Sydney Summer Series

THE CODECRACKER COPS 140 AT CLASSIC CAREENING COVE CANTER

On a beautiful Sydney spring evening, Lee 'The Enigma' Coady gets the Pork Pie prize for time on course at our first 200 plus event - with a superb all stations 600 in 58.35. 'The Code' has been a convert to the all points outing as he chases down 'The Horror Movie' in this race within a race, and gets me underway with a novel take on last Wednesday's great event.

So then, a superb evening, a fantastic assembly location at Milsons Park, and a big roll-up primed for a bit of fancy flogerooney. Course setter Dan Dohle settled in to the table and till as arriving runners paid up and spread themselves around the gardens and lawns to check the offer. Other Garingal members worked the electronic trading desk as they waited for the first beepsters to get them back from 'buy BHP' to the download dance. With a wonderous display of club branding, all was in readiness.

First impressions were a fully deployed field, with points well spread from the Kirribilli 'jaw' to the Kurraba 'nose'. The 'moustache' at High Street Wharf added to my DaDa interpretation of the map as a new form of art. All points east of the bridge made for a change, as did some decent scoring at Kurraba Point. It looked hard until you realised this was a 1:7,500 scale map. Ahhh, not so tough after all, and probably close to a full card - or in Lee's case, a full card no matter what.

Loops to the south and north quickly revealed themselves, with the northern departure seeming the more popular. Two ten pointers (#2 and #8) also were quickly exposed as lonely pots that didn't compute in loopy thinking, with #2 probably taking out the prize on the night. Number 8 found some favour with runners adding the 29,8,9,21 southern inner loop after a full bucket in the north. 'The Bendy Bus' was one such.

As I mentioned, departing to the north looked the more popular - either working 7,22,24 and then 12,16 before taking the Neutral Bay Tram, or ignoring the moustache points, and proceeding in a gentlemanly fashion directly to 24 and then round the bay. A few who like the hill work early in the evening, went clockwise to 14,20,4,25 and then an arc across the map to Kurraba (ignoring LP#2) and a flatter return. The close in tenner (#5) seemed to be kept for the run in.

The eighty points at Kurraba Point looked an easy bag, so it is embarrassing to report PP's lazy take here - going #1 straight to 13, realising #30 was back up the hill and having to go up there past the man on the lap top, and then down again to rejoin the superb scenic vista route to #23. Navigation on the run.... ahh, I remember now! But what a great spot Kurraba was for some scoring with a view, and a nice reward for mapper Jim 'Billabong' Merchant. Breathtaking stuff here Sydney, as was the outlook from #16, and all the great Kirribilli spots selected by NSW Tourism Minister Dohle (22,15,27 and 19).

So, despite the wide and regular deployment of red circles and numbers, the options were relatively simple, and didn't need much fretting with the string and slide ruler. You just dibbed in and let rip - and another perfect evening of cunning running resulted. Thankyou Dan for the course - and the weather. Three events on, and all fine evenings. Mmmmm, I like it.

Now, let's look at some of the scoring.

I thought it looked a six hundred or close to it, and we see a couple of 590's to confirm the view. Sharing the spoils in equal first place are Alan Davis ...(er, wrong programme Rosscoe, this is not QI). Steve 'The Hangman' Ryan with one missing (#2/8?) in 44.38, and Glenn with a full bag in sixteen seconds over. Great running, but only a whisker in front of 'Hills Hoist' (580) and 'The Tom Tom' one out/one back with 570. Mostly Open talent at the pointy end, until one encounters a couple of sporty Vets - Tim 'The Toolman' Rogers holding a ten over Malcolm 'The Trumpet' Bradley (540/530) - and a sensational topper from our Sub Junior star Aidan 'The Flying Doormat' Dawson with 520 in the lolly bag. This new category is for the 16 and under ages, with Aidan running here like an open star. Tough if you a ten year old!

Without wishing to go over all the scoring, I do have the other category winners and a few other bits of goss and wonderment to report, so lets look on - much like we are at Bong Bong with a rug and hot toddy, as the ponies come flying past.

In the other junior categories, Toby 'Jug' Wilson gets to keep it with 450 in JM, Anna 'Not The Mayor' Sartoretti holds the JW cake with 250 and Ellen Currie powders up in the changing room with an excellent 280 in the SJW's.

We have mentioned Steve (OM) and Glenn (MM), with Wendy running down to ginger the OW's and her 520 to pip Claire Winnick (great run for 510) and the Lisa/Gill cardsharps playing 500 - and a brace of mares going for the photo in Masters Women - Carolyn 'In Blanket' Haupt and Rachael 'The Paving Stone' Povah both sharing 440's. Top running ladies.

Paula from Finland worked her chainsaw into first place in the Vet Women with 360, with Karin sharing that score in claiming the SVW gong. Mary Jane put up another 100 pointer in the LW's, giving her a great start to the season - and Bryony a decided SSS itch! Sue Thomson clipped another ton with a tidy 270 on home turf in the Immortals, and we round off with Michelle Povah walking to victory with 270 also. In the blokes, we see a top run from Bruce Ingles in SVM (480 points!!), 'The Flickster' on fire in the Legends with 450, Heiko pushing hard to claim with 360 and Mel walking it in with 320 just to annoy 'The Toastrack Tram' and his well executed 310. Wazza, who should be resting quietly, couldn't help himself - pushing the bung knee around at walking pace for 200. Something about Warwick in the traditional yellow running singlet walking that wasn't right, just not him. Perhaps a more modest walking 'Burka' Waz?

I must also mention one of our great supporters and series stalwarts, Barry 'The Check Out Chick' Cole, back at the Summer Series, and working up a tidy 180 in his first outing as an Immortal. Bazza, is an 'ornament to the game' and great to see him with us once more. I also note the 'Manly Mayor' lending a fatherly hand in guiding Clare Jessup to a nice 230 in the Subs. Plenty of old hands, and judging by the entry list, plenty of new runners enjoying the action. Also lots of groups - that added another 25 or so people on the flog to our entry total of 205, giving us a street party attendance of 230. Not bad, not bad at all.

I began this report with Lee Coady's great 'all pots' run in 58 and a half minutes, but should also report another stayer, the Balding family, finding 170 points in 57.51 to take home only forty points, but what memories, what memories! Excellent work from the 'Hairpieces' - we hope you will be back. Another stat I loved was the timing of Terry 'The Legend' Bluett - home with 390 points in 44.59! Nice to see the second on the right side of the clock and not the other way round. Beautiful work Terry, no doubt well planned. Of course, Rosscoe!!!

Of the scoring, the mid to high three's were where the action was, with eleven competitors posting 380's and another eleven claiming 360. This leads me to think there should be a cricket challenge in here somewhere; the 380's against the 360's. I can see The Sauce Bottle taking guard here, adjusting the box as he shapes up to an inswinger from Dan 'Shane Warne' Redfern. Danny is known for his wrong 'un and could wreak havoc if he stays off the cider.

Well, that gives us a wrap of Careening Cove. Great evening and a very nice bit of Sydney to showcase the Summer Series at. Thanks to Danny Dohle for setting, and all who sailed in her. Next week sees us once more under the spell of Bennelong Wizard, Darren 'The Window Blinds' Slattery. The Slatts is known for his work with a coloured A4 sheet and those red circles, and shouldn't disappoint here. It's a return to a great bush/suburban area, with a new take on things courtesy of the different start area at Melwood Avenue. Forestville is the suburb, and the Porkster is thinking a touch of forest might just form some of the thinking. Put the cat out, as we run event four in the series of the century. See you there.