2006 Archive

The first race in the Ultimax Sydney Sprints was held in the north Sydney suburb of Riverview yesterday. An excellent course was put on by birthday girl and Australian international Tracy Bluett weaving through the harbour-side park. Excellent use was made of the intricate track networks and creek system that caught many of the more experienced off-guard.

Forty six people enjoyed the event on a night perfect for a twilight series. The course was great, and the organisation went without a hitch.

Ben Rattray showed real class beating all-comers by over a minute. Ian Meyer narrowly defeated Andy Hill, both of the Ultimax Stingers. All three were in China in November competing in the Park World Tour displaying the advantages of international experience in this race format.

Just like in tennis, the Swiss showed class as Linda Sesta won the women’s event narrowly ahead of Phoebe Dent (Ultimax Stingers). Local Lane Covean Cathy McComb showed experience taking third.

Full results can be found at http://sydneysprints.blogspot.com/

The next round of the Ultimax Sydney Sprints move on to Hunters Hill on Monday 30th January.

Doug Goodwin, long-standing member of Tasmania’s Australopers club and its club treasurer for many years, died recently as the result of a cycling accident. Doug truly personified the orienteering ideal of a “sport for life”, and was a regular at local events after taking up the sport in 1978 with wife Hilary and children Sarah and Paul. Doug also introduced orienteering to many children at the Princes Street primary school in Hobart, where he helped with the reading programme. Doug was generally the first competitor at events in Tasmania, and he gave organisers a great incentive to have everything set up before he arrived. Although I don’t think I ever succeeded in being fully prepared before Doug arrived, he always generously helped with last-minute preparations. In 2005, Doug won the M80 class at the Australian long course championships at St Helens, an achievement that gave him great satisfaction. Doug was once asked if he would like to try lawn bowls – his (less than tactful) response was “No, not while I’m still active”. He never got to take up bowls.

For those not familiar with Splitsbrowser, it is
an open, web-based system for the display and analysis of orienteering split times.

Check out the Christmas 5-days results (thanks to Mathieu McGuire, Queensland) on the splitsbrowser website (they are listed under “Recent Results”).

I would like to thank Orienteering Australia (mountain biking in particular) for the opportunity to enter and subsequently win, a new mountain bike. I had forgotten that I had even entered and to actually win the bike and a Miry board was just amazing. I think the only other thing I have ever won before is a pair of socks in a mountain running event. My seven year old (battered and bruised) bike is in dire need of replacing.

Many thanks to Melbourne Bicycle Centre (Warren Key) and Orienteering Service of Australia (Tom Andrews) for the prizes.
Anitra Dowling