Table-Top Rally Championships 2004-2005
Navigational Regulations

Master Navigators Championship
Road Rally Navigators Championship

Version 9 - February 25, 2005
(recent changes marked in magenta)

1. The Championships will be based upon four events.

Event Route Cards Available  Submit Answer Forms By Map
1) Five Diamonds 22:00 on September 1, 2004 22:00 on September 29, 2004 193
Edition C1 or D
2) Cloverleaf 22:00 on November 3, 2004 22:00 on December 1, 2004 188
Edition C2
3) Breckland 22:00 on January 5, 2005 22:00 on February 2, 2005 193
Edition C1 or D
4) Rally Round 22:00 on March 23, 2005 22:00 on April 20, 2005 188
Edition C2

2. Championship points will be awarded on each event consistent with an entrant's overall position - i.e. 1st place = 1 point, 2nd place = 2 points...100th place = 100 points. The overall winner of each Championship will be the contender with the lowest number of points from three rounds. Contenders completing less than three rounds will not qualify for final Championship placings. In event of the number of Championship rounds being increased or reduced, the organisers reserve the right to amend the number of qualifying rounds to count accordingly.

3. The entry fee for all four events is £12 (Master Navigators) or £8 (Road Rally Navigators). If insufficient entries are received by August 31, 2004 to make the Championship viable (30 minimum per Championship), then the Championship will be cancelled and monies will be returned.

4. The route for each event must be plotted using the number and edition of the OS 1:50 000 Landranger Series map quoted.

5. Each event will contain 12 Route Cards. Each Route Card will be in two parts. Part 1 will use straightforward (road rally type) navigation and will contain 5 straightforward Route Check questions. Part 2 (a continuation of the route in part 1) will use more thought-provoking navigation and 5 trickier Route Check questions. Entries to the Road Rally Navigators Championship must attempt Part 1; entries to the Master Navigators Championship must attempt Parts 1 and 2  Answers to the first 10 different Route Cards received will be counted towards a competitor's score. Alternative answers to a previously answered Route Card will be ignored. Route Card answers may be submitted in any order. Only one answer should be given for each Route Check. Multiple answers will be deemed incorrect. If you feel the question is ambiguous or has multiple answers, record the details as comments on the answer form. One point will be scored for each correct Route Check answer.

6. Route Cards for each event will be available at an Internet address which will be e-mailed to each registered entrant. 

7. Answers to Route Cards must be registered by completing the Answer Form at an Internet address which will be e-mailed to each registered entrant. Each form will be stored, and time and date stamped, in a private area on the Table-Top web server. Should access to Table Top web server be unavailable, then answers should be sent by e-mail to Answers. In this case the time and date stamp of arrival at the Table-Top mail server will be used.

8. Route Card Answers will be accepted up to the published closing time and date for each event. Answers received after this time, or not received will score 0 points.

9. Event positions will be decided in order of points scored.

10. Ties will be decided on the "Furthest, Cleanest" principle, i.e. the competitor with the most points on the earliest Route Card in the series will have the advantage. For example, if two competitors tied on overall penalties, but competitor A had a score of 5 points on Route Card 1 and competitor B 4 points on Route Card 1, competitor A would be placed above competitor B. This applies even if the Route Card was not one of the 10 to count. If there is still a tie, the competitor with the earliest submission of any Answer Form will have the advantage.

11. Unless otherwise stated each Route Card should be plotted using only the given information and in the order given, implied or necessary to solve the Route Card. The shortest route consistent with this information should be plotted between each Route Card's Start Control and Finish Control. Where a particular map feature is used solely on the Route Card, e.g. spot heights, then all other similar features must be avoided. Features which are to be ignored will be enclosed in brackets (like this).

12. The route for the each event is continuous, so no junction (including crossroads) or section of road may be used more than once.

13. All Route Cards are joined by an undefined route; however the end of one Route Card may be the start of the next. 
The Route Cards are designed to be stand alone, i.e. you should be able to plot any of them independently without needing to solve neighbouring ones first. 
If you get a route clash, the first course of action is to check that you haven't made any mistakes. If you still have a problem, it might be that you have found a valid, but conflicting, solution that the organisers have overlooked. You have three ways of dealing with this (in order of priority). 
1) If one of the conflicting route cards has some flexibility in the solution which overcomes the conflict, deploy it. 
2) If it is obvious where a problem exists, make allowance for the mistake if it removes the conflict. 
3) Plot the route cards as though there was no conflict, i.e. ignore any overlap. 
In all three cases answer the Route Check questions as stated. Due allowance will be made for alternative answers when marking.

14. The route only uses roads as defined on the map legend. Paths, and roads under construction, are to be ignored unless otherwise stated.

15. White coloured roads (including green sections through woods etc) may be used on any Route Card except where the section specifies Coloured Roads Only (CRO). Coloured roads are defined as Blue (Motorway - M), Green (Primary Route - P), Red (A), Orange/Brown (B) or Yellow (C).

