By Isle of Wight Observer
Wight Orienteers celebrated their 50th anniversary, with a special weekend event which attracted 150 competitors from across the country.
The ‘Needles and Knolls’ weekend took runners around St Catherine’s Down and the Needles headland, showcasing the West Wight coastline in glorious sunshine.
Saturday featured a double sprint around St Catherine’s Lighthouse, Niton, while Sunday saw a level C middle-distance national ranking event over Tennyson and West High Down, including the Needles Battery.
It was the first time the club had staged an event of this scale, and used an electronic timing system, lent by Southampton Orienteering Club.
A total of 32 volunteers supported organisers, Ben Windsor and Peter Bartlett.
Long-standing links with the club were also celebrated. Original member, Brian Ould, 85, was unable to compete, but his son, Trevor, took part in both events. Mick Hunter, who joined in 1977, returned to the Island for the anniversary, while Sarah Coetzee, daughter of the club’s late original mapper, Steve Tutton, travelled from Belfast to compete.
Gill Sharp, of Southern Navigators, said: “The views were magnificent, especially the run into the finish overlooking Alum Bay.”
Carol and Ian Prosser added: “Thank you so much for a fantastic weekend of orienteering. We enjoyed both formats, and we loved everything else about the Island. We will be back!”
Wight Orienteers thanked the National Trust, Blackgang Chine and Warren Farm for their support, and made a donation to Mountbatten Hospice.
The club’s next event is at St Catherine’s Down on Sunday, October 18.
