Date                        :       Sunday, 9 April 2006

Venue                      :       Ngau Liu, Tai Lam Country Park

Type                        :       Three-leg Relay Event — Cross-country

Map                 :       Scale 1:7,500; colour orienteering map with 5 meters contour interval

                                        International pictorial control description is used 

Prizes                      :       The first three places in each class

Co-Organising Club      :       VOC

Event-In-Charge    :       Mr. Deo Ho

Course Setters               :       Mr. Chiu Kwok Chung & Mr Au Chi Keung

Event Controller    :       Mr Dominic Yue

Jury                 :       Mr. Sy Huan Kun (NDOC), Mr. Chan Kwok Wai, Aaron (HKOC),

                                                Mr. Leung Ngai Shun (YAOC)

Enquiry before the event:       25048112 (office hours)

Enquiry on the day of event:96871126

Schedule

Transportation

The organizer will not provide transportation for competitors. Please take public transport to and from the competition area; get off at the Tsuen Kam Au (country park stop) bus stop. It takes 15 minutes to walk from the bus stop to the event centre.

KMB Route No. 51, Fare: $7.6

Time Schedule

For details about bus information, please browse the KMB web site www.kmb.hk or call the KMB hotline at 2745 4466. Please note the bus frequency.

By taxi, estimated $60 for a single journey from the multi-storey car park at Tsuen Wan MTR station.

Event Centre

1.       The Event Centre is located at the TWISK Campsite (G.R.50QKK016807).

2.       It takes 15 minutes to walk from Tsuen Kam Au (country park stop) Bus Stop to the event centre. All competitors must follow the prescribed route, otherwise will be disqualified.

3.       Each team please send one representative to the Event Centre to get the “Letter of Consent for the Loan of E-card” (also attached with this event information, you can complete before the event). Please present the completed form to collect the number cloth, e-card and back-up label for the whole team. Please check if the material collected is correct.

4.       Competitors must write his/her competition number at the front of the back-up label. If the organizer has doubt on a particular punch record of an e-card, records of the backup label will be considered as a valid counter-check tool.

5.       Toilets are available at the Event Centre.

6.       Physiotherapy service will be provided at the Event Centre.

7.       Official time will be displayed at the Event Centre.

8.       The organizer will provide no area for the storage of personal belongings. The organizer holds no responsibility for any loss of personal property.

9.       The Start, Ready to Changeover, Changeover and Finish is situated at the Event Centre.

10.   Since Start, Finish and Changeover area is situated at the Event Centre, please pay attention for not blocking the way of competitors during competition.

11.   Please keep the Event Centre clean and bring away all rubbish.

12.   Pins are available at the Event Centre.

Competitors Attire   

1.       Please do not bring along valuables

2.       Please wear long-sleeves and light clothing; jeans are too thick.

3.       Non-slip sport shoes are more suitable.

4.       Only competitors equipped with a whistle, compass and number cloth are allowed to start.

5.       Please bring your own food and beverage.

Competition Area And Map Information

1.      Cattle tracks will not be shown on map.

2.      Competition area is mainly covered with runnable forest. Broken branches will be found on ground. Some parts of the area are covered by dense vegetation and steep and stony ground. Please be careful and avoid twisting your ankle.

3.      For safety sake, do not lie on the fallen trunks and dead plants for support. You are strongly advised to take full body protection against prickle and thorns by wearing long clothing and gaiters.

4.      The ESE side of the competition area is full of prickly vegetation. Please be careful.

5.      Some pits of 2m deep are found in the competition area. Please be careful.

6.      The area is very popular with hikers during holidays. Please be careful of not bumping into the hikers

7.      No water point will be provided in the area; please bring along your own if necessary.

8.      Please do not frighten the wandering cattle in the area.

9.      There is a restricted motorway on the NW side of the competition area. Beware of the traffic when running along the roadside.      

Start and Changeover procedures

ü     Before entering the Starting or Ready-to-Changeover Area, competitors must present a functioning compass and whistle, and the correct E-card and number cloth, lacking any of which competitors will not be allowed to enter the Starting or Preparation Area. Upon entering the Starting Area, competitors should place their E-cards on the start unit for at least 6 seconds to clear all previous data.

ü     Start -      The first leg of each group must arrive at the Start Area 10 minutes prior to the starting time. Officials will distribute the maps according to the numbers on competitors’ number cloths.  Competitors must stand beside their maps accordingly.  Competitors will NOT be allowed to touch the maps at this time.  On the starting signal given, competitors will be allowed to pick up and read their own maps, and start.  Competitors taking the first leg are NOT allowed to wear shoes with hard, pointed spikes (except for the normal orienteering spiked-shoes). Offenders will only be allowed to start about 1 minute after the mass start, with no compensation for lost time.  This is a safety measure for the sake of all competitors.  Your kind cooperation is most appreciated.  After the first or second leg of a group has started, the next leg may enter the Ready-to-changeover Area to get ready.

ü     Change-over - As competitors pass by the Final Control Point, the next leg will be notified to proceed to the Change-over Area to get ready through broadcast. The finishing leg must follow the coloured ribbon to reach the change-over area after punching the final control point.  Those who do not follow the directions of the coloured ribbon to reach the change-over area will be disqualified, and their finishing times will not be recorded.  The next leg of each group must enter the change-over area for stand-by once the number of the previous leg is announced.  At the change-over area, the finishing leg must touch the hand of the next leg before the next leg can take the appropriate map from the Map Area.  This next starting leg must check that the map taken carries the correct number, then proceed to the Start Triangle along the coloured ribbon to start.  Any competitor who takes the incorrect map, intentionally or unintentionally, will be disqualified.  Officials will confiscate the map immediately.  The finishing leg must punch the Finishing Point after the change-over to complete the whole process.