16. A dual-carriageway as defined on the map legend, is to be regarded as two separate roads and cannot be used in the wrong direction (Note to foreign entrants: we drive on the left hand side of the road in the UK). Entry to, or exit from dual carriageways, where the line of the road is unbroken is not permitted.

17. Roundabouts are to be treated as you would normally (in the UK) i.e. travel clockwise.

18. All roads leading off the edge of the map or defined plotting area are no through roads (NTR) should be ignored in the navigation and when answering the Route Checks unless specifically instructed to the contrary. All roads passing through buildings shall be regarded as no through roads. All roads that are broken by lettering or bridges (but appearing the other side) should be treated as continuous. All gates, should be ignored, i.e. assumed to be open. If a Route Card implies that various points on the map are to be avoided, these don't "break" the road and make it a NTR.

19. Roads running parallel with no broken connecting line shall be deemed to not connect.

20. Spot heights are defined as being part of the route only when the actual spot (or circle) is on the road. Those on the central reservation of dual-carriageways are classified as being off-road. Triangulation Pillars are only used when specifically stated.

21. Where reference is made to bridges, they only count where at least one side of the bridge symbol is actually shown. Bear in mind that over a cutting or embankment, the bridge symbol often delimits the extent of the cutting or embankment. Footbridges count as bridges. 
Where reference is made to fords, they only count where the word 'Ford' is present.

22. All compass bearings are based on grid North unless otherwise stated.

23. Tolerances for answers requiring measurements will be shown on the Route Cards.

24. As well as the legend on the map these abbreviations (and others for you to discover) may be used on the Route Cards.

25. The following legend will be used to define Route Check questions:

Br, BrO, BrU - Number of Bridges used in total, Bridges Over, Bridges Under. A 'bridge under' means the rally route goes under the bridge; a 'bridge over' means the rally route goes over the bridge.
CB - Number of times you cross a County Boundary. 
ChT - Number of different churches with towers within 200 metres of the route. 
ChS - Number of different churches with spires within 200 metres of the route.
Ch+ - Number of different churches without spires or  towers within 200 metres of the route.
Ch - Number of different churches with or without spires or towers within 200 metres of the route.
Measurements for churches are from the edge of the road to the centre of the +.
DB - Number of times you cross a District Boundary. 
ETL - Number of Electricity Transmission Lines (not the cableways) crossed. 
GC - Total number of Green Circles (Cycle Network symbols) which cover or break the edge line of the road.
GLxx - Number of times you crossed Grid Line number xx.
GN - List the blue grid number digits in the order visited on route which cover or break the edge line of the road.
LETTERS - List the capital letters in the order visited on route which cover or break the edge line of the road.
Letters - List all letters in the order visited on route which cover or break the edge line of the road.
letters - List all lowercase letters in the order visited on route which cover or break the edge line of the road.
MRnnnnnn or MRnnnnnnnn - Does the route pass through this Map Reference? Yes/No answer required.
N, S, E, W - Enter the number of the Kilometre Square of the most Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western part of the route.
O>W, R>B etc. - Asks how many times does the route change from an Orange road to a White road, a Red road to a Blue road etc. This includes crossings over a higher class road from a lower class road e.g. at crossroads.
R - Total number of different Roundabouts visited.
RD - Total number of different Red Diamonds (National Trail symbols) which cover or break the edge line of the road.
RO, RU - Number of times Over Railway, Under Railway - irrespective of a bridge symbol. Unless specified otherwise, disused railways are to be excluded. A railway crossing, where the line of the railway covers the road e.g. at a level crossing - whether or not marked as LC - will count as Over Railway. Crossing over Railway Tunnels counts as Over Railway.
SH - List Spot Heights in the order visited on route.
SHn - Enter the value of the nth Spot Height on route.
T - Number of different telephones within 200 metres of the route (position determined by the end of the black line).
WWW, OWY etc. - Asks how many White road/White road/White road junctions, Orange road/White road/Yellow road junctions etc. on route. There is no significance in the order of colours. Does not include No Through Roads.
X - Number of crossroads (four way junctions excluding NTRs) used.
<<, <, >>, > - Number of gradients of different types used (direction reading from left to right).
^ - Total gradient arrows used (count the arrows).
"xxxx" - Did the edge of any road on route pass within 200 metres of any part of the whole word "xxxx" on the map? Yes/No answer required. 

When counting or listing features always ignore those at the same location as the start TC or finish TC. 

26. The organisers reserve the right to appoint an arbiter should there be any dispute over a section. or cancel or amend any section should the need arise. 

27. Specific queries concerning the route cannot be accepted, but general enquiries will be answered by e-mail.

28. A trophy will be awarded to the winner of each event. Trophies will be awarded to the first three overall in each Championship. The net income from the Championship will be donated to Cancer Research.

29. This master set of rules will be published here. Any information which changes after original publication, that materially affects the running of an event or the Championship, will be notified via to competitors by e-mail. 

30. The competition is open to individuals and their individual effort. Group or joint entries will not be accepted. Enlisting the assistance of another person or competitor to help solve the Route Cards is not permitted and may lead to a competitor's exclusion from the results.