Coffs Coast Gold Congress
A search at abf.com.au for "Coffs Coast Gold Congress History" produced what follows, which could obviously do with updating.
“The Coffs Coast Gold Congress was conceived in 2003 by members of the Coffs Harbour Bridge Club, as a “boutique Super Congress” to be held in a holiday resort in the Coffs Harbour winter, when the weather is dry and warm. With the imprimatur of the ABF and the NSWBA, the first congress was held in 2004 at Nautilus resort, north of Coffs Harbour. 46 teams attended. In 2005 attendance had increased to capacity for the resort, and in 2006 the congress was moved to Opal Cove Resort. Attendance continued to increase, and the quality of the field became high enough to attract Gold Point status from the parent organisation.
The prize money is as attractive as anywhere in Australia and is applied to different categories – thus the congress caters for all levels of play.”
In 2012, 106 teams competed which was capacity for the venue and the committee of management decided to cap the numbers at that level in the future, rather than fracture the congress into two separate venues. the quality of competition, and the strength of the field continue their upward momentum.
Much, including covid-induced cancellations in 2020 and 2021, has transpired since that was written. The first of the perennial Nick Hughes's admirably compact daily bulletins from the 2023 congress, dated August 9 when the main tournaments begin but already available online, contains much about the more recent and current situation. This year's 90-table limit had not been reached when entries closed on July 30; so last-minute applications from up to 20 readers of this column are more likely to be welcomed than spurned by the organisers. Email chbcsupconpresident17@gmail.com or phone either of 0419 486 333 and 0427 719 172.
Meanwhile, on today's deal from last Wednesday's 14th qualifying round of the 2023 world under-26 youth teams championship hosted by the municipality of Veldhoven in The Netherlands, Australia gained a rarely equalled (let alone surpassed) 19-IMP swing against Estonia. One of the table-scores that generated it was 1540 to the Australian EW, respectively declarer Sebastian Langdon-MacMillan (Qld) and Tomer Libman (NSW), for reaching as diagrammed, and then bringing home 6♣, the only unbeatable and here unwisely doubled small slam. The other was 670 to their NS teammates, Joshua Tomlin and David Gue (both SA), the former of whom was allowed to play in 3♦ doubled which also proved unbeatable. A possibly consoling triumph for proponents of the so-called Law of Total Tricks. The board was tied only twice. In Taipei vs Argentina both Easts were in 6♣ making and in Italy vs Croatia 6♠ was twice taken one down. Eight other double-digit swings ranged from 12 to 16.
Play in Veldhoven ends on Tuesday. For full details of cost-free bid-by-bid card-by-card live or archived coverage of what transpired there at each of eight selected tables download the bridgebase.com schedule and archive and follow your nose. Links to detailed results and to voluminously instructive daily bulletins co-edted by European Bridge League regulars Brian Senior and Jos Jacobs can be found at abf.com.au