GREAT TURNOUT EXPECTED AT PRETORIA ZOO NEXT SUNDAY !The first Sprint Event of the new season is scheduled for the Pretoria Zoo on Sunday 5th of February. While regular O' runners will be rocketing around the complex, there is a course especially designed for the slower, inexperienced and novice competitors (walkers as well as casual runners). Let's make this a bumper event for the new year. See you all there (PS. the Event Notice will appear in the EVENTS tab during the week) RACO PUTS THE O' BACK INTO ZOO !!!Jess and Cian Oldknow did a great job of planning and presenting the second 2012 Come and Try It event, this time at the Joburg Zoo - just a week before the O' season kicks off with a vengeance. Visitors to the Zoo gardens were 'encouraged' by members to take a bash and were given hands on advice before setting off on their own.
Hope to see all of them and more join us on a regular basis from now on ! AGM - FIRST RACO SOCIAL OF THE YEARTake a look at the 'Class of 2012' - or at least those of 'the happy family' who attended the AGM Social to kick off the new season.
Leila and Gavin Venter opened up their home for a superb afternoon of eats, drinks and lots of merriment (there was a pool involved !). As an aside, the annual AGM took place at the Social and a new Committee was duly elected. The serious bit was giving the floor to Paul for his Chairman's Report (and 'pep' talk for 2012 !). Even the rain did not deter his enthusiasm !
And then it was time to announce the various RACO age category winners in the Sprint and Colour Coded series logs.
Many thanks for another enjoyable RACO event, goes to our hosts, Leila and Gavin; Jenny for organisation and Val for the trophies - but not forgetting all the ladies who contributed the fresh salads and 'delish' puddings !
We wish you all a great O' season - now go out there and beat the opposition ! BIG 5 O-WEEK SUCCESS FOR GAUTENG CLUBSIt appears that the Big 5 Series of events that have just been completed in Mpumulanga, went down extremely well - apart from a few souls who got rained and hailed upon and scared out of their wits by a serious lightning storm ! - at the five venues, organised jointly by the four Gauteng O' Clubs.
The International contingent were well pleased with their decisions to visit SA during the European Winter and 'off-season'. As could be expected, the pair of Marika Teini and Olli-Markus Taivainen from Finland took overal honours.
As per WRE standards, a manned water point was compulsory and competitors had to slow down and partake of refreshment - but did this guy need extra rest or did he loose his contact lense ???
There was a reasonable turnout of South Africans taking on the overseas visitors - in our own 'backyard' as it were for a change ! - but alas, we have a way to go before we can challenge. They at least read their maps 'on the fly'......not as demonstrated here ! (is that really Jess ???)
[Photos courtesy of Peter Hemer]
All Official Results can be found in RESULTS
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JOIN BEER TASTING SOCIALAn offer any RACO member cannot refuse.....two free beers, on the club ! There are unfortunately only 25 places available for the beer factory tour, on Saturday 18 February, so get your names to Jenny as soon as you have read this notice !!! saunders1@icon.co.za
RACO HAS NEW COMMITTEEYour new Committee was elected at the recent AGM. Paul Wimberley (for his sins !) remained ensconced as the honourable Chairman - hey great job you're doing 'boss' !. New members are Zoe Brentano and Roger Blane - welcome to both of you. Re-elected for 2012 are: Val Brentano, Jenny Saunders, Pat Howell, Tom Scott and Nico van Hoepen. We wish them strength for the coming season. SPECIAL AWARD FOR ZOE
There were four nominations for the Ken Biesheuvel Memorial Trophy - awarded each year to the most worthy recipient, who has demonstrated their commitment to RACO - and the Committee duly decided that Zoe Brentano stood out above the rest. The other nominees were: Martin Hanlon, Nico van Hoepen and Paul Wimberley. Many thanks to all four of you for your much appreciated contributions to our club. It was wonderful to have Claudia join us at the Social. With a little bit of help from all her RACO friends, she was able to once again get into the swing of Orienteering. Claudia is making excellent healing progress and promises us that she'll be up and about around March or so !. Go girl !!! And she thought she wasn't in the picture.......! Denise, forever shy of being in front of a lense, volunteered to be the official photographer for the mass, team pic.....alas, there was another camera lurking in the shadows ! EXCITING CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR ALL IN 2012The Orienteering Season kicks off on Sunday 22 January, with a Training Event at the Esselin Park Campus out towards Kempton Park. The following week sees another training opportunity at the Johannesburg Zoo, before we start the Sprint Series - and flat out racing - at the Pretoria Zoo on the 5th of February.
The Gauteng Orienteering Club's Committee has compiled a massive calendar of 44 public events, which should keep everyone pretty satisfied !. Orienteers are spoilt for choice when it comes to the various events on offer this year - ranging from the 'simple' park type races to the challenging cross-country and colour coded series. In between there are plenty of opportunities for training and some novelty types, like Mountain Bike O', Rogaine and this year, a new category - Metrogaine (like Rogaine but in suburban environments one would assume).
ALL EVENT DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE "EVENTS" TAB
If you haven't tried Orienteering before - now is a great opportunity to come join the sport.....guaranteed to be enjoyable ! For the regulars, we urge you to offer your assistance to your clubs in the massive task of organisation. Every event requires several volunteers and the more volunteers, the lighter the load. Get involved today !!!
WHAT IS ORIENTEERING ?Orienteering is an outdoor adventure activity, which involves finding your way through unfamiliar terrain using a specially prepared map and your own common sense. It can be compared to a treasure hunt. In Orienteering, you learn to read the map, measure distances, use a compass and find your way in cross-country surroundings and at the same time have fun.
Participants leave the starting point at regular intervals and must find their way to several checkpoints, set-out at various features in the area and return to the finish, after visiting each checkpoint. The competitor with the shortest elapsed time on each course, is declared the winner.
The activity can be enjoyed by adults and children - old and young - fit or unfit. As you set your own pace walking or running - it is ideal recreation for individuals or groups. Families are welcome to try Orienteering, going round the course together.
The length of an Orienteering course varies from 1,5 km with six to ten controls for beginners, up to about 10 km for the more adventurous. The challenge is yours !.
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WEBSITE CONTACTS:Editor - Pat de Klerk
073 200 1969
Web Master - Glynn de Klerk
082 880 3314
SATURDAY MORNING TRAINING – EVERYONE WELCOME
Special Training Sessions, very much geared for beginners, is available Saturday mornings in the Randburg area. E-mail Tania for details : coach@racorienteers.co.za
More information can be found on the coaching page.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
5 February - Pretoria Zoo - Sprint Event (Sprint Series #1)
12 February - Wits University - Come and Try It Event
18 February - Delta Park - Come and Try It Event
4 March - Pretoria Fopuntains - Sprint Event (Sprint Series #2)
Details can be found in EVENTS.
SA TEAM RUN WITH SILVAThe SILVA Orienteering equipment company have generously sponsored the SA World Orienteering Championship squad, with Northern Hemisphere Compasses - lifting some of the load off our team.
Thank you SILVA Gaiters for Sale
Contact Lisa at www.ar.co.za |
