At stake were the respective sections of the Le Quesne Trophy – the annual inter-insular competition – and the Channel Islands titles finals, with the men emerging victorious in what was more or less a clean sweep, and the women battling fiercely but with little success.Day one, Saturday, saw men and women in action for the Le Quesne Trophy.The men had a point to prove as they had been beaten in the first leg of the competition, in Jersey, earlier in the season, and play began in Guernsey with the visitors trailing by seven shots.They responded by beating Guernsey in decisive style, by 39 shots, 32 overall after the first leg, playing well from the start.Gus McKinnon’s team raced into a 16-1 lead after ten ends – in fact Jersey were ahead of their rivals by 40 shots in total, across the six rinks, after ten ends – but after 15 ends Guernsey had recovered from the onslaught and reduced the overall deficit to 15 shots.The Jersey men picked up the pace again and went on to win four of the six rinks to retain their trophy.The women were having a bad day and it was a disappointing end to their season when they failed to keep the Le Quesne Trophy.The women play only one leg in this competition, so it was all to play for in Guernsey, and despite the result there were some creditable performances, especially from Alison Birch, Sue Noel and Karina Horman and their respective teams, who won their matches when their opposite numbers failed to capitalise on home advantage.Sue Dingle’s rink was within a hair’s breadth of recording a win when they were holding seven shots on the last end.
But Alison Merrien, Guernsey champion in three of the CI finals, drew in with her last wood to save the game and record a Sarnian win 18-12.Liz Cole and Margaret Breen’s teams struggled against their opponents on tricky rinks and were very disappointed with the outcome.Sunday was CI finals day, and for the women it was a similar story as the only team to win were the drawn fours of Sue Noel, Margaret Perrée, Nancy Harris and Jean Small, with a magnificent 26-7.In a very close game that could have gone either way, Karina Horman and Gean O’Neil narrowly missed out to their opponents, finally going down 21-20.The men played a blinder, winning the overall trophy and all but the triples title – and even in that game Peter Le Long, Alan Shaw and Kevin Le Long only lost on the last end.
They started off well, leading 16-6 but Guernsey fought back to lead 21-16 after 19 ends.
Jersey then picked up a five on the 20th end to square the match, but Guernsey won the last end to run out winners.The CI singles was a contest between Allan Quémard and Gary Pitschou which Quémard won comfortably.
He was in control from the start to win 21-14.Ray Le Cornu won the Over 60s title, playing well to beat Stan Simon 21-10.
The pairs were won by John Skelly and Alan Cadoret who had a really good finish to their game, going into the last end against father-and-son Joe and Gary Pitschou, the former standing in as a late substitute.
Gary was holding game on the last end but Skelly got second shot to win 17-16.The CI Under 25s singles went to Jersey 15-year-old Jersey Jamie McDonald.
He beat Guernsey’s Mark Le Ber 21-17 in a close and hard-fought game, impressing to overcome his older opponent.The fours, skip Dave Le Marquand with Allan Quémard, Steve Hind and Derek Boswell, were far too strong for their opponents, skip Dave Trebert, Matt and Len Le Ber, and Craig Dorey, and didn’t need to play the last end as they were nine shots clear and won 24-15.Le Quesne Trophy: Women: Alison Birch, Margaret Le Marquand; Jackie Knight, Gaynor Thomas won 26-14; Margaret Breen, Janette Fox, Joan Renouf, Gill Ingram lost 35-7; Liz Cole, Pat de Gruchy, Myrtle de la Haye, Betty Thomas lost 22-11; Sue Noel, Lorraine Murphy, Chris Grimes, Jean Holmes won 28-14; Karina Horman, Gean O’Neil, Pat Henwood, Sheila McGinnigle won 20-16; Sue Dingle, Jenny Allo, Brenda Foord, Claudette Renouf lost 18-12.Men: Dave Le Marquand, Frank Hambly, Peter Le Long, Alan Shaw won 21-15; Lee Nixon, Thomas Greechan, John Lowery, Jamie McDonald won 25-20; Tim Mallet, Alan Martin, John Skelley, Will Waymouth lost 23-13; Tim Murphy, Dickie Allen, Peter Mavity, Con O’Callaghan lost 26-19; Brian Bisson, Cyril Renouf, Kevin Le Long, Derek Boswell won 32-14; Gus McKinnon, Allan Quémard, Eddie Langlois, Steve Hind won 37-10.CI Finals: Women: Pairs: Karina Horman, Gean O’Neil lost to S Paul, E Trebert 21-20; Over 70s: Margaret Loughlin lost to P Harding 21-9; Over 60s: Pat Panter lost to J Rose 21-7; Singles: Gean O’Neil lost to A Merrien 21-10; Novice: Carol Ruderham lost to L Small, 21-13; Triples: Lorraine Murphy, Chris Graeme, Sheila McGinnigle lost to A Bartie, M Tardif, J Lawrence 18-12; Select Fours: Sue Dingle, Jenny Allo, Gaynor Thomas, Shirley Bewhay lost to A Merrien, S Paul, P and L Bichard 16-13; Drawn Fours: Sue Noel, Margaret Perrée, Nancy Harris, Jean Small beat J Rose, E Trebert, J Brown, D Hurford 26-7.Men: Singles: Allan Quémard beat Gary Pitschou 21-14; Triples: Peter Le Long, Alan Shaw, Kevin Le Long lost to L Le Ber, D Lucas, G Pitschou 23-21; Under 25s: Jamie MacDonald beat Matt Le Ber 21-17; Fours: Dave Le Marquand, Allan Quémard, Steve Hind, Derek Boswell beat M and C Le Ber, C Dorey, D Trebert 24-15; Pairs: John Skelley, Alan Cadoret beat G and L Pitschou 17-16; Over 60s: Ray Le Cornu beat S Simon 21-10; Mixed Pairs: Cyril Renouf, Alison Birch lost to R Deakin, A Bartie 18-17.
