Post 1.431 on Sunday July 9 2023.
12 th WWGC in Soria-Garray in Spain.
2 July 2023 – 14 July 2023
July 5; Wednesday, competition-day 3 task 4.
The daily news; There will no longer be a delay on the tracker on the WWGC site. They expect launches not to be before 2 PM. Then postponed to 2.15 PM. And then…..Cancelled!
US Soaring Teams
Club class; 1.45 AAT …CANCELLED
Standard class; 2.15 AAT….CANCELLED
18 m. class; 2.45 AAT….CANCELLED
They tried hard,…..started and as I heard, some flew to nearly the first TP and then came back….in the end the day was scrubbed.
July 6; Thursday, competition day 4 task 5
A very weird day with a cancelled club class and expected starts at 1.30 PM in the end very late starts,…one even after 6 PM in the other 2 classes.
But in retrospect a “good call”.
In the evening International Night.
Club class; 3 hour AAT….CANCELLED!! “Some club class took off, the rain came, they landed. Club class scrubbed.” British Gliding Team update.
5 days till now and 2 tasks.
Standard class; 3 hour AAT…..changed in 2 hour AAT…..AND an exceptional good day for Dutch Lizzy who started at 5.06 PM, finished at 7.17 PM, flew around over 303 km with a speed of 138.75 km./h . in “her” LS 8, “deserved” 1000 points for her effort, but the rules only could give her 674 points. BUT GOOD ON HER!!!!
Lizzy about this day: “we ran the edge of a storm front both to and from the turn point in the first sector. We only thermalled 5x , the rest was straight on forward. Once she was low, but others found her lift . Great speed so full of adrenaline to bed for the next day“
Joanna Biedermann [Discus 2A] from Poland was runner up , flew 286 km with a speed of 136.97 km./h.
Till now [July 6] 5 days and 3 flyable.
18 m class; 3 hour AAT... changed in 2 hour AAT….Melanie, Anne and Astrid started at 5.30 PM. Alena even at 6.04!!!!Anne still flew over 300 km with good speed 142.38 km./h. for 659 points.
Liz from the UK was 4th but 20 km./h slower.[119.26 km./h]
The number 2 overall Michaela Rendlova was out after 28 km …that really hurts…. and dropped from 2 to 7, but it “ain’t over yet”.
July 7; Friday is an OFFICIAL RESTDAY! NO TASK!!!
Here is the early morning-news from British Gliding Team
“WWGC Race day 5 update & Race day 6 outlook:
Ayala, Liz and Fran all completed their task yesterday. It certainly wasn’t without its challenges, the rain came in across some of the task area however a convergence led to some high speeds and altitudes at times. Just as the 18 metres neared the airfield very gusty winds arrived. This led to two sudden changes of runway direction (catching a few crews out) and some very awkward landings.
The camp took a battering. The team gazebo has moved to a permanent state of ‘nozebo’ and the Spanish teams HQ is now a tangle of metal….
As for race day 6, that’ll now be tomorrow as just after all the crews dragged their sore heads from their beds, following last nights international evening (the Czech teams draft beer wins) we got a message to say that today is a rest day.”
British Gliding Team
More morning news from team USA now. US Soaring Teams
“Rest day after international night last night. None of us are disappointed. I had been told that the days were very long at world contest. It’s true. Only could have been better if we knew it last night and had not just gotten up and dressed before it was called.”
AND,…on the day before; “many of the standard and 18 meter pilots were getting back. There were several runway changes, and some of the landings were beyond sporting because of the conditions. We were very glad that our pilots were not landing in this. As they say, every takeoff is optional but every landing is mandatory“
Claudia’s Gliding Page on the International event;
“Tonight we had the International Evening. What was unusual was that the pilots were there to take part. In the last three WWGC we were all distributed around the countryside and last year I only caught the tail end of it.
My phone battery died, so here are only a few pics, of some Dutch-British bonding, Spanish food and Czech drink, and Swiss Raclette.
Team UK had prepared Eton Mess and Pimm’s & Lemonade, which both went down well.”
Scroll down to see the picture,…I do have a problem and I don’t know how to solve it.
Time for more new about Dutch pilot Lizzy, who is 3d overall after 3 out of 6 days:
To be honest I don’t know too much about Lizzy as over the last couple of years she was not very active. There was a good reason for that. In 2020 her boyfriend was involved in a fatal mid air collision. 2 Young ,very active, GOOD and enthusiastic Dutch juniors went on a nice Sunday morning for a fast 300 km, but sadly enough ,never returned. A huge blow for Lizzy ,for her family already in gliding for 3 generations , for the family of the boys and for so many of us, as the TOTAL Dutch gliding community was in mourning. I remember the day very well.
She thought/felt that now was the time to try to get back in to her old life, so this WWGC is a personal experiment, as she calls it her self.
It’s her first WWGC and the only Dutch pilot. On top of that, she competes against team- flying -strong – -very-experienced -girls from countries as Czech Rep, France, Germany and the UK.
