers)
Planner – Neil Crickmore (Southdowns Orienteers)  
Controller – Gordon Parker (South London Orienteers and Wayfarers).  
 

British Orienteering would like to thank all the officials and club volunteers from Southdowns Orienteers and South London Orienteers and Wayfarers for all their hard work and commitment over the last months. 

British Orienteering would also like to take this opportunity to wish members all the very best with their final preparations as they get set to navigate their way to Sussex to take part in the Relays.  Wishing you all a great orienteering experience!  

Final details are available here.

Saturday (9 June) saw the British Mixed Sprint Relays in Pegswood, which were hotly contested by competitive teams. The event used a relatively small area, a combination of woodland on a reclaimed colliery waste heap and several housing complexes, therefore testing at least two discipline techniques. With bigger numbers of participants, the Open class, in particular, could produce even more entertaining head-to-head racing.

The open class started first so everyone could watch that before the other classes started. The mass starts, handovers and spectator control made the day fun to watch.

On Sunday (10 June), amid the bustle of Morpeth Fair and its parade including pipers and vintage cars, 7 different courses took orienteers all around the houses. Route choices began right from the start kite, causing speculation among participants waiting to start on the busier courses. There was a timed out section which was in place to cover any competitors reaching the crossing point at the same time as the parade was passing and a gap needed to be found. This was staffed by volunteers from Morpeth Lions.

Young juniors orienteered in the centrally located Carlisle Park, which also held a 1km ‘Come and Try it’ event. The longest four courses had a double-sided map with a surprise: turn over and head straight into the longest leg, taking orienteers diagonally across the map. Courses were a little longer than many urban races have been of late, so competitors could take in some new areas of Morpeth. It is a market town with an ornamental park and school grounds all set in a river valley, surrounded by modern housing estates.

Officials: 

Saturday 9th June: British Mixed Sprint Relay: 
Weekend Coordinator: John Crosby (NATO), Planner: Adrian Barnes (NATO), Organiser: James Boyd (NATO), Controller: Alan Cranke (CLOK)

Sunday 10th June: Urban Races: 
Weekend Coordinator: John Crosby (NATO), Planner: Adrian Barnes (NATO), Controller: Chris Mackenzie (CLOK)
 

British Orienteering would like to take this opportunity to especially thank the Weekend Coordinator John Crosby and officials and also volunteers from clubs who worked hard in putting on this great weekend of orienteering in the North East of England.
 

Results are available on Fabian4 website here.

For more information please visit the Newcastle and Tyneside Orienteers website here.