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I’m proud to say I’m a week early with posting this regional round up although Richard reckons I am actually 5 weeks late (go figure!). Who was it that said they love deadlines? (not Anna!) I love the sound they make when they woosh on by!

It’s been a bittersweet month – with our region keenly feeling the loss of Karen Martelletti from Tauranga. There have been many tributes paid across the country and it was fitting to see the church and Tauranga Bridge club overflowing at both her funeral and subsequent celebration of her life.The Karen Martelletti Fund is in the process of being established to support the activities that Karen enjoyed and we look forward to seeing how this will progress and her legacy continued.

The sweet moment was hearing that Mike Curry achieved Silver Grand Master status at the weekend during the Auckland Queens Birthday Congress … well done Mr Curry.

A new Silver Grand...                                       Top of the tree at Matamata

                          
Michael Curry                                                    Noel Grigg and Lesley Quilty

Tournaments

 

The Morrinsville 8B had a bit of a star-studded field but was won by ‘nearly’ locals Noel Grigg and Lesley Quilty from Matamata only a smidgen ahead of Rotorua’s Heini Lux playing with a Junior player Jackie Pulman.

 

The Putaruru midweek 8B tournament attracted an international pair alongside some slightly more social players. This time it was the internationals who prevailed with Australian Julian Foster and Waikato’s Jenna Gibbons topping the field. However, a pair who punched well above their weight were Matamata’s Anne Beetham and Margaret Reed who not only topped the diamonds division but got 2^nd overall.   

                                            Tops at Putaruru

                         
Julian Foster and Jenna Gibbons                   Anne Beetham and Margaret Reed 
Sydneysider Julian had a hard job pronouncing "Putaruru" when interviewed on the Bridge Zone but he and Jenna certainly played good bridge there, as did second placed Anne and Margaret.

The Bay Pairs heat at Mt Maunganui was won by Rachelle Pelkman and Murray Wood (Murray and Rachelle are also leading the Bay Pairs after two heats).

Bay Pairs...and Hawke's Bay winners                Waikato Area Pairs winners

                               
Rachelle Pelkman, Jack James,                        Gwyn (left) and Kate (right) flank Lucie Armstrong   
Jeremy Fraser Hoskin and Murray Wood           who is trying to duck out of the photo.
won the recent Hawke's Bay Teams with
Rachelle and Murray also winning the
Bay Pairs heat.

The fourth heat of the Waikato Area Pairs at Te Aroha was won by Gwyn Lobb and Kate McFadyen.   It was a close-run thing but, luckily for those who attended, the Te Aroha bridge clubrooms managed to have flushing indoor toilets available to the competitors with their toilet makeover being mostly completed in the nick of time the day earlier. Thanks to Pub Charity for a $61,000 grant towards the upgrade of their facilities. We think Ian and Pam Moore from Cambridge are leading the ladder in this event (but you can never be completely sure due to eligibility and sub rules!!)  

 

Taupo 5A.  The last thing I said to Richard Solomon when Noel Grigg took my place in the Taupo 5A was “I don’t mind if you do well but please don’t get 8A points in the weekend” … but bugger me that is exactly what the two of them did. 

 Three session wins and overall first equal gave them the maximum points.  They shared the podium with David and Lynette O’Shaughnessy from New Plymouth.  So, in an uncharitable mood I am posting instead a picture of Noel’s dog Bobby whom I had to dog-sit while he and Richard were out earning A points without me.
No A's for Anna or Bobby                                    but master-points earned at Matamata                                

                             
He looks pretty contented while his                        Matamata Junior winners, Helen Smith
master was slaving away at the delightfully            and Karen Deane
situated Taupo club.

Matamata Junior Pairs was won by Helen Smith and Karen Deane from Te Awamutu. There was a great turnout of 15 tables.

                  Winners at Te Puke                       and Katikati                       and Te Awamutu

                               
Jean Scott and Audrey Gardiner Estelle Cashmore and Dave Roberts   Wendy Blackman and Elspeth
from Mt Maunganui who won the   from Thames, top at the Katikati         Goodrick who averaged 60%
Te Puke Restricted Pairs          Intermediate Pairs.This event had an        in the 17 table Te Awamutu
                                                  excellent 20 tables                                     Intermediate field.

The Waikato Bays Interprovincials

The decision was made this year to run team trials for the Open, Senior and Women and have a Swiss Pairs for the Intermediates.  

The Women’s team was preselected due to having just the one strong team enter and the Seniors and Open ended up in a head-to-head duel over one day of play.

It was pretty much one way traffic in the head-to-heads with the victors (and our IP representatives) being:

Open:  Jo and Sam Simpson; Blair and Liz Fisher

Senior:  Yuzhong Chen and Gary Foidl, Murray Wood and Rachelle Pelkman

Women:   Jenna and Christine Gibbons; Karen Martelletti and Kate Terry (with an enforced change having to be made in the Women's team)

Waikato Bays Intermediate IP Team

 
Barbara McFarlane, Ted Cliffen,
Nick Cantlon and Sally Whitaker
(from Thames and Te Awamutu)

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