GBRT : Canada 2011

The drive to the range this morning was delightful, cool with a promise of a sunny, pleasant day. As I begin today's diary at about 1400, some medium level cloud is beginning to move in. At 0800, time for the start of 1st detail, the wind was almost non existent, what little there was being from the south, up our trouser legs. The team has shot the 300 and 500 metre stages of the Letson. As the morning has progressed, a sometimes tricky fishtail has developed – enough to ensure that not everyone has a 105 still in the gun.

We shot the Coach's match just after lunch, 2/10 at 900 metres, funnily enough, 2 firers, coached. Jeremy Langley twiddled Kelvin Ramsey and Dan Blake's knobs, who together put in a 97.6, our highest scoring team, meanwhile a Canadian team scored 99. Wind bracket from 3 to 10 minutes.

2100 hours local time...

This year, the Alexander of Tunis has been relatively benign. Winds have been pretty much steady and lessening in strength all afternoon. The final detail at 1720 required a correction of about 5 minutes at the start of the shoot dwindling to a mere 2 or so by the end. The only possible excuse was slightly dim light. Average scores across the board were rather higher than in our Corporation.

It seems JJ will have to award another blank round to a team member. A little friend tells me that a certain young lady forgot her ammo back at the team base before shooting the 500x stage of the Letson. Fortunately, the adjutant had enough spare ammunition to supply her needs. I'm sure that Emma will look good with her new pendant! There is another team member who thinks we haven't heard about his similar ammunition forgetfulness, ho hum.

Tonight's entertainment was a “corn broil” at the range. Barbequed hot dogs and some boiled corn, would you believe? Not all will be attending, those that stay at the hotel will be entertaining the Athelings to a swim and a play in the hot tub. Heretofore they have been on the range at Connaught for the last fortnight, with no respite. We hope they will enjoy an evening out with pizza, cola and various other horrific “e” numbers and coloured drinks on the menu. I hope they will not all be returned buzzing to the range this evening.

We shoot the President's tommorrow , a Queens 2 course of fire combined with the Gibson, 2/10 at 800m. The forecast warns us of scattered thunderstorms, an increasing wind and a rather warm, humid day.