She asked for help to find a good glider, “got” an LS 8 and is doing very well now!!!
She started when she was 14, has 750 starts and 650 hours of experience and in 2016 she picked up competition flying , loved it did well, got in the junior squad and women squad and this WWGC is a test to see if she still loves competition flying.
I hope and guess she does!!! See picture below.
July 8; Saturday , A flying day!!!! Club starts on day 3 out of 7, Standard and 18 m on day 4 out of 7. It promised to be a good day with nice tasks.
“Weather is looking promising and the task will all head towards the south west (18 metres have a little run east first). Hot weather is on the horizon for the coming days and should make for some booming conditions.” British Gliding Team
Club class; 324.06 km....A GOOD French day looking at the scores 1-2 and 3 and the speed,…the only 3 over 100 km./h. Louise,[LS7] Aude [LS7] and Alizee [ASW 20] did well. Louise won with a late start at 4.03 PM.
Claudia had a good day too, she was 4th in her LS1fNEO.
19 started and 5 were out!
After 3 out of 7 days and 6 to go the overall scores are; 1. Aude, 2.593 p., 2. Louise, 2.567 p 3. Alizee with 2.528 p. 4. Claudia with 2.509 p.
Standard class; 353.98 km…..also in this class only 3 girls flying over 100 km./h. Sabrina, Lizzy and Barbora; 104.94,104.49 and 102.84 km./h.
Only 1 was out.
After 4 out of 7 days the overall scores for NOW, look like this; 1. Lizzy [LS8] with 3.268 p.,2. Barbora [LS8] with 3.251 p., 3. Aude 3.168 p.
18m; 448.67 km…..AND,…a GOOD CZECH day as well, as the 3 Czech girls were on the number 1,2 and 3 daily spot. With a rather early start just before 3 PM [all others started after 3 PM] Alena, Michaela and Hana flew around with 118.38 km./h, 116.77 and 116. 73 km./h.
The last finishing lady in this class arrived at 8 .32PM.
After 4 out of 7 days the overall scores NOW are; 1. Alena with 3.296 p. 2. Melanie 3.199 p and 3. Anne 3.127 p.
For today the tasks are; Club; 307.08 km, Standard 357.79 km and 18m 409.50 km.
More news next Wednesday about Sunday, Monday and Tuesday’s flying.
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2023 FRENCH 18m and open class NATIONALS.
2 July 2023 – 8 July 2023
From Coulommiers-Voisins these comps were flown with 17 pilots and 4 HC pilots, 2 from Denmark Arne Boye Moeller [JS3 jet] and Peter Eriksen [As 33es] and 2 from Belgium Pierre de Broqueville [EB 29DR] and Lois Dresse [As 33es] They get points but cannot win the title.
TASK 1, was on July 2 and 431.43 km. had to be flown. Arne straight away “got” 1000 points for a speed of 124.27 km./h which was just a tad slower than the EB from Piere and Sylvain [Gerbaud] ;125 km./h.
French pilot Clément de Péchy [JS1 c EVO] won the day; 120.53 km./h.
TASK 2; 2 hour AAT and a prey for the other Danish pilot Peter; 261.18 km , speed 106.34 km./h. Sylvain was runner up but won the day for the Nationals.[260 km, speed 108.52 km./h]
TASK 3; CANCELLED.
Task 4; 3.30 AAT...Young Clement [ son from Philippe and a member of a real gliding family] won the day; 374 km ,speed 106.91 km./h. Good on him!!!!! Such a pity he was OUT on task 2.
19 started and 1 was out.
TASK 5; 460.35 km.….2 HC pilots upfront. Arne and Pierre for 1000 and 965 points. Comps winner was Sylvain; 119.17 km./h.
22 started and 3 were out, one of them Peter.
TASK 6; 2 hour AAT CANCELLED.
TASK 7; LAST DAY!!! 2 hour AAT…..With 240 km and a speed of 118.40 km./h Sylvain won the last day [611 p] and with that he is the new French open class CHAMPION!!!
Arne was on spot 5 lost 64 points, but still is the number 1 overall. Arne is the WINNER with 4.151 points. not the champion.
Also Pierre did well; overall he is just behind Sylvain with 3.997 points so on a 3d spot.
FFVP – Fédération Française de Vol en Planeur
After 5 out of 7 good days the French National Champion is;
1. Sylvain Gerbaud in EB 29DR with 4.144 points.
2. team de Péchy & Merlin in ARCUS M with 3.910 p.
3. Nicolas Bernhard in Ventus 3 T/18m. with 3.784 p. who is the French 18m NATIONAL CHAMPION!
18 m. class :
Nicolas Bernhard..gold medal
Clément de Péchy…silver medal
Francis Svobodny…bronze medal
Open class;
Sylvain Gerbaud… gold medal
Philippe de Péchy et Ulysse Merlin…silver medal
Nicolas Bernhard ….bronze medal
Ulysse Merlin and Phillippe de Pechy, Sylvain and Nicolas
Pictures courtesy FFVP – Fédération Française de Vol en Planeur
from l to r. Clement, Nicolas and Francis
Congratulations to ALL!!!
