For the third day of the EBU Spring Overseas Congress, sponsored by First for Bridge, tournament Director Chris Benneworth talks about the lovely trip to local areas of interest in Majorca:
Another beautiful clear sunny day: the hotel guest manager had organised a walk to the lighthouse and Cala Ratjada harbour. Over fifty players joined the relaxing stroll, which was described by one of the walkers as “really interesting. Hayo was very helpful and informative. We really enjoyed it”. A small group did the same journey by taxi, with the chance to stop to admire the lighthouse and the magnificent views before travelling on to the harbour to enjoy coffee by the waterside.
Another small group, more independent, travelled to the walled city of Capdepera, a short taxi ride from our hotel. Once a Roman settlement, later Moorish and then built as a defensive town under the Spanish Conquistadors.
Then it was back to the hotel for the third and fourth sessions of the Swiss Pairs where the lead kept changing. The final result was still in doubt up to the last board when the eventual winners established a lead of 6 vps over the next-placed pair which meant they could not be overtaken. The winners were Ruth Edmondson and Bridget McElroy (144 vps), with Kathy and Denis Talbot (139 vps) runners up. Third placed pair Graham Orsmond and Jackie Fairclough had also been in contention for much of the event, as had Madhu and Ramniklal Shah (127), who were the leading B category pair.
Ruth Edmondson and Bridget McElroy (pictured above) captured after breakfast on the following morning. Ruth and Bridget, the eventual winners, were in the top three places throughout the competition (respectively 1,1,1,2,3,1,3,2,1,1). That’s really steady bridge.
And a special mention to Bridget and Ilona Buttinger, who are playing in their first congress and after a slow start, won their last two matches 20-0 and 15-5. Very impressive when one of them has never even played club bridge before!