Award for Neil Dobbs

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Neil Dobbs (HVO)

For the past 18 months, Neil Dobbs has been a key member of HVO’s somewhat-stretched volunteer corps. Neil’s work visa will expire shortly, and he must return to his native Ireland. However, during a relatively short period, Neil has accomplished much -- all on a completely voluntary basis.

He was Course Setter for the 2011 Team Trials -- Neil was much more than the course setter for the Sprint, Middle and Long Distance races, by which the Team representing the USA at the World Orienteering Championships was selected. When the proposed Sprint venue backed out, Neil was instrumental in not only finding a replacement in Purchase College of the State University of New York (SUNY), but in negotiating its use and overseeing the fast-track production of a new ISSOM-standard map. Besides the Team Trials courses – Red and Blue, which were OUSA-sanctioned races – Neil also designed a complete set of spectator/recreational courses (White through Green) for each day.
He has organized courses designed to involve new people with the sport, and was the “savior” of the 2012 Northeast Junior Training Camp when the planned housing suddenly was not available. Many, many other things were instituted by Neil and he was exceedingly valuable to the club while he was here in the U.S.

Tramore results

The 3rd Southeast league event took place on Sunday 23rd in Tramore as part of the Surf and Sea festival. Thanks to Andrew and Liisa for organising the event and to Nigel and Robert for help with download. Cleaning up the contours was worth the effort.




The first of the schools training events took place at Woodstock on 17th September. Thanks to Hugh, Laura and Kim for their help on the day. Results and pictures are posted on the IOSG blog.

More training pix from Kilbarry

Greenane results

Thank you to Laura Cox for her work on computer upload and download. Full results from the SE league 2 are posted here. For those on the red course: following linear features = handrailing Even if it were pitch dark, you would be able to easily negotiate a winding staircase if you just put your hand on the handrail and followed where it led. Handrails in orienteering are features that are you can follow just as easily. Trails and roads are the most obvious, but you can follow fences, streams, ditches, the edges of fields, and other long, narrow features just as easily. Following a “handrail” takes much less concentration than following a compass bearing. In the case of Greenane, the planner sought to use the edge of the forest as the handrail on the red course.

SE league 2

The next event will take place at Greenane (Colligan wood) near Dungarvan on Sunday 9th September. Start times from 11 until 1.
Blue course 6.7 km, 190 m climb, 19 controls
Green course 5.3 km, 180m climb, 20 controls
Light green 4.1 km, 140m climb, 18 controls
Red course 3.2 km, 120m climb, 19 controls
Yellow course 1.7 km, 70m climb, 6 controls
Some comments I came across in the St Kierans College yearbook:
On our geography trip we went to Inistioge to a place called Woodstock House and Gardens. In my opinion it was one of the best days of First Year. We went to Woodstock to go orienteering, we had to follow a map and locate sixteen flags. We were all divided into different groups and had to compete against each other as well as all the other schools. There were schools there from all over Leinster and Munster. It was a great way of revising our map work because you had to read the map properly to find the flags