The following are 10 questions (it’s actually only nine but I won’t tell if you won’t) put to Jean Pierre Delsaux an organizer of the 32nd European FITASC Championships to be held in Orville, France from 11 to 14 July 2009. Unlike the World event which sold out in a matter of days there are still spots available for the Euro. Europe is cheaper than ever this summer so if you have ever dreamed of competing abroad now is the time. For further info see my previous post on the European Championship.
International Sporting Clays: For the people traveling to and shooting in Orville for the first time can you tell us what to expect?
Jean Pierre Delsaux: The club consists of an area of 80 hectares with a lodge and club house. You can practice several activities like parcours de chasse, compak sporting, universal trench and also there are four paintball fields for training and tournaments.
ISC: What kind of weather is expected at tournament time?
JPD: The competition takes place during summer so we expect to have nice weather around 20-25 degrees Celsius. (68-77 F.)
ISC: For shooters traveling from abroad what is the best airport to arrive at?
JPD: For shooters coming from abroad the most convenient airports are those from Paris (Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly.)
ISC: Tell us about the competition grounds in Orville, what type of terrain, are there any towers and what kind of equipment is used?
JPD: In Orville we have the ability to have 10 permanent parcours (with 4 machines each peg) in a former stone pit. You will have the opportunity to take various shots including 45 meter tower shots and 35 meter droppers. We have 80 machines of various kinds including standards, mini, rabbit, chandelles etc. and we will ad another 90 machines for the tournament having an overall of 170 machines over 32 pegs.
ISC: What vendors do you expect to have displays and what kind of food and drink will be available at the shooting grounds?
JPD: The public and the shooters will have the opportunity to enjoy and discover the displays from most famous brands like Browning, Winchester, Beretta, Blaser, Zoli, Guerini and Tunet. A rich variety of food will be on offer along with several kinds of drinks. The shooters will also have the opportunity to take part in Compak Sporting events and possibly win shotguns.
ISC: Who will be setting the competition targets and what type of targets can we expect?
JPD: The president of the Federation Francaise de Ball Trap and the president of the International Federation both agree that it will be an exciting competition on the championship level based on many kinds of shots and not only distant and fast ones. The parcours have been designed to fit most shooters so that everyone can enjoy the competition. We tried as much as we could to stick to the reality of hunting, that is with a respect for the type of prey with reasonable distances and trajectories.
ISC: What specific brands of shot shells will be available for sale at the venue?
JPD: On site most of the manufacturers will be available: Tunet, Winchester, FOB, Mary in 28gr. (7, 7.5 and 8 shot)
ISC: Where can we get information on bringing a shotgun into France for the competition?
JPD: For all the information regarding guns, hotels and transportation, I invite you to visit the FITASC website and the club website which is in French only. (see below)
ISC: Lastly feel free to say anything you want us to know about the competition.
JPD: We are all very excited and impatient to welcome you all on the field. We will do anything we can to organize an unforgettable competition. Links of interest:
-EDIT- Pictures from this event can be found at http://www.sportingphotosshop.com under "Storefront."
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