Bishop's Stortford Spring - British Blind Off 2023


Date
Mar 11 - 12, 2023
City
Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Venue

Birchwood High School

Address
Parsonage Lane, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 5BD
Details

Library

Contact
Organization team
Organizers
Sam Spendla and UK Cube Association
WCA Delegates
Eleanor Sinnott, James Molloy, Oliver Hexter, and Sam Spendla
Download all the competition's details as PDF here.
Information

PLEASE NOTE: This is a Blindfolded specialist competition. We do not recommend this competition to first time competitors. Please make sure to read all the information in the tabs above. We will be holding Clock, Square-1 and Megaminx in addition, but we still regard this as a blindfolded specialist competition.

The winner of 3x3 Blindfolded will be announced as the winner of the competition.

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Events
Main event
Competitors
30
Registration period

Online registration opened and closed .

Registration requirements
This competition is over, click here to display the registration requirements it used.
Create a WCA account here if you don't have one.
If this is not your first competition, associate your WCA ID to your WCA account here.
Register for this competition here.
There is a competitor limit of 30 competitors.
The base registration fee for this competition is £30 (British Pound).
If your registration is cancelled before you will be refunded 75% of your registration fee.
Registrants on the waiting list may be accepted onto the competitor list until .
If you are a registered competitor you may change your registered events until on the Register tab.
No on the spot registrations will be accepted.


Make sure to register and pay for the competition to be accepted. We will not accept any registrations at the competition.

Once you have been accepted you will receive a confirmation email. If registration is full by the time you pay then you will not receive this confirmation email and you will be on the waiting list. If you do not make the competitor list by the limit date for refunds (specified above), then you will be refunded 100% of your registration fee. You may contact us to ask for your current position on the waiting list.

If you can no longer attend, let us know as soon as possible through the contact link on the General Info page. We often have waiting lists so letting us know you cannot attend allows us to add another person to the competition. By not telling us you are denying someone a chance to compete.

If you have any problems check out the FAQ, or feel free to contact us.

Highlights
Click here to display the highlights of the competition.

Kamil Przybylski won with a single solve of 20.07 seconds in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event. Adrian Dębski finished second (20.26) and Ezra Hirschi finished third (21.11).

European records: Ezra Hirschi‎ 5x5x5 Blindfolded 2:57.33 (single).

Event Name Best Average Representing Solves
3x3x3 Blindfolded Kamil Przybylski 20.07 25.11 Poland 26.1329.1320.07
3x3x3 Fewest Moves Lichi Fang (方力驰) 23 25.67 China 262328
Clock Daniel Partridge 4.08 5.56 United Kingdom 4.085.977.355.665.04
Megaminx Daniel Partridge 43.48 48.63 United Kingdom 46.4243.481:04.2553.1846.29
Square-1 Marcus Siu 8.06 9.62 United Kingdom 10.639.279.809.788.06
4x4x4 Blindfolded Ezra Hirschi 1:34.73 NR DNF Switzerland DNF1:34.73DNF
5x5x5 Blindfolded Ezra Hirschi 2:57.33 ER DNF Switzerland 2:57.333:12.18DNF
3x3x3 Multi-Blind Ezra Hirschi 40/52 58:42 Switzerland DNS40/52 58:42
Event Round Format Time limit Cutoff Proceed
3x3x3 Blindfolded First round Bo3 10:00.00 cumulative * Top 75% advance to next round
Second round Bo3 10:00.00 cumulative * Top 75% advance to next round
Final Bo3 5:00.00 cumulative *
3x3x3 Fewest Moves Final Mo3 1 hour
Clock First round Bo2 / Ao5 1:00.00 2 attempts to get < 20.00 Top 12 advance to next round
Final Ao5 10:00.00
Megaminx Final Bo2 / Ao5 3:00.00 2 attempts to get < 1:45.00
Square-1 Final Bo2 / Ao5 1:30.00 2 attempts to get < 45.00
4x4x4 Blindfolded Final Bo3 30:00.00 cumulative *
5x5x5 Blindfolded Final Bo3 45:00.00 cumulative *
3x3x3 Multi-Blind Final Bo2 10:00.00 per cube, up to 60:00.00

You are viewing the schedule for the venue Birchwood High School.
The schedule is displayed in the timezone Europe/London.
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Schedule for Saturday (March 11, 2023)

From 09:15 AM
To 10:15 AM
3x3x3 Fewest Moves Final (Attempt 1)
Library
Format
Mo3
Time limit
1 hour
From 10:15 AM
To 12:15 PM
3x3x3 Multi-Blind Final (Attempt 1)
Library
Format
Bo2
Time limit
10:00.00 per cube, up to 60:00.00
From 12:15 PM
To 01:00 PM
Lunch
Library
From 01:00 PM
To 02:15 PM
3x3x3 Fewest Moves Final (Attempt 2)
Library
Format
Mo3
Time limit
1 hour
From 02:15 PM
To 04:15 PM
5x5x5 Blindfolded Final
Library
Format
Bo3
Time limit
45:00.00 cumulative *
From 04:15 PM
To 05:30 PM
3x3x3 Fewest Moves Final (Attempt 3)
Library
Format
Mo3
Time limit
1 hour

