Looking ahead at the WWGC! USA open class [ with the CONCORDIA ] and 15 m. nationals!

WWGC overzicht damesFB

Here they are , 50 from the 53 women participating in the WWGC in Issoudun. What a great idea by the organisers, to make a compilation of the pictures.
Thanks for sharing it on the competition WWGC site.
On the official entries list I counted 15 ladies in 15 m. class, 22 in club and 14 in standard class.
15 Different countries with 15 TC’s some very experienced, some dad or husband, anyhow ALL of them will be there with a mobile with a French SIM card.

This Saturday the opening will take place including an airshow for all. Then the girls have to perform on Sunday June 30 till July 12. That day is the farewell party in the evening and on the 13th the prize giving.
Chief steward is Marina [Galetto] from Italy and steward is Frouwke [Kuijpers] from Holland. Gisela Weinreich is the president of the jury.
CD is Roger Eyrier, task setter Benjamin Neglais who has been TC several times as well at big comps and Brian Spreckley is involved in the operations and as deputy CD.
A strong team with more people on different jobs.

Knowing a lot of them , makes me extra sad to NOT be part of it for a couple of days as was planned. A real pity!!!!

But from home I can do a lot too , with help of my friends over there of course.

For the first time in history there is a lady flying for the USA and for Holland, during a WWGC , so a bit of history here in soaring. Maybe even more ladies , but I did not hear about that.
The USA has Sarah, who runs with husband Jason a flying school at Chilhowee Gliderport. She can repair gliders and tugs and fly gliders both as instructor and as pilot during comps. At Uvalde during the WGC, she was the only female tuggie. In Chaves she was a participant in the WGC.
This will be her first time in a WWGC and with TC Francois Pin and her crew , she has all possibilities to do well.
Sarah will fly a St.LIBELLE in club class with a few strong concurrent’s  as Danish World Champion Agnete Olsen and  the German and UK girls .
Here is Sarah with Jason at home and on a recent picture.

Sarah and Jason  WWGC Sarah by Maria

Natasja is the name of the Dutch girl and before she departed she told me how much work was done before , by Bas [Seijfert] who gave her his glider SEI, the ASW 28, to fly in standard class. For the Zander,  he built in quickly an audio,  to have her prepared in the best way for all to come and he spend quite some time to explain her EVERYTHING.
Natasja flew the Pre WWGC by accident last year. She was flying a competition there at the same time and was invited to participate in the Pre worlds ,”why are you not flying with us “?  of course she did this  at once.
Natasja flies in a strong class with the World champion from Germany Sue Kussbach and former World champion Gill Spreckley .
Here is Natasja last year at the Pre Worlds with the famous Jill vd Broeck  , who sadly passed away later in the year ……and before flying.

Natasja en Jill  natasja2

My friend Teresa [Sweden] flies in 15 m. class in the ASW 27 b and I am glad that she can fly after the fire in their work shop at the airfield not too long ago.
A strong class where Susanne Schödel from Germany defends her title and there are a few who want to take that title home this year. Let’s see if Susanne who flew in the Uvalde WGC last year can hold her position. Together the German girls can be strong, as the French and don’t underestimate Johanna from Poland.

Andreea Susanne  Andreea en Susanne

Susanne at briefing in Uvalde and with Andreea in Uvalde.
Andreea is at the  moment in Hobbs New Mexico covering the open class/15 m. Nationals.

Slowly the ladies arrived from last weekend onwards  and set up camp.

WWGC Swaantje  WWGC UK Camp

Swaantje has arrived and made camp for the BIG German team and the UK girls have their camp reserved as well.
Pictures as shared on FB.

Looking forward how this competition will go and I hope for SUPER FRENCH SUMMER weather. Will keep you informed, depending on what happens maybe more than twice a week!

And,….talking about women the always progressive London Gliding Club tries to get more women in soaring. Here is the Flyer as shared by Sandra and a picture from Aeroclub Les Goelands , where they have a girls weekend end of this week. It looks like there will be more than enough tuggies available!!!

Girls  Girls 2

Great stuff!

There is more!
The USA NATIONALS IN HOBBS. They started with a practice week in which not a lot was flown.

