3rd/4th Sept - XFM Featherweight Challenge, Norwich

XFM Featherweight Challenge - Norwich

The XFM Featherweight Series continues its travels around the UK with a trip to the University of East Anglia in Norwich, with the XFM Featherweight Challenge taking place in the main Student Union hall, complete with its bars, cafes and everything you would expect from a SU venue.

As with the other XFM Events, each show is a self contained event for the audience attending and will feature the new XFM Featherweight arena - polycarbed to 4m in height Battlebox style, and packed with effects this arena has been designed from the ground up to show the featherweight class at its best.

As with the format for the Cambridge event, the event is fully underwritten and there will be prizes from £250 down for the winners and runners up in the event. We are also hoping to provide free accomodation for all teams attending at the university as well as a contribution to expenses. We have also been asked to consider doing an 18+ show on the Saturday night - Saturday Night Fight Night which well have to have a chat to some teams about.

Further public and Roboteer information will be posted over the coming weeks, but again we wanted to let the roboteers know about this event as soon as we knew about it. This will be by far the biggest XFM event yet, with a followup event already in the planning.

If youre interested in coming, please feel free to post in the thread below, and well update you with news as it comes.

Ed - XFM

Might be able to make it. Not sure about the 18+ night though, better be only for the audience! (Ageist discrimination methinks :proud:)

We will be up for it.

I did an Open University Summer School there for a week way back in 1994 but I can vouch for the accommodation and canteen. In fact I still have the UEA hoodie I bought there :)

I never got over the fact that the locals pronounce the name of their town Narrge :proud:

sign me up Ed, over 18s night? why? If you say stripper......

Please add microCHIP to the list.
Rob

Event Update

Weve been looking at how the past few XFM events have gone and will be making some changes which we hope will encourage more teams to take part in the events.[*]Overall prize fund will be increased More prizes (not just a first place) Different show times to attract larger (still) audiences[/list]Were also making the all out competition a smaller part of the show, meaning that those teams that can only attend one day, or who dont want to compete in an all out environment can have more fun at the events. Hopefully this combined with more prizes will address the balance of Extreme destruction weve been seeing at XFMs events.

Were also curiously under-subscribed for this event .... unless everyone has given up on Featherweights if youre planning to go could you sign up online at http://www.extremefightingmachines.co.uk/apply.htmlhttp://www.extremefightingmachines.co.uk/apply.html when you get a moment.

More information will be emailed out to teams over the coming weeks.

Ed - XFM

Team Dragon will be there with 5 robots DragonStrike 2, Tiamat 2, Tatsu And 2 new ram bots.( David just got his first job, the first thing he did was order some motors from America should be intresting )

Tony

Put me down as a maybe with just the one bot please Ed

Ed put me down as a possibility with the one fw robot , will most probably be the first outing with the robot . What is the best way to get from Scotland to Norwich ??? :)

Aeroplane :) Norwich has an international airport about 5 miles from the venue.

If youre coming, can you register on the site please....

Ed - XFM

Hi Ed,

Just registered our new featherweight from the Lambsy Team.

4 Baa 4

Ian

Good to have you along Ian !

Ill try to get a list of attending teams up at some point in the next week or so when I get a moment.

Ed - XFM

Looks as though me and David are going with Pillow Torque. Can you let me know what type of accommodation is available? If all OK then Ill register.

We are sorting out accom. for the event at the moment Karoline. All teams that have registered will get the details emailed out as soon as we have them.

Ed - XFM

OK thanks, Ill register today and wait for the email.

Robots attending so far are :

Rampage, MicroChip, Scorpion Eviloution, BatterBot, The Turtle, The Shovel, Dragonstrike, NoName, Tiamat, Dragon, Kraken, Tatsu, Little Hitter, Little Flipper, Little Spinner, Mini Mouse, Action, Dizzy Tilly, 4 Baa 4, Flipper, DB5, Pillow Torque, G3, Alpha and Byte.

Its great to see some new faces as to XFM as well as some new faces to the live event circuit - if theres anything we can do to help you guys out please dont hesitate to get in touch with any questions you might have.

Theres some old favourites and no doubt Pete and Shane will be working hard to make sure that Dizzy Tilly is fighting fit and ready to defend their title as current XFM Champions !