Schedule for Sunday (March 12, 2023)

From 09:10 AM
To 09:50 AM
3x3x3 Blindfolded First round
Library
Format
Bo3
Time limit
10:00.00 cumulative *
Proceed
Top 75% advance to next round
From 09:50 AM
To 11:20 AM
4x4x4 Blindfolded Final
Library
Format
Bo3
Time limit
30:00.00 cumulative *
From 11:20 AM
To 12:00 PM
3x3x3 Blindfolded Second round
Library
Format
Bo3
Time limit
10:00.00 cumulative *
Proceed
Top 75% advance to next round
From 12:00 PM
To 12:45 PM
Lunch
Library
From 12:45 PM
To 02:00 PM
3x3x3 Multi-Blind Final (Attempt 2)
Library
Format
Bo2
Time limit
10:00.00 per cube, up to 60:00.00
From 02:00 PM
To 02:40 PM
Clock First round
Library
Format
Bo2 / Ao5
Time limit
1:00.00
Cutoff
2 attempts to get < 20.00
Proceed
Top 12 advance to next round
From 02:40 PM
To 03:20 PM
Square-1 Final
Library
Format
Bo2 / Ao5
Time limit
1:30.00
Cutoff
2 attempts to get < 45.00
From 03:20 PM
To 04:00 PM
Megaminx Final
Library
Format
Bo2 / Ao5
Time limit
3:00.00
Cutoff
2 attempts to get < 1:45.00
From 04:00 PM
To 04:20 PM
3x3x3 Blindfolded Final
Library
Format
Bo3
Time limit
5:00.00 cumulative *
From 04:20 PM
To 04:50 PM
Clock Final
Library
Format
Ao5
Time limit
10:00.00
From 04:50 PM
To 05:10 PM
Awards
Library

UKCA

All competitions in the UK are run by the UKCA with the help of our many organisers from all over the country. We have organised over 60 competitions in the UK and have also helped run competitions over in Ireland to help their community grow. Our delegates have over 300 combined competitions of experience with many more to come.

Make sure to follow our social media pages to keep up to date with the latest content and media!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I register?
A: First you need to make sure you have created a WCA account. You can do this by going to the sign-up page and creating an account. Once you have created the account and confirmed your email address, follow the menu bar to the Register page and follow the instructions fully and carefully.

Q: Why am I not on the registration list yet?
A: Please make sure that you have followed the instructions listed on the Register page. You could also be on the waiting list. The competitor limit can be found on the General Info page, and you can see the number on accepted competitors on the Competitors page also on the menu. If you have done everything correctly and the competition is not full then just be patient. We have to manually approve registrations and the organisers aren't available all the time. If you believe you have followed the steps correctly but still are not on the registration list after 2-3 days, then feel free to email us at the contact link on the General Info page. You can contact us at any time to check your place on the waiting list as well.

Q: I am no longer able to attend, what do I do?
A: The first thing you need to do is tell us as soon as you know via the contact link on the General Info page. Competitions generally fill up quite quickly and letting us know that you can't attend means we can add someone from the waiting list.

Q: If I do not attend do I get a refund?
A: If you inform us you are no longer attending before the limit date for refunds on the General Info page then you will receive a 75% refund. If this time has passed then you will receive no refund.

Q: How fast do I have to be to compete?
A: We recommend that you check out the Events and Schedule tabs - if you can make the time limit for the events you want to compete in, then you're fast enough! Loads of people come to competitions just to beat their own personal bests, and meet likeminded people, with no intention of winning or even making it past the first round.

Q: Are there different age categories?
A: All competitors compete on the same level and all ages are welcome. In general most are aged 10-20 but we have plenty of regulars who are older or younger than this!

Q: Do I use my own cubes to compete?
A: Yes! Whilst COVID-19 is still around, you will not be able to borrow puzzles. Make sure to bring cubes for all events you are competing in and look after them, you don't want them to go missing.

Q: Am I allowed to bring a guest?
A: Yes, you are allowed to bring a guest, however you will not be allowed to bring more than 1 guest per competitor.

Q: Can I come only to spectate?
A: No, spectators will not be allowed.

Q: I'm a parent, what can I do to get involved?
A: If you're looking for something to do then you can certainly help out with the running and judging! We pretty much always need help with this and they are really easy procedures to follow. You can come to the introduction to competing where we go through all of it there, and there is a tutorial on the Important Information tab as well. Running is also great for step count and requires zero knowledge of cubing if you're worried about that!

Q: When do I arrive at the competition?
A: If you are a new competitor, we highly recommend that you show up for the introduction to competing which is held as the first thing on both days. Otherwise, we recommend you turn up at least 15 minutes before your first event, you can check when this is on the Schedule tab. This will give you enough time to register, find a seat, and warm-up.

