SPRINT Novelty EVENT

Planner

Jeni Pelvin (ONZ A Level Controller)

Controller

Jim Cotter

Map

Matarae.  First mapped in 1983/4 by the Swedish mappers who came to map Naseby for APOC84.  Matarae was first used for the Milo 7 Day in 1986. 

1:7,500  Fences and powerlines are removed from the map to increase technical difficulty.  Map sample above.  Grey = bare rock.  Equilateral black triangles = rock pillars.  Angled black triangles = rock clusters. Various sized black dots = boulders ranging from 1m high. 

TERRAIN

• Fast, open rocky gully/spur terrain with goldmining features and historic ruins. 

• Short grass paddocks, with some spear grass on the rocky outcrops and matagouri and briar rose in the gullies. No thistles in the paddocks this year, but plenty of hook grass that leave very tricky seeds all over your socks and shoes.  Wear your oldest socks and offload the seeds prior to getting into your vehicle.

TIMING

• Breifing at 10.20am, 200m away from the parking area, near the Start location.  You will be handed your map there.  Mass start at 10.30am.  Punch start.

EVENT STYLE

• 2 courses, both Red/Orange, one longer, one shorter.  This level of difficulty is due to the complex nature of the course style. 

• Course 1, 3 loops, is about 4km with about 125m climb. 25 controls. 

• Course 2, 2 loops, is about 2.6km with about 70m climb.  18 controls

• The event is a one man relay.  Each entrant, with a registered SI stick, can do all 3 loops for Course 1, or hand over their stick at the pivot control between loops, and a 2nd person can do loop 2.  A 3rd person can do loop 3, or the 1st person can do it after their "rest". Choose any combination you wish, but only using the 1 SI stick, handing over like a relay baton between your "team members". 

• If you are doing this as a multi person relay, when you go to download - or preferably well before the breifing at 10.20am, ensure your competitor details reflect who did the course, eg:  change the main entrant name of John, to John, Jean and Sam or whatever. 

Competitors’ information

• There will be no loose control descriptions as every competitor’s course will be different.  

• If you are travelling with young or novice people who normally do White or Yellow courses, please plan to do your course first, in the mass start, then use the opportunity to go out with them on the loop you think would suit them best, and shadow or coach them on it.  We will print a small number of maps with the fences and power lines showing, for this purpose.  They can still use SI for it, and have their time recorded, but it will show as NC on the results. You would pick whether they do 2 loops (course 2) or all 3 loops (course 1). 

Directions

Drive 5km along Pukerangi Rd from the SH87 junction.  Park as directed. 

Driving the 5km to the Event Centre, you will cross the Sutton Stream rail/road bridge.  Take care driving over this multipurpose bridge.

Parking - if the farmer requires due to fire risk of exhaust sparks on grass, we may have to park on Pukerangi Rd.  This will involve driving 5.5km down Pukerangi Rd from the junction with SH87, doing a 3 point turn in a driveway, then returning back along the road to park safely along it’s left hand verge.  It can be a busy road with tourist traffic driving to Pukerangi Train station, so please ensure you open the right hand car doors carefully, and try and operate out of your left hand doors only, onto the grassy verge.