After the excitement of yesterday, Sunday was a slower start for most. The afternoon marked the start of the World Individual Long-range Rifle Championships. The morning gave an opportunity for a lie in, or, for those with the need, a practice session on the range to check equipment and also sight settings for 700m. Shooting for prolonged periods in high temperatures risks fatigue and a number of team rifles have had issues. The team have been most fortunate to have Tom Rylands travelling with us as his armouring skills and expertise have been invaluable so far with timely repairs enabling high-level performance to continue.
Six members of the team travelled out to the ranges early to the practice session whilst the rest of us set up for the day. The first challenge was working what to do with an excess of sandwiches and lunch wraps. Unfortunately, Rosanne’s use of a tally count ‘II’ when calculating her bus’ needs had been interpreted by the chef as 11, with a similar error being made with wraps. We are only grateful that we didn’t also receive 111 muffins and 1111 fruit juices.
The afternoon started with the Opening Ceremony at 1pm. After the National Anthem of South Africa, a number of speeches and the customary reading from General Mac, the flags of the other 11 nations represented at these championships were raised up their flagpoles.
We then set off to the range for the only shoot of the day, 2 sighters (well for most…one team member may not have reset his sights from the morning session at 800m and scored a zero for his first sighter) and 15 scoring shots at 700m in the full heat of the day. The temperature in the shade today was clocked at 33 degrees. Problem is we were in direct sunlight, in thick shooting jackets, for just over an hour. As well as the heat, mid-afternoon shooting means strong changeable winds. Not as tricky as yesterday’s team matches it was still plenty to knock shots out. Scores across the range varied but there were still plenty of full scores of 75. Nick Healy and Theo Dodds were the best of fifteen 75s across the team, both with 12 vees. Top of the very early World Championship leaderboard this evening is Mitch Bailey of Australia with 75.13.
Back to the hotel and planning meetings, physio stretching sessions and dinner awaited, before a good night’s sleep ahead of three 15 shot matches tomorrow.
