Alphen aan den Rijn Wednesday October 6 2010 ritzdeluy@hotmail.com
Last Sunday was one out of a lotterie as it is not often 24 dgr. here in Holland in the beginning of October.
Great weather also in Tocumwal where a long weekend gave “magic” weather to the many guests at Sportaviation. Looking at the pictures with the great skies, everybody must have been happy. Good to see Dundee, Vasant, Nicole and Richard and Tim and Laurel, friends from the first hour.
Dalby has organized the Australian Nationals this year and lot’s of well known pilots participate. Good to see that not only John Buchanan is flying but also his son Brett who visited me here in Holland in the past and had no interest at all in soaring at that time!
The welcome function on Saturday was visited by 70 guests and 53 pilots have entered the Nationals. Multi-functional Pam Kurstjens, former top UK pilot , still a great pilot now AND a participant of this 49th National competition , as well as the wife from Gerrit and also the president of the Darling Downs Soaring Club , welcomed the guests. Monday was the first official training day, with for each of the 4 classes an AAT, with tricky weather, yesterday the first flying-day.
Good to see that Francesco , from Corowa is flying as well, just driving up with his family another 1300 km. to Dalby, after his arrival on the 26th in Melbourne from Holland. Grietje and their 2 lovely kids are crewing for him; a nice family -event, which I know SO well from the past.
The first competition-day had an AAT for Standard class and 15 m in 2.30 and 3 hours for 18m and open. The weather looked better then it was, according to the pilots.
In standard class the 1000 points were for Dave Shorter who flew 288 km in 2.38 with a speed of 109 km/h.
In 15 m. best pilot was good old Miles flying 311 km. with a speed of 114 km .h. in his LS 8 and another good friend Terry was 3d in his “old “LS 3.
In 18 m. who else then another friend , David won the day in his ASG 29. He has lots of competition in pilots as Bruce, Lars and Graham all , except for Bruce ,flying in the last WGC in Szeged. David flew in 3 hours[ nearly at the dot 14 sec too much ], but great effort, 335 km with a speed of 111 km /h. Another good friend Tony was 6th. Well done ! Great to see as well that Bob is back in competition flying after a very nasty accident a couple of years ago. Amazing!!!!!! By the way Bruce flies the JS 1.
Open class winner was John in ASG 29 , Gerrit in his new toy , 2d and his wife Pam was 3d in her nimbus 4T. Speed was 103 km /h for the winner over 338 km.
It is really great to see so many of my friends competing there. I have been at several Aussie- Nationals in the past and we even had one at Sportavia in the past.
A bad day for Brad Edwards, former world champion in 1991 in Uvalde; after 62 km. it was over and out for him, while the rest made it home!!!
He received ONLY 63 points while David as winner got 1000.
In Uvalde he was the most relaxed winner I have ever seen, playing his guitar in front of the motel whenever he had time. Great guy!!!! The other most relaxed winner, I have seen, was Brian Spreckley in 1987 in Benalla, where we could find him every evening after flying in the bar, having great fun and not leaving as the first.
Day 2 today, standard and 15 m had a 338 km task and 18 m and open 319 km. Not all results yet , on the OLC they slowly come in, but look at www.soaringspot.com when you are interested . Miles is in 15 m. ,still 1 after 2 days but only with 11 points on Peter Trotter. David is in 18 m also still number 1 , 68 points ahead of Lars , 88 on Graham and 100 on Bruce. In open class John remains 1 and Gerrit 2d with Pam on spot 5.
I heard the weather-expectation for Thursday is not too good but you never know, the weather is the weather.
The Nationals in Brasil for club class [handicapped] are on as well at Luis Magelhaes and several top pilots are flying there, as Joao Widmer and Egon Rehn. Very nice to see Pepe from Spain over there, flying a Nimbus 3 D and being very impressed with flying in Brasil . His own glider is in the container to Australia where he flies at Corowa this winter/summer. Till today they had 3 competition-days .
The October- feste is over .Not more people[ 6.4 million], compared to the all-record-season of 1985 with 7.1 million , BUT, more then last year and a new record on the consumption of the beer; SEVEN million!!!!This party on the field in big tents started 200 years ago with the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig von Bayern and Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. I guess they would smile in their grave, knowing it still exists and how!!!
CU next time Ritz