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Waikato Bays News from Anna Kalma
Christmas must be approaching...
After apologizing for the lack of bridge results and fodder over the past six months, we have finally turned a corner … heaps to report on!
The IP’s have just finished and we must make special mention of our WaiBays ladies who took out their division – even more impressive was the fact that Karen Martelletti was a late addition to the Women’s team and also managed to carry on with her Chef de Mission duties. Next year, Waikato Bays will be running Team trials for the Open, Women and Senior divisions with the Intermediates decided on a Pairs trial … so start thinking about who you might like to invite to trial with!
The winning Wai Bays Women's IP Team: Tops at Thames were Grant Jarvis and Patrick Carter
Karen Martelletti, Kate Terry, Jenna and
Christine Gibbons
Christmas Parties have kicked off with the first being unseasonally early in Thames which saw Patrick Carter and Grant Jarvis take home the ham back to Auckland.
The next weekend was Te Awamutu which saw Tim and Helen Healy from Hamilton emphatically winning the event. Te Awamutu president Alison Snell presented Tim with a heavy box (I presume there was something Christmassy inside?).
Christmas Party winners at Te Awamutu and Waikato
Helen and Tim Healy with club President, Alison Snell Mary Ronke and Olive Davis
between them...and the heavy box of goodies!
Onto Waikato Xmas in the last November of the year which was won by local perennials Olive Davis and Mary Ronke. They look merry as well as festive following their Waikato home-ground win.
At Labour weekend, the Hamilton Congress was held which saw 34 teams competing at the Hamilton Bridge Club … maybe a record? After a torrid day of play on Sunday, the field was whittled down to 10 for the final and victors in the 10A were the Curry team:
Labour Weekend Winners Open Teams and Open Pairs
Malcolm Mayer, Michael Curry, Jonathan Westoby Steve Boughey and Carol Richardson
and Ken Yule and the representative from the sponsor,
Ryman Healthcare
The other main event was the 10A Pairs on the Saturday which saw Steve Boughey and Carol Richardson winners by 0.02% from Yuzhong Chen and James Yang.
Also congratulations to Andrew Michl/Candice Doyle for winning the Open Restricted Pairs and Glenis Palmer/Linda Cartner for taking out the Swiss Pairs on the Monday, all from Auckland.
Regional Leagues
Waikato Bays runs three leagues: Junior, Intermediate and an Open Restricted (the Judith Howard League) which is run across participating tournaments taking into account participation as well as success. All three leagues were curtailed to some extent due to covid but we managed results regardless … congratulations to the following:
Tops in the Intermediate and the Junior League
Sabrina Peters and Carol Crowfoot, joint Joy Williams and Michelle Liddle from Matamata
winners surround Ted Cliffen who was a came top in the Junior League and are presented
smidgen behind in 3rd place. All three their prizes by Michael Neels representing ther Region.
are from Thames.
Judith Howard League winner
The Judith Howard League for those with less than 100A points was taken out by Graham Young of Tauranga who was well ahead of the pack. He is pictured with Judith Howard presenting him with the Inaugural trophy.
Again in the photo was Michael Neels representing the Waikato Bays Committee … special mention should be made of Michael who is stepping down from the committee after approximately 8 years and has been replaced by Greg Davenport from Thames.
The Congress that wasn't
It seems ages ago now … and while we didn’t have Congress, some of the Waikato Bays clubs hosted “pop-up” events to cater to the bridge starved and for those who had decided to come on tour regardless of whether Congress was on or not! It quickly became evident that the locals were being most generous to the visitors with outsiders taking home the spoils in the first weekend of tournaments. It was also great to see groups of bridge players from Kerikeri to Invercargill turning up for club nights throughout the Waikato during the week.
Congress “week that wasn’t” kicked off in Tauranga which saw Wellington duo Anne-Marie Russell and Peter Benham first place at the 5A Pairs. Peter was also making sure his status of “ever-present” would be maintained by coming to Cambridge … To qualify to be an ever-present you must be one of the select handful that have played at every NZ Bridge Congress – the 2020 would’ve been 35th if it wasn’t cancelled.
First at Tauranga Open Pairs and Cambridge Swiss Pairs
from Wellington: Anne-Marie Russell from Invercargill: Greg Buzzard and
and Peter Benham Bruce Batchelor
The following weekend we had a roomful rock up to Matamata on the Saturday to see Barry Jones and Jenny Millington take out the 3A with the following day Sonia Crawford and Lesley Quilty taking out the 8B in Te Aroha.
winners at Matamata and Te Aroha
Barry Jones and Jenny Millington Lesley Quilty and Sonia Crawford
and Te Aroha President, Tim Rigter
The midweek Waitomo was historically a Veterans' tournament but was opened up to anybody keen this year which was fortunate for Neil Dravitzki who was able to play the event with his non-veteran daughter Pamela who was up from Nelson. It was also the week of his 80th birthday, a grandson’s wedding and the anniversary of winning the Waitomo Pairs in 2019. And he topped it off by winning the 2020 Waitomo event as well.
Neil and Pam Dravitzki had plenty to smile The lovely golf-course setting at the Waitomo Club
about in their visit to the Waitomo Club
This is the final Waikato Bays round up of the year as we wind down with Xmas tournaments in Rotorua and Taupo over the coming weeks… as well as the parties held at local clubs as prizegiving and celebrations culminate. Here is hoping for an uninterrupted and covid-free programme next year.
Season’s greetings to all from the Waikato Bays committee.
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