Note that clickable links to today's ranges, matches and
aggregates are provided following the commentary.
World Fullbore Championships - Day 8
Sun 02 Sep 2007
Palma Match – Day 2
1000 - Sunday
The 700m range is now complete. To start with there was virtually no wind, just
the slightest dribble from the right. Towards the end of the shoot, it switched
to the left, coming from about 7:30, but not much strength, perhaps a minute or
so.
GB had another excellent shoot, going clean again, and only just failing to
break the magic number of 200 Xs. South Africa dropped 1, Australia 2, USA and
Canada 3 each. The Channel Islands had a good shoot, dropping only 2, but
probably lost too many yesterday to be in contention for medals.
Much can, of course, happen at 800 and 900 metres, but at the moment it looks as
if the race will be for silver and bronze between South Africa, Australia and
the USA.
Points dropped so far (unofficial scores): GB 63, South Africa 94, Australia
103, USA 110, Canada 152, New Zealand 162.
The 800 metres will start at 1100.
1400 - Sunday
Lunch-break is nearly over and the final 900 metre range about to begin. The
wind has been increasing steadily from the left, which should make for a very
interesting final range.
In the morning 800m, GB dropped 34, South Africa 33 and Australia 26. So the gap
between 2nd and 3rd has narrowed to a mere 2 points, with the USA (-49) losing
some ground. Canada is now only one point ahead of New Zealand in 5th place.
Points dropped so far (unofficial scores) from HPS 12,000: GB 97, South Africa
127, Australia 129, USA 159, Canada 195, New Zealand 196.
Shooting starts at 900 metres at 1430.
1615
Unofficial scores show that Great Britain has won the Palma Match by 25 points
from South Africa. Australia was the top scoring team on Day 2 but was not able
to overcome their deficit from Day 1, finishing in 3rd place. There was a gusty
west wind all afternoon, a good challenge for coaches, shooters and team
strategies.
Points dropped (unofficial) from HPS 14000: GB 200, South Africa 225, Australia
228, USA 285, Canada 356, New Zealand 370, Channel Islands 565, Germany 700,
Kenya 808, West Indies 910.
Later on Sunday
The Prize Presentations were made shortly after the end of the Match. The
ceremony started in a state of some turmoil, since several important people,
including Mr. Stan frost, the DCRA Executive Vice President and President of
ICFRA, and Mr. Ron Ellis, Honorary Captain of the Canadian Palma Team and member
of the Ice Hockey Hall of Fame, our co-guest of honour, had to leave early since
Air Canada had decided to cancel a number of flights for Sunday evening. No
wonder more and more people fly WestJet!
We were also delighted to welcome MGen Guy Thibeault, Assistant Chief of the
Land Staff of the Canadian Forces, who, with MGen Tom de Faye, President of the
DCRA, shared the presentation of prizes.
There was a lengthy period in which Palma Team captains gave gifts, in solid
andl iquid form, to the other teams and to other worthy recipients (including me
– thank you!). And then we got on to the serious business of the awards.
First, there was the Connaught Match, between two mixed Japanese-Canadian Teams.
This was the first time Japanese shooters have been to Ottawa, and we hope they
will be back. The match was fired alongside the Palma, four shooters per team.
One might note that the top team’s score, scaled up to 16 firers, would have put
them close to 9th place in the Palma.
1. Team Shishi Lion 3371.101
2. Team Tora Tiger 3356.90
The Fulton Trophy is awarded to the top scorer from any team in the Palma Match.
The winner of the Trophy and Gold Medal was Gillian Webb-Enslin from Australia
with 896.53 (HPS 900), from Petrus Haasbroek, South Africa, 895.45, and Jon
Underwood, GBRT, 894.52. I’m going to suggest that in the future the coach of
the top scorer should also receive a medal.
Finally, the medals were awarded for the Palma Match itself. Here are the scores
as recorded in the DCRA Stats Office. These are not necessarily identical to
those on the Live Scores web site. Some final clerical checking is needed, but
the core results will not change.
10. West Indies 13468.355
9. Kenya 13591.417
8. Germany 13691.417
7. Channel Islands 13835.556
6. New Zealand 14030.614
5. Canada 14055.630
4. United States of America 14115.724
3. Australia 14172.728 Bronze Medals
2. South Africa 14175.709 Silver Medals
1. Great Britain 14200.766 The “Palma” Trophy, Gold Medals
At the close of the ceremony, Australian and Canadian flags were presented to
Catherine Berry, NRA of Australia, in anticipation of the next match to be held
in that country in 2011.
And Summing up on the day after ......
With both the Canadian and World Championships, from 16 August to 2 September,
this has been a long and intensive period of shooting. By and large, it has been
a very successful event. For most of the time, the weather was pretty kind to
us, with only three major periods of rain, one on the “rest” day when there was
no shooting. The other two were coped with in good fashion. The winds were
usually interesting, sometimes “diabolical” in the words of the GB Head Coach,
and he should know! The general atmosphere was one of very keen, but fair and
sportsmanlike competition, which is just how it should be. As the Programme
Chairman – Match Director, I feel satisfied that Canada and the DCRA put on
events worthy of the great traditions of the 125 years of Canadian Meetings and
of World Championships and the Palma Trophy. I thank all the teams and shooters
for taking part, and, most of all, I thank all those who made it possible from
this end: the Range Staff, the Butts Staff, the QM Staff, the Office Staff, the
Equipment/Ammo inspection groups, the volunteer register keepers and those who
organised them, the active members of the DCRA Executive Committee, and the
Commandant and Staff of Connaught Ranges. Now, we can all relax for a few days
before getting on with the next job!
Jim Thompson
This page last updated Sun Sep 02 2007 18:20:43
SmallArmsTM software supplied by J.D. Gorrie & Associates Ltd.
Comments and suggestions about this web site are welcome.
E-mail may be sent to
office@dcra.ca.