Alphen aan den Rijn                        May 25 2008

The Dutch Nationals in Stendal in Germany are over with a Japanese winner in open class. The Dutch National Champion in that class is Hadriaan van Nes.
Mac [Ichikawa] was the best and this is great as a preparation for his WGC in Luesse.
Just 60 points difference between Mac and number 3 Rien Bastiaanse, so pretty tight and lots of tension for the last day!
In 15 m. class Steven Raimond was the champion , with 500 points ahead of young Alfred -Paul Alfers as runner up and Steve Crabb as number 3, another good preparation for the WGC for 1 and 3.
In Club class young and talented Rene de Dreu won before a German guest -pilot Christoph Barniske and Frank Hiemstra, another young Dutch talent.Yes the Dutch have GREAT NEW TALENT in soaring.
Holland [Germany] here they are. Europe and world here they come!!!

With 6 days out of 10 , this was a good competition and worthwhile to go for a second year in a row to guest country Germany to a place Stendal , close to Berlin, which nearly turns orange in that period.The Dutch pilots and their crews LOVE it there!!!!
One interesting day was a 500 km flight AROUND Berlin for open class!!!!! What do you want more!!!! And…who would have thought 25 years ago, that this would EVER be possible !!!!!!!And….most pilots did fly the task!!!!!!
Compliments for the tasksetter and the organization.

Of course the prize giving is on a day when the weather is great. So on the 23d ,one of the pilots decided to fly home to Holland to his home club Malden [close to Nijmegen] and DID SO!!! 583 km !In 6 hours and 17 minutes.

Well, there was more! Got a message from Jo from OZ. As you know women in gliding is nothing new ! But a total female crew for a competition is at the least INTERESTING! As you can see by an article from former -junior -team-pilot Lisa!

Women take the controls for the Club Class Nationals

Women interested in the sport of gliding have offered to take up key roles in the

Club Class National Championships being hosted by the Kingaroy Soaring Club from 5 – 17 October 2008

Competition Executive Positions
Position	Name
Director	Wendy Medlicott
Weather Person	Jenny Thompson
Task Setting	Lisa Trotter
Scoring	Jo Davis
Grid Marshal	Anita Taylor
Safety	Julie Maddocks
TugMaster	Val Wilkinson
Radio MasterSecretary	Jo Pocklington Lorraine Kauffmann
Media Relations	Jo Pocklington
WebnewsStewards	Jo Pocklington Pam Kurstjens & Jo Pocklington
Outlanding Coordinator	Jan McKenzie
Bar Manager	Suzie Scoles
Treasurer	Linda Kolb
Office Administration	Louise Ransby
Legal Advisor	Lisa Turner

“Women are more likely to be attracted to the sport of gliding and stick around if they feel that they fit in and can see themselves as being part of the gliding scene. Because there are a lot more men than women involved in the sport of gliding, women can easily feel that they don’t belong.

“The men of our sport are welcoming and supportive to women and this helps women feel comfortable and encouraged as participants in our sport, but men can’t provide role models for women.

“We need women to be more visible in high profile and competent roles in gliding so that other women – and men – see the participation of women as a normal part of gliding.

“For this reason, a number of women have taken the bold step of offering to take up key roles in the Club Class National Championships being run by the Kingaroy Soaring Club this year.  So, you can look forward to the above line-up which brings a great depth of experience and competence to the organisation of the competition.”

(Lisa Trotter, April 2008)

I know that Marina is planning a total-female-crew for the women-WGC in Rieti.

In between nice flights were STILL flown in OZ , where former Dutch team -pilot Gerrit Kurstjens flew 515 km in “nearly” winter from Jondaryan airport .
But…also Rayskala had great weather again. You remember the 1000 km task for open class on the first day of the European champions over there a few years ago!?? 799 in an ASW 20 is great!

Good friend Daan  , former Dutch top-team-pilot, but STILL toppilot is back in the USA for his summer holidays and flew 829 km. from Ridge Soaring.

On wednesday morning while sitting for half an hour in the sun, before going to the gallery I enjoyed looking at the sky and thought; Don’t forget to check if a good flight is made today, as the sky looked superb. And YES from the National Gliding Center Terlet a great 814 km flight was flown by Marc Smeets in a nimbus 4 DM. 500 and 600 km flights were flown in discus and ventus!
Holland , Belgium , Germany and the Northern part of Europe had the great weather last week, while it was raining in the mountains and more south in Europe.

In Rieti and Luesse they are working VERY HARD to prepare the world comps. Not long and I will “see” you from Rieti.

More news next week,Ritz

Alphen aan den Rijn                                     sunday 18-05-2008

 Sorry…. I have been TOO busy!!! But…the fair is over and we did quite well, though both of us are exhausted now!!!!!Due to the fact that it was a 2 week school holiday, it was Whitzun, 28dgr. outside AND MOTHERDAY, it was less busy during this European Art Fair in Amsterdam. But….the good thing is that the turnover was better then last year for this fair and we had our fair share too.Nothing to complain about!

I had the worst cold ever during the whole period [and still ], with bad coughing and sniffling and it felt like my whole body was full of slime, not a nice story but ..it is as it is!As you already expected ,I just went on , but there was no time for writing. Sorry about that!My days started at 10 and finished around midnight!!!!!

