Saitama Tokyo Japan October 2009
30/10/2009
Carron sent a three man team to Tokyo to compete in the 2009 JCA Anglers Class Masters International Casting Competition, James Chalmers Ruairi Costello and Gordon Armstrong set off for Japan full of anticipation. This event took place over two days with the overhead competition on the Saturday at the stadium and the Speycasting competition taking place on the Sunday at the prefecture or outdoor swimming pool.
Carron boys Ruairi Costello and Gordon Armstrong excelled in the overhead events taking a total of 4 medals and one trophy. These were in the 6 weight and 8 weight single handed along with Ruairi Costello taking Gold in the 10 weight two handed overhead and Gordon Armstrong taking the Bronze, Ruairi also took the trophy for the longest overhead cast of the weekend with an amazing 61.08 metres in the 10 weight two handed class.
Ruairi and Gordon with their prizes.
10 weight overhead presentation.
Sundays Speycasting events included 16 foot and 18 foot class with 123 entries in both competitions each competitor getting three minutes to produce their best two qualifying casts. The finals would take place in the afternoon with the best twelve in each category making the final, two platforms were in full swing during the qualifying rounds with the top 6 scorers from each platform making the final, this made it absolutely fair as one platform was with the wind and the other was against it, the JCA ran the operation with the utmost efficiency and by 2.30pm the final twelve casters in each final had been selected.
Carron boys Gordon Armstrong, Ruairi Costello and James Chalmers had made both finals which was a magnificent achievement as the standard was so high.
16 foot class lane A. qualifying.
| 1st | Ruairi Costello | 95.00m best cast 47m |
| 2nd | Gordon Armstrong | 92.50m best cast 47m |
| 6th | James Chalmers | 85.50m best cast 46m |
18 foot class lane A . qualifying
| 1st | Gordon Armstrong | 105.50m best cast 53.50 |
| 2nd | James Chalmers | 103m best cast 52.50m |
| 3rd | Ruairi Costello | 95.50m best cast 49.00m |
16 foot final Results
| 1st | Ruairi Costello | 102.00m best cast 52.00m |
| 2nd | Gordon Armstrong | 101.50m best cast 52.00m |
| 10th | James Chalmers | 88.50m best cast 44.50m |
18 foot final Results
| 1st | Yamene Masanori | 105.50m best cast 53.5m |
| 2nd | Gordon Armstrong | 103.50m best cast 52.5m |
| 3rd | Ruairi Costello | 102.50m best cast 51.5m |
| 4th | Kitabayashi Mutsuo | 101.00m best cast 53.0m |
| 5th | Tommy Aarkvisla | 100.50m best cast 51.5m |
| 6th | Motizuki Noboru | 99.50m best cast 52.0m |
| 7th | Mathias Lillieheim | 96.00m best cast 51.0m |
| 8th | James Chalmers | 92.00m best cast 48.0m |
The standard of casting in Japan is fantastic and improving all the time, I must say a big congratulations to Red Dragon and Kitabayashi Mutsuo for a magnificent performance in the final.
Prize ceremony for the 16 foot competition. (The top 6 from left to right)
Prize ceremony for 18 foot competition. (The top 6 from left to right with 'Japanese James' extreme right winner of the Booby prize.)
A hearty congratulations to Carron boys Ruairi Costello,Gordon Armstrong, Kitabayashi Mutsuo and James Chalmers for your tremendous acheivements over the weekend,also well done to Tommy Aarkvisla and Mathias Lillieheim for such a good showing over the weekend.
A big thank you to the JCA and Toshihiro Sato of Sansui tackle store Carrons premier stockist in Japan.
Sansui boys with Carron team, tackle store manager Toshihiro Sato (pictured 2nd left)
Ruairi Costello and Gordon Armstrong show off their Speycasting prizes
Carron team with impressive Japanese caster Kitabayashi Mutsuo
This event runs with the utmost efficiency and professionalism, no other country can organise such a big competition entry and finish ahead of their time schedule.I would like to say a special thank you to Kazu, Hiro and Nobuo looking forward to 2010.