Steph
> As for the ties, why not simply add a video camera at the finish
> line. Play the pictures back later and use freeze frame. If it
> still canot er cannot be decided, it is a tie. Furthermore, the
> decision is documented. Have "an impartial committee" review the
> videotape.
> In other words, ride management still has to make decisions when
> unusual situations arise (such as last years ride in Sunland
> when the ride time was extended beyone 12 hours for the 50 mile
> race). It would become there responsibility to decide if the
> race is really a tie or not.
> If 5 riders can finish a 50 mile race as a precision drill team
> and all get a first, my view is that they all deserve the
> credit.
> ------
> By the way, since things about procedures are being discussed,
> how many of the races use battery powered clocks with the large
> faces with the analog hands for the timer when riders leave the
> hold area?
> From the few events that I have been at doing P&R, there have
> been consistent problems with the time drifting. Why is not the
> official time keep with a digital watch and then the analog
> clock can be continually updated.
> As someone else (not on the Internet but in person) pointed out,
> this would be like football (at least a few years ago) where the
> announcement was quite common that the scoreboard clock did not
> keep the official time but that the official time is kept on the
> field.
> ---
> Next question: Why are not all timers/watches synchronized the
> night before or even the morning of the race. Based on my
> limited experience I have seen the times synchronized at each
> vet check/gate hold etc. The problem that I have actually see
> happen is that a vet may move from one place to another. He has
> set his watch. When he is at the next place, his watch may be
> out of sync with the in-times at that check.
> I have actually seen a vet running (yes running) from where he
> was doing the vet check to the where the in-timer was and near
> where the P&R were being done. He then resynchronized his watch
> and there was about a three minute change. (For those that want
> all the details he moved his watch from 11:21 to 11:24). :-)
> Furthermore, there were multiple cases of individuals showing up
> at the out-gate and finding that they had another 5-10 minutes
> (gee, I am slipping in that I never did document the exact
> amount) of waiting. My interpetation of the non verbal response
> of some of the riders is that they were not particularly
> happy. ( I am working on my ability to understate things.
> Wonder if I succeeded with that last statement. :-) ).
> ----
> It seems like some of these things would be zero effort to fix
> and would actually lessen the liklihood of needing to hurry as
> crews are arriving in place before the first riders show up.
> (Oh well, what the heck to I know. After all, it has already
> been stated that these observations are not based on a large
> amount of experience. :-) )
> ---
> enough/too much for now
> -----
> Joe jpu@kaiwan.com