UK masters

ah yes, ron just text me to tell the hotel he would be late. he thinks he'll be here at 11pm though? that's earlier than i was expecting. adam and oliver are almost at my place, and the burgers are ready to go. as for a good pub in swindon, ummm not sure. ill text joey when i get there to find out where you all are!
 
My brother and I would like to meet you guys on a pub tonight. We are staying at travellodge (406). We have been looking for some fellow cubers without any luck :P
 
First post since the comp :p

Things of note, from either my point of view or a more general one:

- Rob Yau actually exists, and he's pretty awesome
- UK NR single now sits at 9.90 (but Rob got it, not Breanden)
- Rob also got a 40.xx 4x4 solve, with PLL parity.
- I somehow managed a 56.10 average in 4x4, which is almost a PB :p
- I failed at square-1, managing to DNF a 14.xx, which would've made my average 20.10, but resulted in a counting 27, to make a 23.xx.
- I managed a sub-14 average :)
- Arnaud has the UWR for carrying multiple small children.
- Breanden finally got a sub-12 average.

I've probably forgotten some stuff, but it was a really good comp :)
 
- Rob Yau actually exists, and he's pretty awesome
- UK NR single now sits at 9.90 (but Rob got it, not Breanden)
- Rob also got a 40.xx 4x4 solve, with PLL parity.

I hope people recorded some of the infamous Robert Yau's solves. :)

He apparently also set a record that's hard to beat, a sub 10 3x3 solve at his first official competition. :p
 
Btw the 9.9 felt really good because I wasn't doing so well in my other solves. I had just a few 12s and 13s (which is ok for my first comp I guess :p).

The solve was about 50 moves (maybe more). So-so F2L, Block OLL and U Perm. :)

And on the 40.53, I probably had a few edges to solve to begin with or I solved a few edges unintentionally. I seriously thought it was going to be 45 or something :p
 
Did you know? (In no particular order)

- that the competition went brilliantly and smoothly, and the organisation team are super-awesome?
- that I got an 11.36 official non-lucky full step single?
- that Arnaud + excitable children = great mirth?
- that me and Joey have a very successful career in rap ahead of us?
- that CLL completely failed me?
- that Rob Yau and Breandan are both doing extremely well at making the UK look good?
- that Joey and Simon owe me £15 and £10?
- that they will be constantly reminded of this fact until I get it? :P
- that Arnaud is just generally awesome? (wait, of course you knew this...)
- that Breandan has far too many 3x3s?
- that you shouldn't use a cube set up for 2H for OH?
- that mini dianshengs are awesome? (EDIT: And that I got a non lucky sub 10 with a Y perm about an hour after I got it?)
- that Chris Ness has too many medals?
- that me and Jude are awesome at team bld?
- that Simon is way awesome at SQ-1 and 4x4?
- that the word 'awesome' can actually apply to everybody and everything this weekend? Thanks guys :)
 
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Arnaud has the UWR for carrying multiple small children.

This was an exciting event. Olivér came in close second but Arnaud clearly is a pro children carrier.

Thanks everyone, event was great.. If only I'd done not done absolutely terrible in every event except for 3x3x3 (full step 14.xx!). I can't believe I got sup 8.xx in 2x2 (stupid counting 13.xx)! I would've been disappointed with 5.xx :( See you all soon!
 
I'm back home! At last! Phew..

Will check what videos I've recorded later and maybe upload them all on YouTube. It was a such a great experience! :D

Let's see what I've achieved in my first ever competition..

2x2 - 11.10s average solve. Not too bad, since I don't practise 2x2. (I don't even own one!)
3x3 - First ever official solve, got a PLL skip. And I manage to get 20.01 seconds average of 5. (Was aiming for sub-20.. meh..)
4x4 - 1:36.50 single solve. (PB is 1:34.68, so it was just 2s away from PB. Good one!)
5x5 - 3:42.65 single solve. (PB!)
3x3 OH - Sub-1min average.. I think.. Have to check out my videos to find out my result.. >.<
Mystery event (plastic bag) - Won a bronze medal!
Scramble copy - Won another bronze medal!

Of course my achievement is nothing compared to Robert's.. Haha :P
 
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Hello all.
Thanks to all who came, it was wonderful and (as charlie will probably say at a later date) it was lovely to have to days run as smoothly as they did and have everyone help out.

I'll go in to more depth when I get home properly. expect a few pictures.

