Seven teams roamed the Issaquah, Hobart, Ravensdale, Maple Valley area on familiar roads while becoming acquainted with the Richta GPS Checkpoints system. The Rallymaster promised no course following traps so that full attention could be placed on seeing how the Richta Competitor app worked and integrating it into the team’s workflow. Overall, it was successful and well received. A series of posts on this website and emails sent to the member clubs delivered a large amount of preparatory information but until you run a GPS event, it all feels very theoretical. Comments at the finish were generally positive, with teams liking the immediate score feedback and the app’s simplicity of use.

Appetizer was intentionally short, at just about 1:45 total time, including the odometer check. The missing CP numbers (1,2,7,12,16) in the chart above were all Restart points, similar to an Outcone with an assigned out time, each followed by a handful of marked passage controls. The passage controls were scored point to point using what the Richta community has dubbed the Evansville scoring method. With Evansville, your out time from a passage control is your in time at that control (meaning you leave each control on perfect time.) Evansville is intuitive and easy to adopt for all paper class competitors. Equipped and unlimited class teams have to adjust their workflow slightly. The format was chosen specifically to provide a relatively large number of checkpoints, allowing teams to develop some comfort and confidence with the Competitor app.

Thank Yous go out to Bill and Charles Aggenbach for check-out of the event, Charles again for driving the pace car, and Barry S for use of the images in this post. The June event will use the Richta system again but will be a more traditional format. The June supps were posted last week and have a few additions to the April/May foundation. Each checkpoint will likely be followed by a pause to process checkpoint slip information and a physical reference for starting the next leg. Constructive feedback is welcomed.