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From August 27 to 30, members of the Francs Archers de Saint-Barth association swapped the sandy beaches of the Caribbean for the forests of Charente. A delegation of six competitors made the trip to participate in the FFTL 2026 France Course in Saint-Germain-de-Confolens. This major event brought together nearly 380 archers from all over France on a challenging 45-hectare forest course, where the club’s representatives and the island’s archers performed quite well.
Four podium finishes out of six entrants
Facing the national elite and physically demanding courses marked by steep slopes, four representatives from Saint-Barthélemy made it to the podium, bringing home one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals to the island. “The club’s up-and-comers really stood out, securing a masterful one-two finish in the junior girls’ division,” noted club president Manuel Georges. Kaylee Magras was crowned French champion in the Junior Women’s “Freestyle Recurve (JF-FS-R)” category, while Bella Rinaldo claimed the runner-up title in the same category (JF-FS-R).
The adults and veterans also shone with their precision and consistency throughout the four days of competition. Marjorie Rinaldo claimed a superb third-place finish in the women’s adult “Bowhunter Recurve (AF-BR-H)” category, while Manuel Georges also took third place on the podium in the veterans’ “Men’s Freestyle Limited Recurve (VM-FS-R)” category.
“Beyond the scores and medals, the Francs Archers of Saint Barth are returning with their heads full of memories, marked by the warm welcome from the Archers Confolentais and the spirit of genuine camaraderie unique to the French Free Archery Federation (FFTL),” says Manuel Georges, who extends “a huge round of applause” to the entire delegation for flying the flag for Saint Barthélemy so high.
A Word for the Sponsors
Manuel Georges emphasizes the importance of the Francs Archers’ partners and thanks Super U, St. Barth Energie, La Cave du Port Franc, the St. Barth Sommelier Union, Gyp Sea Restaurant, Nyamar Restaurant, Couillard Précision, GEC St. Barth, Damien Lebrun Air Conditioning, Funlam, and 3D Archery.
