Introduction

1. The Senior Home International (SHI) is an important event in the Orienteering calendar particularly for the Celtic nations who use the event as a target for performance.  It also acts as an important event for giving international experience to many World Class Performance and Potential athletes.  The important characteristic of the individual event is the running in a narrowly defined start block adjacent to those in other teams that would be experienced in major international events.  The event is an important focus for the Home Nations and gives individual targets for those who are still some way short of GB teams.  The intent is that the event is integrated into the Elite racing season in Britain and Ireland.  These changes will help to attract better competitors and enhance the status of the event.  These rules should be read in conjunction with the HI Guidelines (which cover eligibility).  This edition of the rules is based on the 2001 rules (Elite Competitions Steering Group – John Palmer – 21.08.2001) and effects decisions made at the SHI Team Managers meeting in Oct 2003.

Timing

2. The Elite racing season in Britain has now become established in the March-May period each year.  The SHI should be arranged during this period if possible, rather than later in the year.  The Elite Competitions Group (ECG) will approach clubs or associations direct to host the SHI and set the date for competition in conjunction with the Fixtures Group in good time.  This is particularly important when the SHI is to be held in England (next in 2010) as there is no English organization otherwise empowered to take this on.

Teams

3. Each team will consist of 3 M20s, 6 senior men, 3 W20s and 6 senior women.  Orienteers of any age may be selected to run as seniors.  Teams are to be declared before the first start on Day 1 and only those may run in the SHI (ie no reserves brought in on Day 2).

Racing Format

4. Individual on Saturday; Relay on Sunday
Individual: Long Distance 90 minute winning time for senior men
Long Distance 75 minute winning time for senior women
Long Distance 75 minute winning time for M20s
Long Distance 60 minute winning time for W20s
Relay: Teams of three for men and women separately.  Each team is to include at least one 20 or under, as determined by BOF age.  Courses should be planned to deliver a 40 minute leading time per leg.

Notes:

1. This format may be varied from year to year by agreement between the organiser and the Elite Competitions Group.
2. It would be acceptable to combine the event with a Regional or National event.  Nevetheless, ideally the order should be: Long Saturday, Relay Sunday.  An SHI start block should be set aside for the individual, normally but not necessarily at the beginning.

Scoring

5. Individual:

a. Team. Two 20s (of 3) to count, scoring 8, 7, 6 etc.  4 seniors (of 6) to count, scoring 16, 15, 14 etc.  Non-counters do not score (nor are considered in place and therefore score allocation).  The 20s and seniors will be scored separately by class and teams placed in order 1,2,3,4 and awarded class points: 4pts for first, 3pts for second etc for each of the 4 classes.  If there is a tie in a class the points will be shared equally (eg 2nd= gains 2½ pts).  The aggregate points thus gained will be carried forward for the combined team score (maximum possible = 16).

b. Individual. The individual scores of all counters in all 4 classes will be totaled to determine the outcome of the individual event alone.

6. Relay:   Two out of three relay teams to count.  Relays to count double points: 16pts for a win, 14 pts for second down to 2 pts for eighth place.  Nations’ third teams do not score (nor are considered in place and therefore score allocation).

7. Combined Score:  Points gained by a nation in the 4 classes in the individual are added to the points scored by the nation’s 4 relay teams (2 x M, 2 x W).  The highest total score wins.  If tied, the tie is broken by considering the relative position of the 3rd (ie previously non-scoring) relay teams (M and W) of each tied nation.  If still tied, the lowest aggregated time of each team’s 12 counters in the individual will decide.

Finance

8. SHIs should be self financing.  Normal BOF levy is payable if an event forms part of a larger event and SHI competitors pay a specific entry fee.  However organizers should specify a fee covering events, accommodation and meals since specially organised events (this could be either or both events), where the participants do not pay a separately identified fee (eg £45 for the weekend), will not attract the BOF levy.

Trophies

9. The trophies are:

The Silva Trophy Awarded to the country with the highest total points.
The Dolgellau Dish Awarded to the country with the highest points in the Individual.
John Rye   17 Nov 2006