2007 National Qualifier No.5

15 July 2007

This year’s event started off at Shakerley Mere Country Park with the predicted rain falling and was attended by 9 teams. The competition consisted of two very different sites which were both a similar distance from the start and quite distant. To compensate for this, they were relatively close to each other. However, the best laid plans etc, etc. and the heavy rain forecast for the day turned both stations into rather more difficult sites than had been hoped.

Both stations were heard at the start but only two teams (Phil Cunningham and Bill Pechey) were confident enough to go with their bearings and leave the start. Transmitter B was a little weak due to terrain and approximates were offered to those with damp set trouble for both transmitters.

Station A (Southern transmitter) was located at Knypersley Reservoir 22km from the start on a bearing of 136 at SJ 888 558. Operated by Roger Thawley and hidden amongst rhododendrons in a fairly overgrown gully with steep sides. A fair bit of wire was out across a run off stream and tapped into a fence. Various dummy tees were taken off, all of which were live with one tee going down to an ‘obvious’ hide at the base of a fallen tree. This station had a relatively short run in from the car park at Greenway Bank Country Park but a difficult find once on site.

Station B (Northern transmitter) was located near Danebridge 25km from the start on a bearing of 101 at SJ 974 661. Operated by Chris Heys and hidden just off the Dane Valley Way footpath, at the bottom of a slope below a fairly large thicket of gorse but actually out in the relative open by the River Dane. This was a fairly long run in (about a mile) but relatively easy to find the station once on site. The antenna consisted of a straight wire up the side of the hill as high as we could practically get it. Some teams chose to leave map 118 to come back on to get a better run in but this proved not to give any advantage.

Competitors retired to Cheddleton for an excellent 3 course tea organised, prepared and served by Anne, Grace and Jordan.

The first person to find a station was Geoff Foster at 15.08 and the last team to find both transmitters was George Whenham at 16.25. Only 2 teams found both stations.

The winner was Phil Cunningham and second was George Whenham.

National Final qualifiers were George Whenham and Graham Jones, subject to confirmation.

Neil Woodley

Position Competitor Finish Time A Time B
1 Phil Cunningham 16:13:30 15:22:38 16:13:30
2 George Whenham 16:25:19 16:25:19 15:16:45
3 Geoffrey Foster 15:08:25 - 15:08:25
4 Tim Parker 15:12:11 - 15:12:11
5 Bill Pechey 15:28:54 - 15:28:54
6 Graham Nicholls 15:33:30 15:33:30 -
7 Graham Jones 15:36:30 - 15:36:30
8 Dick Brocks 15:48:14 15:48:14 -
9 Brian Bristow - - -