Author: Alan Gartside

The NISeries event at Drumkeeragh next week is the first colour event of the year and thus kicks off the hCOW calculations. Last year’s finishing handicaps are brought forward so that your performance can be used to adjust your handicap rather than set it. The initial handicaps can be seen in the hCOW2024 folder (on the home page at “STANDINGS” click on “hCow” then “hCOW2024”). The names highlighted are presently lapsed members so although their performances, should they take part, won’t contribute to the scores they will be held for retrospective application should a membership renewal turn up later. Don’t Read More …

The Colour Standards table has been reset for 2024. It shows a number of things: first of all it’s a membership list – if your name’s in green then you’re a new member and most welcome; let’s see your name progressing up the results lists as the year goes on. If your name is clear then you’ve rejoined for 2024 – well done; if you’re in the pink then you haven’t so get on with it – you don’t want to have to start paying non-members entry fees! If you’re yellow it means that you forgot to rejoin in 2023 Read More …

With Whitespots being the final colour event of the year it’s time to do the final calculations. The NISeries tables have gone to NIOA for publication but a copy can be found on the club website’s public resources. Congratualtions to class winners Áine McCann, Olivia Baxter, James Ewart, Ann Savage, Cecil Armstrong and Aran Power for topping their class; Paul Graham led Light Green but didn’t have the requisite 4 results to be considered as a winner. The Colour Standards table has been updated and sets your 2023 colour standard achievement. That has been carried into the Colour History table, Read More …

The NISeries tables are published on the NIOA website; you can find a copy on the club site by clicking on “Resources”, “OneDrive Public”, “NISeries”, “NISeries2023.pdf”. A number of classes are already decided (it’s 4 results to count from 7); the brown women class is going down to the wire with Áine McCann and Moiré O’Sullivan sharing wins (thought for the day – does having an accented vowel in your name improve your orienteering? I think I’ll register as Álán to see if I can improve on my dismal return to colour-level events). The colour standards table can be found Read More …

The hCOW calculations have now been completed. You can find the tables by going to “STANDINGS” on the website, then click on “hCow” and select “hCOW2023”. As predicted the event results see a large proportion of the Light Green competitors clustered at the top of the event result (Event10Gosford.pdf) with Philip Baxter putting in a mammoth 7mins54secs/km beating of his handicap. It was certainly a fast event amongst the year’s programme with only 8 out of 44 competitors not beating theit handicap on the day. Bring on the Cavan Burren for a bit of a reality check! The hCOW table Read More …

The Autumn Trophy and Colour Standards tables have been updated with the Gosford results; go to the “STANDINGS” heading on the website and click on the “Autumn Trophy” or “Colour Standards” links. Congratulations to the AT winners; while there may be folk with lower scores in somes classes they won’t have the asterisk against their entry signifying that they didn’t score in each event. Note that event officials received notional points equal to their points in the other event – getting involved in event organisation reaps league benefits AND it’s one of the best ways of improving your technical skills. Read More …

As with the Autumn Trophy calculations, the hCOW calculations for Gosford will use the Light Green results as the second course. Provide the fitness is there, the reduced technical difficulty should lead to improved handicaps and therefore better Regatta Table standings but don’t despair, the following week at the Burren should provide the perfect antidote!

The various tables have been updated with the Portstewart and Cairn Wood results. With just 3 colour events left in the year (the Autumn Trophy 3 event has been changed to a training event) it’s time to look at what is needed to achieve 2023 goals. There’s the NISeries (4 to count, 2 events left), your colour standard (3 to count in 12 months, 3 events left), the Autumn Trophy (2 to count, 1 event left) and the hCOW and Regatta tables (7 to count, 3 events left). You can get to all of the tables via “Resources>OneDrive Public” or Read More …

The final tables are now available – go to the “STANDINGS” section of the website and click on “hCalf 2023”. No apologies for the delay; two weeks in West Cork beats an evening’s wrestling with a 129-column spreadshheet every time! Congratulations to Chris Colwell for topping the hCOW table (regularity). It was a close finish – if it had been best of 5 instead of 4 to count Olivia Baxter would have taken the metronomic crown. A look at the handicap table shows how Antrim favoured the higher handicappers while Barnett’s the lower – demonstration of how difficult it is Read More …

The results for Lady Dixon are in, showing a welcome increase in turnout, including 11 recording their frst WEE result of the year. The result table “WEE6LadyDixon.pdf” show a very even spread, giving confidence in the formulae and assumptions being made. The regularity table “hCOW Table.pdf” shows, as suggested last week, that Olivia Baxter, once reaching 4 results, would go to the top of the list. Look farther down the list at those who have 3 results so far and its clear that things could get very close when they reach the 4 results required to count.. The improvement table Read More …