For all interested the scramble for the 9.90 solve (well done robert!) was:

F2 D2 L2 D L2 B2 R2 F2 D F' R D U F' L' D2 U F D2 U
cross on green.

love
-adam
 
2x2 - sub 4.5/NR
3x3 - aiming for finals, assuming that means sub 15/14, and a sub 12 single would be lovely.
4x4 - sub 1:15 (don't care much)
5x5 - sub 2:30 (again, don't care much)
OH - sub 27 (definitely possible if i do a few avgs of 12 a day)
Megaminx - qualify for an avg of 5 (really don't care much, am worse than I remember since I got my new one...)

(FMC - sub 40)

2x2 - epic fail. All of the scrambles were awful for CLL (apart from scramble 5, which I didn't get because I just got the 4th twice. Since I was so angry I didn't bother to get it changed. My mistake :().

3x3 - Got 3 comfortably sub 15 averages, and one non lucky sub 12 single! Brilliant :)

4x4 - lol, nope...
5x5 - see above

OH - I used breandans 2H cube for the first three solves, and Robs OH for the last two. When the times are up you'll see the difference :P Epic fail anyway.

Megaminx - cancelled it since tiles fell off and I couldn't be bothered anyway.

FMC - found a nice 5 move 2x2x2, but nothing could save it. Tried another 6 move 2x2x2, but by then time was coming to an end so I just wrote up a crappy 55 mover with the original block (which I think I wrote up wrong) and stopped.
 
Results: http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/c.php?i=UKMasters2009 (just in case anybody can't find them!)

EDIT: my major personal goals were achieved for the most part: -
Aims: -
* get there in one piece
* don't screw up too bad
* 2x2: 22s, 3x3: 45s avg, 4x4: 3:30, 5x5: 5:00, 6x6: 10:00, 7x7: 15:00 , MM: 6:00, PM: 20s, 3x3OH: 2:00

* "get there in one piece" -- achieved although rather late, in part due to Swindon's Magic Roundabout and the havoc it plays with Sat Nav equipment
* "don't screw up too bad" -- only a few things went badly: 4x4x4 and one of the 5x5x5 solves were grim and full of mistakes
* 45 sec 3x3x3 avg was a major goal for me <high-five-self> \:D/
* 18.97 avg 2x2x2 was great to get although my 2x2 was locked away in the boot of my car and miles away I was able to borrow Arnaud's
* I think I got a new personal best on my single 6x6x6 solve and the megaminx went well too
* I'm sure that my 3x3x3 OH was a new PB too
* it was great doing lots of scrambling, judging, and being spreadsheet monkey -- the marathon scrambling session for the 3x3x3 final by myself, Jean-Louis, and Sylviane ran like a well-oiled machine. I look forward to seeing the videos as we missed it all!
* Jean-Louis restrung my broken magic and then Arnaud taught me how to solve it including the theory and some interesting cases. Adam taught me how to unscramble it (probably to stop me bringing it to him to fix!)
* Arnaud showed me the theory behind N-Perms, Y-Perms, and probably others but I can't really remember as there was pizza in the way!
* Both Arnaud and Ron showed me edge control during the last F2L pair - I must learn this as it would make a big impact speeds up my 2-look OLL
 
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Did you know?
- I totally sucked this competition?
- It had nothing to do with the organisers? (who did a good job!)
- The only thing I didn't like were the chairs?
- So I had to use my jumper as a cushion the whole time?
- The only good result was my 11.06 single?
- Which WAS lucky? (but anticipated :P)
- That me and rowan are totally gangster?
- That I forgot to pay rowan.. but hoped he wouldn't remember?
- That jude is silly, and forgot his jumper?
- That I am the worst caller EVER for team bld?
- That it was a awesome comp?
- I can't wait for the next one, cos I'm looking forward to meeting everyone again?
- That I can't thank Chris Ness enough for driving me to and from the competition?

- And of course.. that Rob Yau EXISTS! (and can solve PHYSICAL cubes!)

Did you know? (In no particular order)
- that I got an 11.36 official non-lucky full step single?
- that me and Joey have a very successful career in rap ahead of us?
- that Joey and Simon owe me £15 and £10?
that Arnaud is just generally awesome? (wait, of course you knew this...)
- that me and Jude are awesome at team bld?
 
Did you know?
- I totally sucked this competition?
What happened to your being able to average sub-1:20 at 3x3x3 BLD without practicing? :p

It looks like it was a lot of fun.
WELL, I meant at home :P

The first was some such sub-2 with parity off, as soon as I took the BLD and saw it.. I was like POOP.
I can't remember the second one (hence DNF :P)
Third was just nice and slow to get a success :P

You watch Mike.. We'll see what happens at US Nats :P
 
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