ü     After each leg has finished, he or she should immediately upload the data from the E-card at the Results Processing Station, then return the E-card and map.

ü     There will not be an Isolation Area for competitors who have completed their part.  Thus competitors are asked to cooperate by not providing information about the courses to competitors who have not yet started.  Offenders will have their results erased.  Any person witnessing such an offence should report to the event centre immediately.

ü     Latecomers must wait for the instruction of event official at the entrance of Ready-to-Changeover area for the re-arrangement of start time. The organiser will arrange start for those who report to the start on time, thus the start time of latecomers may be affected. Complaint on start time by latecomers will not be accepted.  

ü     The collected maps would be re-distributed to all competitors at 14:00.

Course Information

Results, Complaints and Protests

1. Updated results will be displayed at the Event Center as soon as possible.
2. Competitors can complain against infringements of the Orienteering Competition By-Law of the OAHK or the organizer’s instructions. The complaint shall be made orally or in writing to the organizer as soon as possible. The organizer will deal with the complaint and inform the competitors as soon as the decision is made.
3. Complaint regarding results should be made within 15 minutes after the release of the results.
4. Competitors can protest against the organizer’s decision about their complaint, and the protest must be made in writing to the organizer within 15 minutes after the release of the organizer’s decision about the complaint.

Rules and Regulations

1.    The sum of the time taken of all 3 competitors to complete the courses is taken into account for calculating the ranking of the teams, the team with the shortest time wins.

2.    To facilitate the flow of the competition and for your safety, you are required to report to the FINISH or event centre before 1:30pm, regardless of course incompletion or loss of e-card, otherwise “Missing” will be counted.

       All controls will be closed at 1:30pm.

3.    Unless specified, the Orienteering Competition By-Law of the OAHK shall apply to this event.

4.    No Aids other than those mentioned in this event information can be used or it will lead to disqualified.

5.    Competitors must visit the controls in order.

6.    Competitors must not move or damage any properties of organizer; or else risk being disqualified and the organizer may claim compensation from you

7.    Competitors must obey the instructions of event officials.

8.   Competitors must write his/her competition number at the front of the back-up label. If the organizer has doubt on a particular punch record of an e-card, records of the backup label will be considered as a valid counter-check tool.

9.    The jury reserve the right to make decision for the final results

10.  The organiser reserves the right to add or amend the rules.  All amendments, if any, will be displayed at the event centre on the day of competition.

Remarks

1. If there are any amendments of this event information, announcements will be made by the organizer on the competition day.
2. All competitors shall ensure their own safety and belongings. The organizer will not bear any responsibilities.
3. All competitors should observe the country code, help keep the environment clean, and avoid polluting water sources and other terrain. Offenders will be liable to prosecution by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
4. If a thunderstorm warning, any rainstorm warning or a NO. 3 or above tropical cyclone warning signal is in effect at 06:00 on the competition day, this event will be cancelled and you will be informed of the arrangement through the OAHK official website http://www.oahk.org.hk  .
5. In case of injury or under emergency situation during the competition, don’t panic and stay calm. Use the whistle to blow the distress signal (6 beeps repeated every minute) until the arrival of event officials.
6. A fee of HK$300 will be charged for any loss or damage of e-card.

Essential Information for Electronic Punching and Timing System

1.  This Event will use the “Emit” Electronic Punching and Timing System.

2.       No Competitor may refuse to use the “electronic punching and timing system” unless the organizer has issued the Notice of Malfunction of the aforesaid system.

3.       The running time will be calculated based on the records in the e-cards. If the organizer has doubt on a particular punch record of an e-card, records of the backup label will be considered as a valid counter-check tool. In case both of them have no record, that particular punch record will be deemed voided.

Start

1.  Upon entering the Starting Area, competitors should place their E-cards on the start unit for at least 6 seconds to clear all previous data. 

During competition

1.  It is the competitors’ own responsibility to insert the e-card into the e-punch correctly. In fact, e-cards can only be inserted into the e-punch in one direction. If both the e-card and backup label cannot record a particular punch record, system malfunction will not be considered as a valid reason for appeal.

Finish

1.  As soon as competitors arrive at the Finish, please place the e-cards at the Finish Control, the time-count will stop accordingly.

2.  After that, please follow the signposts/indication cards to return to the Event Centre and report to the Result Processing Station. After our officials have collected your backup label and have downloaded the records from your e-card, you may obtain your result slip from the mini-time recorder for reference.

Result Processing and Display

1.  Please do not insert your e-card into any Start Unit or e-punch after the completion of your race.  By not doing so, your punch records will be retained for counter-check purpose.

2.   The final results displayed by the organizer will be conclusive; results from the mini-time recorder are for reference only.

Inquires 

Orienteering Association of Hong Kong

Address：Room 1014, Olympic House, 1 Stadium Path, Causeway Bay, HONG KONG

Tel No.: 25048112

Fax：2577 5595

E-mail：info@oahk.org.hk

Website : www.oahk.org.hk

Letter of Consent for the Loan of E-card

I understand that the e-card is the property of Orienteering Association of Hong Kong and a replacement fee of HK$300/card should be paid for any loss or damage.

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