Bridge on Sydney's Northern Beaches

Narrabeen Bridge Club won the title in the 2010 Manly Daily Northern Beaches Pairs championship played on Sunday 18 July at the Peninula Bridge Club.

Narrabeen pair, Jocelyn Bertram and Mim Gadd, took the victory over the two sessions, after running second at the half way point. Both players were thrilled with their win for the Narrabeen Club.

The win takes the title away from the Manly Leagues Bridge Club which held it for the first two years of the regional competition.

This premier regional event is open to pairs nominated by any of the ABF affiliated bridge clubs on Sydney's northern beaches. Each club can nominate up to eight pairs of their regular players to represent them.

In 2010 it is being hosted by the Peninsula Bridge Club and will be run as two sessions on Sunday 18 July. The wiinning pair and their club will be determined by a simple addition of the session percentage scores. Read on for how to enter!

Northern beaches bridge clubs did well if not brilliantly in the 2009 State Wide Pairs. Manly Leagues and Narrabeen clubs were amongst the 28 participating clubs this year, and had four pairs in the top 30 in the state.

First of these, coming 19th, were Jan McLennan and Bev Menzies, of the Manly Leagues Bridge Club. Jan and Bev won the 2009 Manly Daily Northern Beaches Pairs event in August. Close behind, coming 21st, were Linda Abbenbroek and Carolyn Dowling, also of the Manly Leagues Bridge Club.

Narrabeen pairs, Lynn Baker and Yong White, and Sue and Rodney Scotford, came 28th and 29th in the state. Lynn and Yong came second state-wide in the first of the three sessions and won a prize for doing so.

Additionally Patricia Matheson and Marcia Sawyer, frequent players on the northern beaches, came 13th state-wide, playing at Trumps.

The Manly Leagues Bridge Club retained its title in the 2009 Manly Daily Northern Beaches Pairs championship played on Sunday 9 August at the Peninula Bridge Club.

MLBC pair, Jan McLennan and Bev Menzies had a clear victory over the two sessions, despite some treacherous misfit hands. "We have learned to recognise situations where the safest course is just to stop bidding," said Bev Menzies, after their victory.

McLennan and Menzies have been a strong partnership for twenty six years, and never a cross word between them according to the pair. "Our partnership works because each of us thinks the other is the better player," according to Jan McLennan. "That and founding our partnership system on many round table discussions with a bottle of wine - or a quick brandy for total recall."

The Manly Leagues offers a Handicap Pairs event on most fifth Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays of the month in 2009. These are normal pairs events but with an additional prize (free game vouchers) to the pair who achieves the best CARDS ratings impact from the session. This is a chance for every pair to win a prize for a good session relative to their past results. In 2009 the Handicap Pairs will be held on the following dates:

All are invited to play in the Manly Leagues State Mixed Pairs (SMP) Qualifier which will be played on Thursdays 12, 19 and 26 March 2009 with the following characteristics (details subject to change):

These forums are designed to improve bridge in our area, and the Collaboration Forum is designed in particular to facilitate collaborative bridge events, teaching and promotional activities in the area. Please pass this invitation message on to any other directors or interested club players/committee members in the area.