The SABU championship kicked off today. The 8am first detail meant alarms were set at an unsociable 5:30 to allow time for breakfast, packing the vans, and getting to the range for 7:15.
The first match of the SABU Championships is the Scottish Sword, 7 scoring shots each at 300m, 600m and 900m, with a total possible score of 105.21. Tradition has it that the previous year’s winner presents the sword back to General Mac at the start of the day, in a formal ceremony accompanied by bagpipes. Nigel Ball acquitted his duties perfectly, including the sword salutes, before the match got under way at 300m. This is a warm up shoot ahead of the Grand Aggregate but almost all competitors are here now. Things are getting serious.
As is the common routine at the General De Wet range, the morning sun and wind came steadily from the left. Clear sight pictures meant good scoring, with 18 of the team keeping all the shots in the bull, Chloe Evans and Matthew Button were flawless, firing all 7 into the Vee Bull for 35.7, a great start.
Back at 600m the wind seemed to be running ahead of schedule having already arrived from behind and providing a fishtailing challenge for all. Visits to the 4 ring were frequent, and even occasionally the 3, with only 4 of the team achieving a score of 35. Derek Lowe and James Watson were the only 2 to add 2 clean scores together at this stage. Never fear, however, as the wind gods spiced things up at 900m.
It is unusual to shoot 900m so early in the day. Often, the wind has settled from the right by the time we get back to the longest distance, but today it was rapidly changing either side of centre. The changes were rapid and enough to push shots out of the black altogether but looking at the scorecard things might seem easier – several times this diarist wound on over 3 minutes of wind whilst waiting for his target mates to fire, only to wind it all off again before his next shot. There were two 35s in the team, the best by the Captain, 35.2, but also a 35.1 from Hannah Cook to add to her previous 35 and 34 – a total of 104.7, well done Hannah (we await the final standings from SABU).
This afternoon was the first international match, the RSA International. With the team announced yesterday after just two days on the range, our armourers had spent yesterday evening making sure each of the shooter’s rifles was ready to go.
Two sighting shots and 15 scoring shots at each of 800 & 900m, for 16 firers across 4 targets. The day by now was exceedingly hot, with the metaphorical mercury topping 35 degrees in the shade, and goodness knows what in the full sun on the firing point. Hot sun and ground usually means hot rapidly changing winds and 800m did not disappoint. Waits and stops were common across the range and on several occasions the range fell completely silent as the coaches tried to decipher the contradictory flags and mirages, whilst the firers ‘glowed’ in their thick shooting jackets.
GBRT worked excellently as a team to minimise the points lost and at the halfway point had opened up a 13 point lead over both Australia and South Africa.
Back to 900m, and after a brief pause whilst Jackie ran back to 800m to see if she could find Rick’s missing scorebook (it was a piece of flapping rubbish, and the scorebook was later found under some other kit….) and as the temperatures finally started to drop the South Africans demonstrated home advantage with a breathtaking display of marksmanship and coaching.
The South Africans only dropped 13 points across 16 firers, with half the team going clean for 75. This performance was enough the wrestle the lead back off GB and push them into second place. Congratulations indeed to the South Africans on a great performance. Congratulations too go to Rosanne Furniss (Matthew Ensor) and Theo Dodds (Seth Dowley) for their perfect scores of 150 in the match, Theo pipping Rosanne to top individual in the match by 2 Vee Bulls.
The team left the range disappointed to have let a lead slip, but with many positives to reflect on during the team meal at an excellent local fish restaurant – tomorrow the Grand Aggregate begins.
