WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL BLOG for La Pétanque Marinière in San Rafael, California. LPM has been an active Marin pétanque club since 1972 and affiliated with the Fédération of Pétanque USA, since 1975. We welcome people of all abilities, ages and nationalities to come and enjoy pétanque with us.

The Pierre Joske Courts are located on Civic Center drive in San Rafael. (click for directions). Casual games are played every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from about 1 pm. Tournament play is usually held on the second Sunday of every month.

Please consult the links on the sidebar to the right for more information on clubs in the bay area, nationally and world wide.

If you would like to play but haven't any boules, please contact our President, Christine Cragg. They can bring some for you to use, as well as introduce you to the basic skills and techniques of pétanque. In addition, if you are looking to purchase boules but are unsure as to which size and weight are right for you, we have a range of different examples from which to choose.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

LAPC Newsletter













Our pétanque friends in the southland have issued their latest newsletter.
Please stop by and
check it out.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Michel-Schlumberger


The American Wine Blog Awards have just been announced and Michel-Schlumberger is winner of "Best Winery Blog."

Michel-Schlumberger is based in the Dry Creek Valley. Its Benchland Blog, written by a handful of the winery's employees, is an attempt to describe where the winery is and why it matters, its "human terroir," as it likes to say. Recent postings include everything from a sales trip to Washington, DC to how effective owls are at killing gophers, never a vineyard's friend.

It provides useful insight into all the parts that go into running a successful wine operation, which, as anyone in the trenches of the business will tell you, is not as glamorous as it looks, Benchland's bloggings on petanque and fashion notwithstanding.

Monday, March 9, 2009

NorCal Cup results

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COMMEMORATIVE CUP TOURNAMENT

It was a bit chilly yesterday, and questions arose as to whether it would clear up, but all in all it turned out to be a great day for pétanque. Congratulations to the winners and to all of those who helped put the tournament together.
In addition, La Pétanque Marinière would like to welcome our newest member, Tom Fair.


Tournament results:

Concours:

1st Place Tino Lofaro/Erin McTaggart – plaques and perpetual trophy

2nd Place Jean Etcheverry/Emily Etcheverry – plaques

Consolante:

1st Place Jean-Claude Etallaz/Genevieve Etallaz – bottles of wine

2nd Place Jean-Claude Bunnand/Yvette Ghione – bottles of wine

Thursday, March 5, 2009

NorCal Commemorative Cup

DATE CHANGE

Due to inclement weather over the past few days, the date of the
Northern CA Commemorative Cup has been moved to

Sunday March 8

All games start at 10:30 a.m. Remember to set your clocks AHEAD one hour.
Bring your own lunch.

Select Mixed Doublettes (1 man & 1 woman). Plaques, but no cash prizes.
In the event that a minimum of 16 competing teams for the entire tournament is realised, a consolante round will take place.
Apéritifs will be served after awards ceremony.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

FPUSA has a new look

Greetings boulistes,

We have a new website with a new look! www.usapetanque.org
It is the same web address, and our new webmaster, Dan Danielson, president of the Chicago club and board member has generously offered his time and considerable skills to help us continue what Jan Claire began years ago when he designed a site for the FPUSA.

With a different perspective our website has a different look, though, for now, the same information. As before, if you have comments or items you'd like to see on the site, please contact Frank, our always capable secretary who somehow manages to keep mountains of work reduced to mere molehills. Frank will coordinate with Dan to keep our website functioning with the latest information.

Thank you Jan, and thank you Dan. Two great friends of the FPUSA.

Joe Martin