[UK-CONTEST] Fw: Commonwealth Contest 2008 - the Team Competition returns!

[Peter Hobbs]

Hi gang,

Just to let you all know that the BERU team competition is alive and well for 2008!

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Peter Hobbs 
To: Stephen Ireland ; David Goodwin ; Dave Lawley ; Frank Hunt ; Dave Cree 
Cc: Les Allwood ; Bob G3PJT 
Sent: Monday, August 27, 2007 11:46 AM
Subject: Commonwealth Contest 2008 - the Team Competition returns!


Hi all,

After a lot of positive comment from 2007, as well as better than anticipated participation during a solar minimum year,  I'm sure you will be pleased to hear that the RSGB HFCC has decided to incorporate the Commonwealth Team Competition as an integral part of the rules of the BERU contest for future years.  

You  will all remember that this element was the inspired idea of Bob G3PJT, to coincide with the ICC Cricket World Cup held alongside the 2007 BERU contest.  Many messages of appreciation have been received from team members for the medals that were kindly sponsored this year by Yaesu.  Bob has bowed out of continuing as umpire for 2008 due to his many other commitments and the HFCC has asked me to take his place - hence this announcement!

You are therefore warmly invited to field representative teams for the 2008 contest.  If you decide to rotate the responsibility for team captain among the  members of your team and consider new participants, please feel free to do so, however all teams, including any reserves, must be nominated no later than 7 days before the contest.  You are encouraged to beat this deadline if possible, as teams will be publicised as soon as announced.  Quite a few other entrants in 2007 made sure they knew the names of all the team members.  In any event, please let me have contact details for your team captains, including those for any new regional teams that may emerge (e.g Africa, West Indies, India, etc.) as soon a these have been finalised.

Until the HFCC web site http://www.contesting.co.uk/hfcc/ posts the 2008 contest calendar with links to the rules, I've hosted them temporarily on my home page and you will find a link (near the bottom of the page) on www.tilgate.co.uk.

There, you will see the algorithm used to calculate the "fiddle factor" that compensates for the disparity of activity available in the northern and southern hemispheres.  Transitional arrangements are in place for the first few years, until sufficient history has built up to provide a three year average.  As a result of the excellent performance of the ZL team in 2007, this factor has reduced from 1.7 to 1.462 for 2008, so they will have to work a little harder next year to repeat this result.

Now to the awards!  Medals will again be presented to all members of the winning team and a Trophy will be awarded to the winning team and engraved as appropriate.  In a similar way to the cricket "Ashes", this will be held at RSGB, but will be available for display and presentation at the annual HF COnvention.  Sponsors are invited for these, but if none are forthcoming a backup plan is in place!  For any of you not entirely familiar with the concept of "The Ashes", refer to http://www.334notout.com/ashes/ashbegin.htm.

As in 2007, the principle responsibility of the umpire will be to see fair play, interpret the rules as necessary and to determine the winning team.  Note again that the umpire may participate in the contest!

Please let me know if you have any queries on interpreting the team rules - any clarifications will of course be circulated to all.

73, Peter G3LET