| Planners Kaele and Andy did an excellent job with two challenging courses. Choosing a central assembly area enabled competitors to visit Hamilton Hill - the first time for the short course. The westward flowing River Rase and its tributary meant careful selection of crossing points or using long forgotten sportsday long jump technique. Long course competitors mainly opted for the southern approach to No.1 but the northern route might have been preferable for some. Neil Harvatt is on a roll taking maximum points again ahead of Hertfordshire's Clive Street returning after an absence of 2 years, and DVO's Paul Beresford. Logger John Bennett excelled, not far behind the leaders as did Mike Smith who is looking increasingly like the one to beat in the Super Vets group. A mere 24 seconds separated the first three on the short course with John Butler edging Lee Smith and the winner of the first two events Dave Offler. Ultra Vet John Chaney's fifth place was his best performance in years. |