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46th International Issoudun
7 July 2023 – 15 July 2023
After a year 2022 dedicated to glider aerobatics, we will be happy to welcome you for the 46th International from Friday July 7th to Saturday July 15th 2023.
https://www.aeroclub-issoudun.fr/
With 35 pilots in 2 classes, MULTI CLASS and CLUB this 46th edition is indeed very INTERNATIONAL again with among them 17 pilots from the UK. 15 Of them had the British Team training Camp 2023 in Issoudun just before this competition , so they had good practice.
Their training was good, had 4 out of 6 days in one handicapped class ,with flights over 300km and overall winners as 1. Tim Milner in LS 3 [1.887 p] , 2. Henry Inigo-Jones in LS 8 [1.826 p] and 3. Tom Ascott in LS8/15m[1.794 p]
The international pilots competing now are besides the UK, from Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands , Australia, South Africa, Italy and Ireland.
They started with a 2 hour and 1.45 AAT. Not a real French task but alas the weather is sometimes weird .
Multi class;
Task 1; 2 hour AAT...Aussie Matthew Scutter [18m.JS3] was the best with 265.46 km ,speed 112.20 km./h. The runner up Henry [ Inigo-Jones] flew 232.20 km., speed 101.70, in an LS 8.
As always Matthew keeps a blog and you feel then, as if you are there with him.
Matthew Scutter’s Gliding
Task 2; 2.45 AAT..…280.50 km. speed 98.61 km./h AGAIN best daily scores for Matthew. Late starts , after 3.30 PM. UK pilot Andy Holmes [LS8] was runner up with 247 km and a speed of 85 km./h.
Club class;
Task1 ;1,45 AAT....you could see that the UK boys had practiced in Issoudun before this competition, and they practiced well as they knew what to do. Spot 1 to 5 were for them; Ben, Tim, George, Jonathan and Oliver flew between 190 and 151 km with speed between 95 and 78 km./h.
16 started and 4 were out.
Task 2; 239.88 km....Lapo Alessandro Busi in an ASW 20 was daily winner with a speed of 74.67 km./h.
UK pilot Tim [Milner] [ I say it once again; he was “our” tuggie at Sportavia long ago and now airline pilot] was runner up.
16 started and 9 were in.
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Some great flights over the last couple of days in GERMANY!
July 6 on Thursday; 1. 264,89 km /1.087.44 km FAI TRIANGLE!!!! Max Schaefer was the pilot in the Ventus 3 M/18m. flown from Dahlemer Binz. He flew together with Fabian Reich., also in a Ventus 3M/18m. Great effort from both!!!!
WeGlide ; “How to earn 20 Badges is one flight? Together with Maximilian Schäfer Fabian Reich flew a very special triangle offside all famous race tracks in Germany. And of course for such a flight you earn a ton of badges especially when you uploaded only two flights before – 20 Badges in one flight a new Record“
https://www.weglide.org/flight/299931
Around 50 1000 km flights that day!!!!!
July 7 on Friday ; Michael Sommer showed his class again with a 1.250 FAI triangle!!!! A total of 1.301.25 km. and another 13 over 1000 km flights.
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“To be seen in the OLC livescoring with the TopMeteo SAT image“
I told you last Wednesday about the SUPER-storm called Poly here over The Netherlands. It seems now the WORST ever over our country…. DAMAGE over 100 million Euro.
Schiphol cancelled 400 flights between 9 and 3 .Trains and trams , did not drive up in the upper part of our country. We ,here in the SE had windy, but sunny conditions. What a difference in such a small country!!!
Sadly enough one lady was killed due to a falling tree in Haarlem. Several people got injured by falling trees.
Later in the day the code red turned in orange and later yellow for the provinces in the Nord and then the storm moved to the NW of Germany and Denmark but with only showers.
We really were with a part of Holland in the “eye” of this MONSTER- storm.
Look at the A9[ N of Amsterdam],one of the highways from Amsterdam direction Nord.
As shared by my paper AD.nl.
Ad.nl
Today we have code orange again…thunderstorms with hail and storm are predicted, BUT now in my area. Still 33 dgr. C here and 35 yesterday, we are not really used to that.
CU next Wednesday,……. we suffered from 35 dgr. C last Saturday.
As promised some pictures as the system in the middle of the blog, failed.
Hi Ritz,
A correction. You reported my 1360k flight (along with Keith Essex triangle flight) as a triangle. It was a straight out flight from Minden NV to Moriarty, NM. It is the second time that I have flown the longest straight out thermal flight in the world. Cheers, Jim
Hi Jim,
great flight WOW. 1.360 km is FAR FROM HOME!!!!
How could I go SO WRONG.
Apologies!
Thanks for correcting me, it must be the terrible heat here, but NO excuses, just stupid from my site.
I guess the 3d “expedition” might follow one day. Good luck.
Cheers Ritz