25 September 2009 - First ever Set System tournament!

First ever Set System tournament! Copenhagen (DEN) – 25 September 2009   Great Britain has given the world its first look into the future, by hosting the first major tournament to use World Archery’s new head-to-head set scoring system, announced less than a month ago at the FITA Congress in Ulsan. One of the organisers was none the less than Nicky HUNT, World Cup Finalist in Copenhagen!  
Nicky HUNT (GBR)    The pioneering Ipswich International event hosted 60 of the UK's country's best archers last weekend (19-20 September), and the verdict of tournament organiser and international archer Michael PEART is a big 'thumbs up' to the new format. PEART is coaching fellow organiser HUNT at the World Cup Final in Copenhagen this week.   It works like this: each archer shoots six arrows for one set, and the top scorer gets two points for a win, one point for a draw, and nothing for losing. The archers then compete over the best of three sets. At the quarter and semifinals, and the final itself, each archer shoots three arrows per set, in the best of five sets.   "It had really good reviews from all the archers," said PEART. "The general opinion was that it's fairer and more balanced—whereas previously, if you screw up in the first end it’s all over for you. Now it’s more forgiving, less harsh and very exciting."   "FITA gave us their blessing to go with this, and I suppose you could call it a pioneering shoot on their behalf—no one at FITA is aware of any other major shoot using the new format. I think it’s going to be a better system all round when FITA roll it out for the outdoor season next year."   And PEART clearly used the format to his advantage as he was the winner of the first Ipswich International recurve men category! Fellow national team members won the other categories: Naomi FOLKARD in recurve women, Duncan BUSBY in compound men and HUNT in compound women.   This was not only the first set system tournament organised, but simply the first tournament organised by the Deben Archery Club in Ipswich and the biggest prize money ever from numerous sponsors in Great Britain for such a tournament. What a successful first!   All results and more info on the organisers' website: www.deben-archery.org.uk/ipswichinternational/iimain.htm   Peter JONES Archery GB   Didier MIEVILLE FITA Communication