The 2nd Suncoast Orienteering Championships will be held March 22nd at Ft de Soto Park. This slide show presents important information for all who are interested in participating.

1. Welcome to the Second
Suncoast Orienteering
Championships
Saturday, March 22nd 2014 at
Fort de Soto Park
Important Event Information

2. Fort de Soto Park is at the same time….
…A fort that defended Tampa Bay …A bird sanctuary
…A WWII site to practice bombing …One of America’s best beaches

3. The Suncoast Orienteering Championships will be held
at the North Beach/ Arrowhead area of Ft de Soto Park
Directions: Coming from north or south on I-275 take Exit 17 on to 54th Ave S going west.
54th Ave S is alternately called SR 679 and Pinellas Bayway
Proceed west about 2 miles going through a 75 cent toll (Sun Pass friendly)
At traffic light turn left (south) on to guess what – SR 679/ Pinellas Bayway.
Head south 5.8 miles (one more toll) to the Ft de Soto Park entrance.
Be careful to observe the speed limits along this stretch of road.
Once in the park turn left (west) on Anderson Road (the only road) and follow it just over 3 miles to Pavilion 6 at North Beach.
(Follow the small orienteering signs in the park.) (Park entry fee $5 per vehicle. Load up your vehicle to save money.)

4. The Suncoast Orienteering Championships will be two events in one:
The Suncoast JROTC Championships open to all registered JROTC Orienteering teams
The Suncoast (public) Orienteering Championships
Registration Fee: JROTC check with Elliot Berman at Robinson HS
Public: FLO, O-USA members: $6 each, non-members $10.
Competition will be on five courses :
Yellow A and B (2.6 Km each) – novice level navigation - Public and JROTC
Orange – (3.5 Km) – intermediate level navigation – Public and JROTC
Green – (4.1 Km) – advanced level navigation – Public and JROTC
Blue – (7 Km) – longer advanced level navigation – Public only
The two competitions will share one Start , Finish and Timing

5. The Ft de Soto Orienteering Experience
will feature:
Fabulous beach views
Stretches of open woods
Fresh cut lines
created to remove
WWII shrapnel
Trail running
past denser
bush

6. The map scale will be 1:5,000 for all courses. 1 centimeter represents 50 meters.
Contour Interval: 5 feet
The Ft de Soto orienteering map is the most detailed orienteering map to date in Florida
The larger than usual scale helps create clarity for reading the fine detail
1:15,000
1:10,000
1:5,000
Maps drawn to O-USA, IOF
standards with the exception of a
special symbol to show large stands
of palmetto (green XXXs)
The Competition Map

7. The North Beach/
Arrowhead area is out
of bounds for
orienteering training.
Use the Battery area
before the22nd .

8. Lunches will not be provided by the event organizers.
Cadets and the public are encouraged to bring picnic lunches to enjoy after the
event. The area is well shaded and well supplied with picnic tables.
There is a small canteen near the event ‘arena’. They will be advised to expect a
larger than usual crowd on the 22nd.
Restrooms are available near the event arena.
Showers are available near the beach.

9. There is currently a fenced off area
adjacent to the event pavilion.
The fence is for the protection of
nesting owls. Please observe
and enjoy the owls from a
distance.
(However the owls may be gone
by the 22nd)

10. START TIMES:
JROTC Cadets will have pre-assigned start times starting at 10 AM
Two minute intervals for each course.
Start times will be written on the punch cards given out at Registration
START Procedure: Be at the Start area about 10 minutes before your assigned start
time.
Two minutes before your start you will be called to start line to check your card and to
make sure you have your safety whistle.
One minute before start you are given your map to study.
On ‘Go’ you are on the course and on the clock.
PUBLIC Participants: After Registration and course selection report to the START area to
be assigned a start time.
Public participants can start any time between 10 AM and 12:30 PM. They will be
slotted in to vacant spots in the JROTC list.

11. Control Card/ Punch Card Checking:
Another special feature of this event is that due to the small area the courses criss-
cross themselves. To make sure that the controls are visited in the correct
numerical order there will be a check station somewhere on the course for some of
the courses.
Participants MUST hand over their card to be checked to see that no later
punches have been gained.
Examples: 1) IF, for instance your card is being checked at #7 and they see you
have already punched #9 and #10. Those punches will be circled and you will have
to return to #9 and #10 to get the punches again or you WILL BE DQ’d
2) If for instance your card is being checked at #7 and it seems you have missed
punching #2, planning perhaps to get it later you will have to go to #2 to get that
punch and return to #7 to be checked in there. Again.

12. FINISH:
The Finish will be at the Pavilion 6. All persons MUST report to
the Finish. As this is a very popular park destination it will be
very hard to find your vehicle to see if you in fact have left the
area. For your safety
and ours please
check in!
SAFETY BEARING:
This is tough to give one safe direction. Basically if you come to
salt water don’t go in it. If you come to a paved road with no
line down the center go WEST. If injured give three sharp
blasts of your whistle and repeat.

13. AWARDS
• JROTC medals and
trophies for the top
three individuals, male
and female on each
course and top three
teams on Green,
Orange and Yellow A as
well as top three teams
overall.
• Suncoast Prizes for the
top three times, male
and female, on each
course. Yes, the JROTC
are eligible for these
awards, too.

14. TEE SHIRTS FOR SALE
Suncoast Orienteering will have a limited number of FLO tee shirts for sale.
Price: $10
The shirts can be pre-ordered by writing to gordhun@rogers.com

15. Thank you for
your
attention.
We are
looking
forward to
seeing you on
the 22nd.