PETANQUE POST April 2026
- PT Petanque
- Apr 8
- 8 min read
2026 Tournament action for our Club members is underway!
The energy level has been rising on our courts at Fort Worden as we approach midway through the 2026 Men and Women’s Doubles League action. Our eighteen teams are improving each match in the course of the Tourney. Thanks to our Sports Director, Tom Chalinor, for his work in making this tournament work smoothly.
Bekah & Silas Workshops for improving your game coming up – sign-ups open now!
We are very lucky in the extent to which some of our leading Petanque stars, Bekah and Silas, are committed to giving back to the Club. We all tend to support one another in one way or another. Bekah asked us to share her invitation:
Please share with the membership that they can sign up for our April workshops for
beginners by emailing me here, at bekahthegood@gmail.com. We'll take registrations in the order they are received until they fill up. As a refresher, we will cover the basics of
strategy, rules, etiquette, types of pointing, and shooting, and do our best to answer any
questions that might come up. We're thinking the workshops are for anyone who';s interested in the info we'e providing, so I guess that means folks will be able to decide
for themselves if they feel they can gain something from participating. All are welcome!
The idea is to provide a general overview of a few topics, as opposed to deep-diving on
one or two topics.
Here's the plan for dates and times: Two separate workshops for beginners, both on
Saturday April 18th, 12 people per workshop, 2 hours per workshop. One will start at
10am and the next will start at 1pm. If it is raining on April 18th, the rain reschedule date
will be Saturday, May 2nd, same times. Thanks all, hope to see you soon!
Bekah
STRATEGY TIPS FROM ZEE FOR IMPROVING YOUR GAME
The Petanque Post will periodically share strategy tips collected by Zee to consider. Here is his opening submission.
The Importance of Team Dynamics in Pétanque
Strategies and techniques in pétanque. Pétanque is not played with one in a team, but it is won by two or three. Some think it all depends on the shooter or the pointer. But in reality the real difference is played in the connection between partners. When everything goes well, the duo is invisible. But as soon as it gets complicated, communication is going down, confidence wavers, decisions turn hesitant, and that’s where it all goes down.
A good duo is not found in good men or women, but in their stability when the game goes out of control. A good partner does not change your level, but your partner can stabilize the mental, avoid impulsive reactions and keep a clear strategy.
In Pétanque , it’s not just about playing nice, it’ s all about keeping it clear together under
pressure. Here at PTPA, Pétanque is intelligently played, lived, debated and respected.
PTPA leadership in 2026 Rhody Parade – let’s have a good turnout
Our PTPA Vice President Zee is leading our first ever PTPA participation in Port Townsend’s
Saturday, May 16 Rhody Parade. We have ordered a large flag and PTPA banner. Zee hopes
that ALL of us will join him at the start of the Parade line before 1:00 PM in front of the fire
station on Uptown’s Lawrence Street. Let Zee know if you would like to help in organizing.
Let’s have a good turnout for PTPA! https://rhodyfestival.org/grand-parade-line-up/
Ready to try a regional tournament? There is a June 20/21 tournament in Portland. FPUSA
NW hosts a regional men’s doubles and women’s doubles on Saturday, and mixed doubles on Sunday. You can register through the FPUSA website (link on the bottom of the “event
calendar” page on our website). It is not yet open for registration.
Ready to try an international tournament in France this fall? Try the 2026 Corsica
Tournament September 18-20. At least 4-5 PTPA members (Tayloe, Dave, Chuck, John
Erickson, Tom C and two of Tayloe’s friends from the UK and Canada) will likely be participating, and the setting on the island of Corsica cannot be beaten. Here is general info on the island (Corsica | The corsican official tourist website); we will share registration information as soon as it is available. https://en.balagne-corsica.com/agenda/international-de-petanque-le-paoli/. Chuck is most knowledgeable on Corsica and this tournament.
Save the date for our July 16 Low Tide Tourney – volunteers needed to help Robert. One of
our most unusual events at Boathaven is the annual Low Tide Tournament. Robert Force is in charge of this event and would welcome 2-3 volunteers who can assist him in making it happen.
Robert reports: Both Wednesday July 15 and Thursday July 16 are ideal. Wednesday low tide is 2-3.1 at 11:12 am— just before noon. Thursday is not quite as low at -2.4 but it happens at 11:59 which is ideal— right at noon! A suggestion is to schedule our Wednesday club day there at the boatyard beach— let members experience the fun and the nature of that sauvage environment— then have the tournament the next day. Being at the start of the Larry Scott trail, there are public sanicans there. On the 16 th we will have select doubles. Random draw. 40-minute plus one end rounds starting at 10. Registration and set-up the hour before. Swiss draw (winners play winners, etc). Three games before lunch. Lunch at 1 pm. Single elimination games start at two— concurs and consolante. Should be plenty of beach left to finish playing.
The image above can be YOURS on a T-shirt, which will soon be available for purchase as a
PTPA promotion, thanks to George and Zee’s efforts.
Reminder of how to contact your fellow Club Members:
We recently launched a member contact list on fpusa.justgo.com to help you coordinate play dates and matches. This tool allows you to control how your email and phone number are shared with other club members. Please note that board members will only share contact information for members who have opted into this list. We do not recommend posting contact details on porttownsendpetanque.com, as that site is visible to all registered visitors. You can find step-by-step instructions on how to opt-in or view the list here.
