BROTHER and sister Alan and Gemma Bushby proved they were a cut about the rest by achieving gold in their respective men’s and women’s epee event. Both fencers are naturals using this weapon of distance, quick-thinking and lighting reactions.

The epee events proved to be the highlight of the weekend’s fencing as both finals could not have been closer: fights were taken to the limit for victory at sword point.

Alan met junior star Sam Parish who was competing in his first epee final.

The latter, who was Guernsey’s highest achiever in the recent UK Public School Competition held at Crystal Palace, fenced to his limit to keep up with the speed and control of his opponent.

The score reached 14-all with 15 seconds of fencing time remaining and each fencers knew that the next point would be all either needed for his name to be next engraved on the Samantha Bowl Epee Champion Trophy. Bushby launched his final attack, ensuring his name went on the trophy.

Reaching the semi-finals were Marc Eagles and Ross Martel. The former forced his way through the field to reach the semis but faced Bushby, losing 15-8. Martel was against Parish and admitted defeat at 15-6.

The women’s event, however, was the shock of the tournament as Catherine Taylor, Guernsey’s most successful nationally-ranked epeeist, was knocked out of the competition by Gemma Bushby 15-11 in the semis.

The final proved to be as heart-pounding as the men’s as Hollie Redhead came up against Gemma Bushby.

Redhead, using her long reach, dominated the start but her opponent was not prepared to go down without a fight, drawing Redhead in to no-way-out positions.

Again the score reached 14-all and Bushby secured victory by the narrowest of margins.

Alan Bushby was the success of the weekend: winning the men’s foil provided him with a one-point advantage to steal the coveted Master at Arms Trophy for the best male performer away from Ross Martel who was forced into second place.

The two have met in the finals on several occasions and have produced some excellent fencing, the standard increasing with experience.

Team captain Yan Milner said after the foil final: ‘Fencing is a high-speed game of chess and Martel and Bushby are certainly the battling knights.’

Reaching the semi-finals in the men’s foil were Marcel de Garis and Robert Harnish.

The former had a fantastic victory over Parish in the quarter-finals, gaining him the place of a semi-final fight against Martel.

De Garis’ quick and effective attacks were almost too much for his opponent but experience overcame youth as Martel won 15-12.

The mixed novice competition was a pleasure to watch, with six out of the seven fencers being absolute beginners to the sport though already well on the way to mastering their first weapon.

The semi-finals saw Jeremy Poole, Merce Domingo-Castells and Jaki Erskine who are all very talented.

With more training and practice, they will be serious contenders in future competitions.

Poole was crowed king of the novices by beating Alex Harlow 15-8.

The women’s foil was dominated by island champion Julie Dyer. Her experience and skill were obvious as she dominated the competition from seeding rounds to the final.

Elaine Ellington and Mita Rahman, two first-class foilists, provided Dyer with some intelligent competition and are both ones to watch next season.

The standard in sabre within Guernsey has increased dramatically over the season, thanks to coaches achieving professional qualifications and the help of visiting professors of fencing training locals to cut and thrust the sabre to greatest use in the sport’s most romantic of weapons.

Martin Corbet did not disappoint the crowd by producing excellent fencing actions which led him to the final against Harnish.

Corbet, however, was not ready to release the trophy and stormed to victory 15-12.