It was back to a Portsmouth round on Sunday at Onchan, but this time it was shot as part of the Club’s Handicap League. Here the scratch scores are adjusted according to each individual’s handicap rating, which allows archers of all bow types, ages and genders to shoot against each other. It also allows each archer to see to how they are shooting relative to their handicap. Once the scores are adjusted, by means of a fiendish set of tables, the result, if the archer shoots exactly to their handicap rating should be 1440 – less than this and they have underperformed, more than this and they have exceeded themselves.
There were no surprises in the Gents Compound as Rhys Moore once again took the scratch honours against Westy who came second and Pete Mumford in third. Pete sabotaged himself somewhat by forgetting to write down his sight marks from the week before, a rookie error from one so long entrenched in the craft. He did have the satisfaction of finishing ahead of Westy once the handicap had been applied but Rhys was still the best of the Compounds although he only finished in the middle of the table. Lone Lady Compound Marie Hainge had a nightmare of a morning, shooting well below her best, and found herself bottom of the league table after handicapping.
There was a surprise in the Ladies Recurve however, where Barbara Harris recorded a rare scratch win over Charlotte George. Barbara was probably aided in this by the fact that Charlotte was bedding in a new set of limbs, but Harris was happy to take it. While Barbara is not quite back to her best, she is still improving, which is heartening.
The Gents Recurve went Johnathan Gordon’s way for the second week in a row. Johnathan recorded the highest scratch Recurve score of the day to beat out Richard Hainge, Peter Howland, Les Corran and David Craine, in that order. After the handicap was applied however Les Corran found himself top of the leaderboard in what was his first Handicap shoot. Johnathan had to settle for second after handicapping.
Old, in every sense of the word, rivals Stan Gorry and Colin Moore faced off in the Gents Barebow. Colin was shooting up a storm until the break, whereafter he blamed his decline in form on the Records Officer who had asked him how it was going at the halfway stage, which he took to be unlucky. Colin’s score was still good enough to take the scratch win and give him third place overall.
The only Junior to take part on Sunday was Erin Hainge who had been ill for most of the week and did well to finish the round. She shot, understandably, a little below her best and her score was only good enough for ninth place after handicapping.
Results: Portsmouth Handicap- 1.L.Corran 1456 (60/469/6), 2.J.Gordon 1436 (60/561/28), 3.C.Moore 1435 (60/488/10), 4.B.Harris 1434 (60/549/23), 5.D.Craine 1429 (60/442/2), 6.R.Hainge 1428 (60/543/21), 7. C.George 1424 (59/547/26), =7.R.Moore 1424 (60/584/44), 9.E.Hainge 1420 (60/529/22), 10.P.Mumford 1414 (60/562/22), 11.P.Howland 1408 (55/453/10), =11.A.Westmorland (60/566/26), 13.S.Gorry 1400 (60/437/3), 14.M.Hainge 1389 (60/501/2).
Isle of Man Archery Club 