Usa nationals line up
Ready for a good week of top soaring.
Courtesy Andreea.

Here is the news from Andreea which I received last Sunday:
Just a quick resume of what is going on here –
starting Monday we had a week of almost daily t-storms, either here or close by,
pretty strong winds and not much flying going on. On an average I would say 5-10
gliders flying, mostly in the area. Right now we have close to 25 pilots already
here, although tomorrow is the first practice day.”

And 3 more of her first pictures;

USA Nationals 13  USA nationals concordia

Dick Butler and his famous CONCORDIA. I liked the remark from Robert [Danewid];
“There is no substitute for span!”

USA nationals Heinz

And Heinz Weissenbuhler [l.] who flies according to George, the “old”by Dick modified ASW22, the ETA BITER, again quoting George, “The best ASW 22 in the world.”
Heinz is the father from Hannah and married to Dutch Karin Schlösser.
Pictures courtesy Adreea.

Here is the family as I met them last year in Uvalde.

Karin en Willem 002  Karin en Willem 003

Yesterday was the first official flying day and 43 pilots went up in the air. They had 5 tugs available  !As Andreea mentioned ;
The weather was HOT and it will get  hotter and hotter here, starting to resemble more as Hobbs weather. Today we will have less winds, still from the SE and better flying conditions overall. And if I look outside, I do see some scattered Cu’s.–“
BIG task for 15m and open ; 4 hour AAT.

USA nationals  USA nationals field
Briefing on day 1 and line up in HOT HOBBS.
Courtesy Andreea.

The  preliminary scores; Tom Kelley won in the ASG 29/15m.  the first 1000 points by flying 320 miles in 4.06 .
In open class 2 of my friends were high in the points. Dick Butler with the Concordia flying 322 miles in time 4.05 good for 1000 points and Rick Walters in the ARCUS 306 miles. in 3.57 with 977 points. Heinz was 5th [814 points] Not everybody in both classes is scored yet and the weather up North was not as good as expected.

Uvalde Ritz and Rick1

Rick, Andreea and Ritz in Uvalde.

The Latest magazine of SEGELFLIEGEN is out, this time p.e. with the story of the European record from Mathias Schunk and much more .
http://www.segelfliegen-magazin.de/?page_id=547

Segelfliegen

Last but not least I told you about the 50thiest birthday of my “old ” club de ZES. Last weekend they had their special day to show Dutch glider pilots how a summer-camp is at a student aeroclub, somewhere in a paddock in the middle of Holland.
The weather did not really co-operate but for fun weather is totally unimportant. As one of the organisers Karin said when she announced the weekend was on; ” No guts,  no glory!”
I noticed lot’s of “thank you’s ” on FB and I knew it could be only good. Here is a short resume by Arjan, who also shared the pictures.

Weilanddag1  Weilanddag2

For her 50th anniversary the Eindhoven Student Gliding Club (ZES) organised a unique “Pasture Day” (Dutch: Weiland dag) on June 22nd 2013 .They invited the entire Dutch gliding community to make an outlanding on a field a farmer named Harold was more than willing to provide. All were invited to join them afterwards for a beer, barbecue and a party. Their aim was to share the great ambiance of their much loved summer camps.

Despite the very mediocre weather forecast they decided to go ahead!

 Just in front of the occluded front the gliders were towed cross-country from their homebase De Peel to the grass land some 40 km’s away. The gusty wind and the turbulence asked for alert towing and sporty landings. A special tribute to Dick Teuling and Francois Jeremiasse who made their field landings coming from Malden even though the weather didn’t improve after the front passage. A total of 14 gliders reached the field with, as it should be, nearly all perfect landings.

 And… the party was waiting for them! On the other side of the road a big tent with an impressive barbecue installation and bar were already set up. Complete with a big campfire and karaoke disco the night ended very late for many. Very convenient that also a one-day-only-campsite had been created on the field with breakfast included!

 The ZES thanks everyone for their support in making this event one to remember.—“
More than enough news for you to digest so CU next Sunday or earlier depending on what’s happening at the WWGC.
Cheers Ritz

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