Grand Prix of France — Compak Sporting — Evreux
The 2006 FITASC Compak Sporting Grand Prix of France was a premier international clay target shooting tournament held on April 15th, 2006. Staged as a vital early-season springtime event on the European clay target calendar, this high-stakes competition brought together top French marksmen, elite European contenders, and visiting international squads to contest the fast-paced, high-precision Compak Sporting discipline. The championship was proudly hosted in the historic commune of Évreux, located in the Eure department of the Normandy region in northern France.
Event Highlights & Operational Parameters
Operating under the official international framework of the 2006 global target shooting schedule, this French Grand Prix merged the nation's strong clay shooting culture with strict international competition standards:
Sanctioning Architecture: The competition operated under the direct international authority of FITASC (Fédération Internationale de Tir aux Armes Sportives de Chasse), in close partnership with the Fédération Française de Ball-Trap (FFBT). This ensured that all multi-field layouts, automated target flight paths, and firearm compliance parameters strictly conformed to tier-1 global standards.
Global Ranking Value: Staged as an active, point-scoring qualification match, this event functioned as a critical spring leg for high-performance athletes accumulating points toward the annual international Beretta FITASC Cups circuit and worldwide ranking leaderboards.
The Normandy Landscape: Set amidst the rolling hills and agricultural fields characteristic of the Normandy region, the host venue utilized specialized multi-stand layouts integrated into the natural environment. Cool April spring weather, shifting regional breezes, and rapid-fire sequence doubles severely tested visual target tracking and reflex speed.
1. Full Event Program & Schedule
The tournament operational timeline concentrated the intense technical qualification flights over the designated spring weekend, preceded by official preparation windows:
April 13th – April 14th (Thursday – Friday): Arrival of international and domestic delegations, squadding registry confirmation, processing of temporary European firearm transit declarations, official safety verifications, and open training lines on designated Compak tracks.
April 15th (Saturday) — Grand Prix Official Day: The official qualification flights open across specialized multi-stand layouts, challenging shooters with diverse target speeds, rapid sequence doubles, and complex trajectory patterns. High-stakes, sudden-death international tie-breaking shoot-offs (barrages) determine the definitive individual and category podium positions.
April 15th (Saturday) — Official Awards and Closing Ceremony: Staged late in the afternoon to honor individual, category, and national team winners, officially concluding the 2006 French Compak Sporting Grand Prix.
2. Venue Profile & Logistical Location Details
All tournament operations, specialized shooting stands, and official administrative bureaus were hosted at a premier French shooting installation:
Host Location Venue: Évreux Clay Target / Ball-Trap Facilities Évreux, Eure, Normandy, France (Conveniently situated in northern France, offering easy access for international travelers via major transit routes from Paris)
The shooting facilities around Évreux are highly regarded within the French shooting community for their technical layout diversity and excellent infrastructure. Equipped with modern automated launcher systems across multiple, highly regulated Compak fields, the complex provided an exceptional combination of technical rigor and traditional French hospitality, offering an ideal setting for international competition.
3. Organizing Committee & Registration Framework
Administrative operations and international competitor registries followed strict timeline allocations managed through the global governing body and its national affiliate:
National Coordinating Partner: Fédération Française de Ball-Trap (FFBT)
International Sanctioning Oversight: Fédération Internationale de Tir aux Armes Sportives de Chasse (FITASC)