The Port Townsend Open Pétanque Tournament
August7-9, 2026
The Fort Worden Boulodrome
Port Townsend, Washington
Hosted by
The Port Townsend Pétanque Alliance
Saturday, August 8 Select Doubles
and
Sunday, August 9 Select Doubles "Twist" The twist: all
players must have a different partner. Team Entry Fee:
$50/day First Place payout: $1500/day Maximum of 38
teams
Event Schedule
Friday, August 7: practice play, skills competition, pot-luck
Saturday, August 8: Select Doubles
Sunday, August 9: Select Doubles Twist
Format: 3 rounds of qualifying play followed by elimination rounds For more info, contact
the PTPA Sports Director: tomchallinor@hotmail.com
Let Terry know if you would like to help make this a successful Club event.
PTPA Board Update. The minutes from our March PTPA Board meeting are attached below,
along with the Draft Agenda for our upcoming Wednesday April 22 Board meeting at Tayloe’s house (420 Foster). All Club members are welcome to join us or send any Board member (George, Scott, Tayloe, Terry and Zee) items for us to discuss.
PTPA Board Meeting Minutes March 18, 2026
1. Tayloe called the meeting to order. Board Members present: Zee, Tayloe, George & Terry. Scott Wilson was out of town and excused. Sports Director Tom Challinor was also in attendance. A motion was made by Tayloe to approve the February 2026
Minutes, George seconded the motion and the board unanimously agreed.
2. PTPA Finances and Membership update. George reports we currently have 68 members. He reports that PTPA is maintaining a healthy financial position with a total consolidated balance of $11,884.63 across our checking and savings accounts as of March 17, 2026.
3. FPUSA has sent an email out stating that some clubs offer a “club-only” membership option for players who do not wish to join FPUSA. The FPUSA makes it clear in this email that all affiliated clubs are composed of FPUSA members. As our club maintains this standard that new members must also join FPUSA no further action is required.
4. The edited Bylaws are complete and members have had their chance to make comments. Now, according to the old bylaws that are still in effect, we need to have the revisions to the said revised bylaws approved at the annual meeting or a special meeting of the membership. Tayloe will call a special meeting to be held on a regular club play day and email the membership about the special meeting to vote on the revisions. The meeting date is still pending. Email voting will also be accepted as long as they are received by Tayloe or Terry prior to the date of the in-person meeting. At that time we will tally the votes and see the results.
5. Insurance Updates
a) A motion was made by Zee to approve and purchase the D&O Insurance at the price given of $699 per year. Terry seconded the motion and the Board unanimously agreed.
b) Per Tom C. FPUSA Insurance will cover the PTO. The policy renewal is happening sometime between now and August and Tom will get the proof of insurance to April Rodriguez at Washington State Parks as soon as it renews. April and the State Parks are aware of this.
6. Committees:
a. Facilities (Tom N): revisit shed bathroom ideas at another time
b. Events (Tom C & Zee): Zee would like clarification about committees and recruiting more volunteers.
c. Conduct Council (Tom C & Jean): nothing to report at this time.
7. 2026 Board Meeting Schedule without change. Meetings will be held April 22nd , June 17th , August 19th , October 21 st and December 16th . The PTPA annual meeting is currently set for October 28th at Tayloe’s residence.
8. Rhody Parade Update: Zee reports the Rhody Parade occurs on Saturday, May 16 th this year. To participate we just need to show up and register the morning of the parade prior to the 1:00pm parade start time. Whether or not we just want to walk with our banner or possibly decorate a vehicle is still up for consideration. Participation in the parade is free. We can seek volunteers from the club to participate.
9. Merchandise: Low Tide Open T-Shirts. George presented a mockup of a T-shirt we could sell for the Low Tide Open. He recommends having fifteen T-shirts made by Corvus Crafts to test demand and determine if this would be something we could do for future tournaments and events.
10. Sport Director’s Report: Tom C gave an update and presentation on the Port Townsend Open. He discussed the schedule, prize money, and registration. The prize money has been increased to draw in the top tier of players. He has designed a tournament
flyer to be sent to other Petanque clubs and to go on our PTPA website. Tom will also contact Michele Dang at FPUSA today to get the PTO on the FPUSA Tournament schedule. The Board made a few suggestions about the wording to clarify the flyer and
then approved it unanimously. Tom states he will be the tournament director but will need a tournament coordinator and volunteers to put together all the other details such as food, coffee, water, tables, popups/umbrellas etc. Tayloe has volunteered to design and make a flag for the PTO as a donation.
PORT TOWNSEND PETANQUE ALLIANCE
BOARD MEETING APRIL 22, 2026 11:00 AM
420 Foster Street
DRAFT Agenda
1. Motion to approve PTPA March 18, 2026 Board minutes (attached)
3. PTPA 2026 Finances update - George
4. Bylaws –next steps for submitting to members for vote on final approval
5. Committee update:
Facilities –
Events
Conduct Council – Tom C and Jean
6. Tournament update – Tom C, Sports Director
7. 2026 Board meeting schedule
Wednesday, June 17
Wednesday, August 19
Wednesday, October 21
Wednesday, October 28 – Proposed Annual Meeting
Wednesday, December 16
8. Rhody Parade PTPA participation – Zee
9. New Business – any member may raise a topic with Board members.
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