MELB UNI O CLUB

Looking south from control 12 Clare Brownridge finishing

David Brownridge finishing

Looking south-east, to control 13

Orienteering at Melbourne University

James Fell

On Wednesday 8th March 2006, the brand new Melbourne Uni Orienteering Club held its inaugural race, on the brand new Melbourne Uni map. The race was held in a Sprint format, with a course of approximately 3.6km in length. The extremely technical area was a challenge for all competitors. The course began in the north and wound its way south, down through the campus, twisting and turning around (and through) buildings and across grassy lawns. Proceeding south, runners continued through University Square. The race continued west, before heading north, through crowds of smiling graduates (who’d just finished graduation ceremonies), for a final showdown in the university’s sporting area. The winner of the men’s division was David Brownridge, with Clare Brownridge taking out the women’s.

The Melbourne Uni map

The new map extends from Lygon Street, in the east, to Royal Park in the West, and from Queensberry Street in the south, to Princes Park in the north. The map is drawn entirely to the 2005 International Specification for Sprint Orienteering Maps (ISSOM2005). The area encompasses parkland, streets and a mass of intensely close buildings on the university campus, making for what can only be described as a maze of an area in the heart of the map. The map is drawn to a scale of 1:5000, with two metre contours.

About the Club

Previously at Melbourne Uni, Orienteering had been under the control of the Melbourne University Mountaineering Club (MUMC), a once active but now dormant club with regard to Orienteering. (Ed note: MUMC was one of the founders of Orienteering in Victoria. One of its members, Ron Frederick, won the first event held in 1969 and is still an active participant and also current President of Emus OC). A group of orienteers felt that Orienteering wasn’t getting the support it deserved and, led by Stuart Fell, Matt Schepisi and James Fell, a group of keen orienteers at Melbourne Uni broke the sport away from MUMC (with the approval of MUMC), to form the Melbourne University Orienteering Club. MUOC runs weekly training sessions and has the only sprint map in Victoria that satisfies the International Specification for Sprint Orienteering Maps. The club currently has twenty five members. Membership is open to current students and graduates and new members are welcome.

Event placings

1. David Brownridge 1. Clare Brownridge 2. Stuart Fell 2. Gabby Lanman 3. Rob Lee 3. Jasmine Neve

VICTORINOX AWARD

The Victorinox Award goes to Steve Bird for his excellent series of articles on Training. There’s been a lot of interest expressed by readers about these articles and we look forward to more of the same in coming editions. Steve receives a Victorinox Voyager with 20 tools and features including a watch/alarm/timer; retail value $109.95

Spor Australian ts Foundation

Support your Sport through taxdeductible donations to the Australian Sports Foundation

Check out the details and download the donor’s form from www.orienteering.asn.au