The Dutch Nationals are in full swing and started on Mai 13 going till Mai 22[included].As I told you before, they are flown in Stendal in Germany. The week after the fair the weather changed here, but also in Germany, so till now they have only 2 days out of 5, but…a task is set for today!
From the 8 competitors in clubclass a junior member, Renee de  Dreu, is at this stage number 1 on the list. Good on him!!!
From the 17 15-m. pilots former European champion Steven Raimond is number one. In this class some pilots practise for the worlds, so is Steve Crabb from Ireland. They know how strong the Dutch competition is and compare their flying to see where they stand.
From the 27 pilots in open class Dutch top pilot Hadriaan van Nes is ahead of Mac Ichikawa [Japan] and Wolfgang Janowitsch [Austria], former world champion, all within 70 points, so a lot can still happen and the weather for next week will improve!!At least..that is what I heard!

Tasks for today: 201 km for club class, 270 for 15 m and 288 for open class.

The very wellknown Hahnweide competition has finished last week with a Dutch winner in 18 m class.
Ronald Termaat , current European champion won this event, with former world champion Werner Meuser as runner up.
This was already the 42d edition of this competition with a very strong field of compititors and also here …a lot of pilots were practising for the worlds in Luesse.

What more!? The weekend from 8-9-10 Mai was specially good in Austria and Switserland, with nice long cross country flights even a few over 1000 km flights were flown.
One day earlier on the 9th 4 over-1000-km-flights were flown from Wiener Neustadt, former WGC town. One in an ASW 20 AMAZING!!!
Trimmel Hermann, as they call him ,was one of those pilots too. He presented the [very good] meteo during the world comps in WN.
Another ASW 20 flight from over 1000km was flown from Innsbruck. This day more then 50 flights were over 700 km. THAT IS GOOD GLIDING WEATHER!!!!!!OR NOT!??And…yes I know they are flown in the mountains with the advantages of the mountains.
But Holland is as flat as flat can be. Here in Holland they flew on Mai 12 800 km in a Ventus CT 17 m. In Belgium a nice flight was flown by Stan in his PIK 20, 636 km!!!!Worthwhile to mention also; a flight in the ST Libelle from Bert , a former field runner at “our” Sportavia Soaring Center;469 km. Goed gedaan Bert!!!

So …no worries …about soaring in Europe in this spring period. Hope it will continue so Europe has a great season of good gliding.

Well good luck to all flying in the several comps and may the best win. All other pilots enjoy your soaring to the fullest, as it remains a great sport! A first 50 km is as important as the first 300, 500 or 750 and the 1000 remains the icing on the cake!
All pilots preparing for the 30thiest world comps in Rieti and Luesse good luck and….I will be 2 or 3 days in Luesse. The weekend from the 10th of August, so…see you there too!

Ritz

 Alphen aan den Rijn        May 4 2008

 TODAY, MAY 4 IS A VERY SPECIAL DAY HERE IN HOLLAND, AS WE REMEMBER THE PEOPLE WHO DIED IN THE WAR .
It is 63 YEARS ago that men and women died for the freedom of Holland in 1945.
The Queen will be in Amsterdam to start the parade at the memorial.
Tomorrow May 5 ,we celebrate our freedom!

The Klix competition was practise for a few pilots participating in the Worlds. Did you follow it? Indeed after 5 days , the last day yesterday was cancelled due to rain, Mac [Ichikawa] was the winner in the open classand for him it was really good practise before going to Luesse later in the season. For sure he will practise more in Germany!
Borje Erikkson ,also a WGC pilot, was 5th in the mixed class after 4 days.
I was VERY pleased to see that young Tim Kuijpers, son of the Dutch TC in Luesse Frouwke and brother of Maaike, the Dutch TC in Rieti, WON the big Club class in an ASW 19 B WL. With 100 points ahead on the runner up. Great effort!! Compliments and congratulations!!!I always forget that life goes on, I remember him in his pram while we parents were joking , that our children would be the next generation of top pilots. For sure he is one and there is another young “Kuijpers” to come as a topper!!
Yes this is a REAL gliding family! They fly all 5!!! They even get the regional papers with it.

More flying as we nearly reach the 1000 km badge flights in Europe already in this great spring weather. Yves Jeanmotte made a beautiful flight from St Hubert in Belgium, mostly over Germany as Belgium is very difficult at the moment with the different airspaces.He flew  955   km. in a Ventus 2 with a speed 106 km p/h.
In Germany , yes from Burg Feuerstein were a few of my friends fly, a pilot flew just over 1000 km. in a nimbus 4 M. A total of 2292 flights were send to the OLC. Not bad! A lot of pilots are flying and think it is interesting enough to put it on line!
In Rieti , WGC town 2008, one of the pilots flew on Mai 1 776 km. Let the great weather stay there! So had Luesse some good flights too one of the former juniors of the Dutch team flew on Mai 2 a nice long flight from 651 km with a speed of 88 km.p/h   in an LS 8.
While that same day Alberto [Sironi] flew nearly 1000 km.in a ventus 2 c t in Italy, with just over 100 km.p/h.

This is going to be a big week for me and I am not too sure if you will “see ” me next weekend. The European Art Fair in Amsterdam starts tomorrow with 2 days of furnishing and carrying of paintings and sculptures!Wednesday at 2 is the opening for the VIP guests and at 6 it STARTS!!!! Next monday will be the last day and I can tell you alreadsy now,” I will be dead then”.

Enjoy your life, your soaring and jobs and see you whenever…..!?

Ritz