Q: What do I do when I arrive?
A: The first thing you do when you arrive is find the registration desk if registration is open. If you arrive before registration opens, we will make an announcement as to when it does open. If there is nobody present at the registration desk then find a staff member and we will make sure to register you.

Q: When can I leave the competition?
A: You are more than welcome to leave whenever you want. If you have no more events left then you are not required to stay.

Q: How do I find results?
A: All the results will be found on this page a couple of days after the competition, once they have all been checked and uploaded. If you are looking for live results, in the Menu Bar at the top go to Results ≫ WCA Live.

BLD Specialist Competition

As listed on the main page, this competition is a BLD specialist competition. The only events being held are 3BLD, 4BLD, 5BLD, MultiBLD, Fewest Moves, Clock, Megaminx and Square-1. No other conventional speedsolving events will be held. Due to this, we highly recommend that if you have not attended a WCA competition before that you attend a different one to this as your first competition since this is a very different format to regular competitions.

In addition, since the competitor limit for this competition is much smaller than other competitions we will require that everyone who is attending help out as much as possible throughout the weekend. We also encourage friends and family attending to help out with the judging as well if possible! If you are unfamiliar with the judging procedure for Blindfolded events please read the section on Blindfolded solving in the regulations below.

New Competitors

If you are a new competitor, it is important that you are familiar with the Regulations. The regulations are very long and are quite a lot to take in so don't worry if you don't remember it all! Because of this, we have a video that explains the competing procedure which we recommend to watch before attending: Competing Tutorial.

New competitors must bring some form of ID to show at the competition to confirm the name, the country they wish to compete for, and the date of birth registered with. The usual items of ID that people bring are Passports, Birth Certificates, Driver's Licenses, etc. As long as it has your name, date of birth, and country, then it will be fine.

If you have any questions, we recommend that you check the FAQ in case it has been asked before. But you are more than welcome to contact us at the link on the General Info page. We also recommend you check out the UKCA tab to sign up to our mailing list for announcements of future competitions, among other things.

Information for All Competitors

  • Please help judge! As a competitor, your judging assignments are the absolute minimum you should be doing to help out. As second rounds, third rounds and finals have no assigned judges, we really need people to help out whenever available for these. If you are directly asked to judge, please go and judge for the remainder of the round in progress. If you do not comply then we are within our rights to disqualify you from the competition as per Regulation 1e2. If you're a parent you can also get involved with running and juging, it's really easy!
  • Please note that Carbon-Fiber puzzles are not permitted, and please make sure your cube complies with logo regulations!
  • When you are competing and have handed in your puzzle, please make sure to be waiting in the designated area so that judges and runners do not have to come searching for you.
  • Please DO NOT talk about the scrambles or your solutions whilst the round is in progress as per Regulation 2g3.
  • During blindfolded events, please stay silent within the venue. These events require a high amount of concentration and any noise can be distracting. We will announce when the silence will begin and when you may talk within the venue again.
  • No flash photography under any circumstance within the venue. It is extremely distracting for competitors.
  • If you are a spectator, please stay 1.5m away from competitors at all times as per Regulation 7b. If you are filming someone competing, please stay out of the competitor area.
  • Please treat the venue with respect, put all of your rubbish in bins, black bin bags, or take it home with you and keep your area tidy.
  • There are thousands of puzzles at these events, make sure to keep yours together so you don't lose them! Keeping them in a bag and looking after it at all times is recommended. If you do lose a puzzle, please contact us at the link on the General Info page, it is likely that someone has handed it in to us.
  • We will be taking videos and photographs of the competition and the environment for our social media pages and website. By attending the competition as a competitor or a guest, you are accepting that you may be filmed or photographed for these purposes.

Venue

The venue is the Library at Birchwood High School in Bishop's Stortford

Travel

Car: The venue's postcode is CM23 5BD. Details regarding parking will be made available closer to the time.
Train: Bishop's Stortford has its own train station, which is around a half hour walk from the school. Bishop's Stortford is on the West Anglia Main Line between London Liverpool Street and Cambridge, easily accessible from both.
Plane: Stansted Airport is less than a stone's throw away! Anyone arriving by plane can get a cheap taxi or bus into Bishop's Stortford directly from the airport.
Bus: Birchwood High School has its own bus stop served by many local routes.

Accommodation

Being so close to Stansted Airport, there are many hotels in the vicinity of Bishop's Stortford, including but not limited to:

The following individuals are on the waiting list. Please be patient as this list is manually updated.

Waiting List:

  1. Joe Greenland
  2. Mengfei Shen (沈梦非)
  3. Carter-Lee Spink
  4. Zhimei Liu (刘智美

Your Groups can be found here!

Time limit

If you reach the time limit during your solve, the judge will stop you and your result will be DNF (see Regulation A1a4).
A cumulative time limit may be enforced (see Regulation A1a2).

Cutoff

The result to beat to proceed to the second phase of a cutoff round (see Regulation 9g).

Format

The format describes how to determine the ranking of competitors based on their results. The list of allowed formats per event is described in Regulation 9b. See Regulation 9f for a description of each format.

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