Were in the process of making final arrangements for the roboteers, and an email will be sent out to teams letting you know what the plan is.

Tickets went on sale last week and are already selling and were hopeful that this should be another great sell-out XFM event !

Ed - XFM

Quick update, cant send an email out to teams attending as Im away in Edinburgh at the moment and dont have all your details with me.

Weve arranged a nice local campsite for you all on the Friday and Saturday night. Need to know the following :

Who wants to stay Fri night
Who wants to stay Sat night
How many in each party
What size tent/caravan for each party

Best thing to do is email me with the details.

Thanks guys !

Ed - XFM

ed, can h/w robots participate or is this
f/w only ?
havent competed this year and im getting
frustrated !!
i would probably turn up just to be static as
i live close by.

Terry, the competition/show is only a featherweight affair Im afraid - youre more than welcome to come along as a static display if you want though. Where abouts are you based ?

ED - XFM

Hi Ed, Im based in fakenham so will take me about 1/2hr to get to the event,
would love to bring my little boy along, he is
1 year old, its to much trouble to look after him when im competing !!

Anyone heading to this event who could give me a lift from an airport to the event. I can fly into most airports, I am told that standsted is the nearest but i am not sure, I can fly into most airports so please contact me.

Just a feather and an ant so not much gear
Regards
Ian

Can you fly right into Norwich? (maybe catching a train into the centre of the town) http://www.norwichairport.co.uk/http://www.norwichairport.co.uk/

Ewan dont you think i might have thought of that??? Try getting a flight for less that 1,000,000dollars from dublin to norwich, not easy. They say something about a direct flight on the website but i cant find a link for internet booking.

Dublin, from £24.99 one way

Mr Stu

I suggest you get a RyanAir from Dublin to Manchester (about 15 Euros but sometimes you can get a one way for 1 Euro)then get a direct train to Norwich. Im thinking of getting the train from N Wales to Manchester then the direct train. Dont fancy the 6 hour drive!

How much would a train be rob?

depends on the ticket type, day return? etc. but a two day standard return is £72. Check it out on the trainline website

When are we going to know where we are camping etc?

I got an email about it at just after 2pm, keep an eye on your inbox I guess

Can you forward it to me please Ewan. I have a feeling it went to the Pillow Torque address instead of my own - as Jenny is on holiday I have no access.

Many thanks

sent

received ta

Please note that we have changed the campsite from the one indicated in the email. Details here

http://www.tiscover.co.uk/gb/guide/5gb%2Cen%2CSCH1/objectId%2CCPS9839gb%2Ccurr%2CGBP%2CparentId%2CRGN 3gb%2Cseason%2Cat2%2CselectedEntry%2Ccamping/intern.htmlhttp://www.tiscover.co.uk/gb/guide/5...curr,GBP,paren tId,RGN3gb,season,at2,selectedEntry,camping/intern.html

Its only about 3 miles from the UEA, far closer to the center of town, the hotels that other people are staying in etc etc

If you do turn up at the other one, theyve got instructions to send you to this one :)

Ed - XFM

Ed how late can you get onto the site on Friday.

Tony

Ed how late can you get onto the site on Friday.

Mark

Ed how late can you get onto the site on Friday.

Stu

No later than 10:30pm on the Friday night guys. Go to the office at the campsite and if theyre not there ring the doorbell !

Pete and Big Nipper boys have serviced pitches with power.

Ed

Just another update, the pit has been fixed and I Challenge anyone to break it this time :oP (actually I take that back). Tickets havnt sold as well for Norwich as elsewhere (Norwich doesnt seem to follow any known models for behaviour!) - however the final is a sell out and well just have to see how the other shows sell on the day.

All of the sound and lighting has been upgraded and improved - the only sad comment is that the comedy hammer wont be working as I cant get one of the valves to work :o( Ill bring the bits, and any of you pneumatic gurus who thinks they know what the problem is, is more than welcome to fix it in return for beer :oP

Anyway, the arena goes up Friday PM, so hopefully youll find us all relaxed on Saturday morning when you all arrive by 10am ;o)

Catch u all at the weekend !

ED - XFM

As long as I can get a couple of sessions learning how to drive I wont mind :wink:
PS. Im not kidding here folks