GBRT : West Indies 2013

The morning after the night before. There was some celebration last night, but it didn't stop groups leaving the hotel early this morning to go on a drive to various interesting points on the island or to take a catamaran up the west coast, while others simply relaxed close to base and read the Sunday Sun in which we featured.

The magical mystery tour group went to a wildlife sanctuary, where they saw monkeys, parrots, iguanas and some "interesting" tortoise behaviour, then went to the Grenade Hall signal tower and  Bathsheba and got to see the east coast in all its stormy glory.

The related showers came as welcome relief at times to those sailing the west coast - they were keen to enjoy being on deck but didn't want to join the ranks of those needing emergency sunburn treatment. Three anchorages in bays saw them snorkelling over a wreck and a reef, swimming to a beach, being (in one case) thrown off the back of a jet ski and, as the big highlight of the day, swimming amongst turtles that were happy to come and rub fins with us.

After everyone had returned to base, the team was organised into "number 1s" for a formal team photograph before decamping to the Museum of Barbados for a delicious dinner and very detailed prize giving.

A new trophy, the David Hossack Memorial Quaich, was presented by the Great Britain Rifle Team for the aggregate of the West Indies Short Range Championship and West Indies Long Range Championship team matches (for both West Indian teams and any international teams shooting alongside). GB were proud inaugural winners of the Quaich and attempted to drain it of Highland Park before Nigel Penn kissed it on its bottom. There has not previously been a trophy for international team shooting in the West Indies over the full short and long range course; it is hoped that the Quaich will be something the Caribbean countries aspire to win every year, as well as something that may tempt future international teams to travel to the West Indies to contest.

Lucky and Bally won lots of individual pots, Chris Weeden somehow won a prize reserved for West Indians (Jules was surprised to learn he'd been granted citizenship!), and the speeches sweepstake was won with a time of 69 minutes and 31 seconds, not including 15 mins of C4 intro and 70 minutes of prizes). During them, Lucky was bemused to be remembered for having won the Queen's(!) and Colin Cheshire was recognised for being well groomed. Our hosts were very generous with their time.

And of course Nigel Penn was presented, very graciously, with the Australia Match trophy by John Baxter, Australia's very popular captain. That was what we had come for. Mission accomplished.