LATEST NEWS:
Just before briefing Mandy, who is the CD in Lake Keepit at the WWGC, asked me if I wanted to be the editor at the comps. I said YES.
More details later.
IMPORTANT!!!
They have had smoke, but they fly every day ,so the WWGC DEFENITELY will be at LAKE KEEPIT!!!

8.30 AM;
Did you have a look at the speed from the practice day yesterday!? “Smoking” GOOD!!!!
In 18 m. /open Adam flew around with 162 km./h.in the ASG 29 …in the blue…and in the same type, Peter [Temple] flew 155.65 km./h over the set 330.93 km.
From the 24 who were scored for speed, the “slowest” flight was still 123,57 km./h!!! As said pilots found the day “ridiculous good”!!!With lift up to 10 kts and height of about 10 k.
TOP DAY!!!!
Good day for Claire [Scutter] as well in Standard class ;134 ,27 km./h over 271,74 km.In this class only LS 8 gliders.
In 15 m. Tobias Geiger flew in his Ventus 2A and with great speed he raced over the 271 km ;141,70 km./h.

Today will be day 1 from the 58th Multi Class Australian Nationals, the 5th here in Tocumwal. No smoke today, a temperature according to my phone [yes I learned]up to 35 dgr.C. and a “stiff” wind!!
I woke up last night from the rough wind arriving with the “change”.
At briefing we will here what happens today. Try to be there today at 10.

Diana is another 2 hours late due to a delay. She arrives now at 12 in Shepparton. Quite an ordeal for her this trip till now and it might be not over yet as there are problems here as well; 2 gliders HERE, with as call sign MM. Normally that’s resolved very easily, but it ‘s to be seen if that ‘s happening here. Let’s wait and see.
There seems to be another MM in Australia too, as you can see on the picture shared by Schempp-Hirth today. It’s a popular call sign. “We” have it already since the 70 thies. MM are the first letters of my baptized names Maria Martina.Michel Mercier in France has the call-sign, so has Manuele Molinari in Italy.

Back after the briefing.

11 AM;
A pretty long briefing with lot’s of things ,which had to be discussed.
—Even with the smoke it turned out to be real good day yesterday!No prizes on a practice day, so that went smooth and fast. Compliments though for Claire and Adam.
—Some domestic items;
On Saturday there will be a spit roast in the Aero club and on Wednesday a Smorgasbord organized by the SRGC. More details later.
Today WIN TV will be at the field.
—PEV creates some problems and as long as those are not resolved the scorers will not score with this system.
A few pilots already opted to “let it go”.
I just copied it all for you , it might not be used! No worries!!! Deleted it all for now.
—tug master had to explain the speed of towing. It should be between 70 and 75, but some struggled all the way with 65.They look into it at the tug briefing straight after the briefing.
—very good safety briefing on fatigue and collision-avoidance- responsibility by Geoff Brown , ex-chief of the Royal Australian Air Force .
—announce your arrival at 10 miles out!!

Jenny did the weather and it will be weak and windy, so not as good as yesterday. Blue, a SW wind with 10 to 20 kts and average lift up to 5 kts.

Trackers will be available for all pilots [about 10 cables short at the moment but they will arrive today]
Tow ropes are at the field.Grid closes at 12.30.
Runway in use today is 18.First launch is expected to be at 1 PM.

There are A,B and C tasks . C task =326 km. for open and 266 for st and 15m.
After the sniffer has sniffed, they decide.
18 m./open; 423 km….
St. /15 m; 352 km….
You are up to date now CU later.

12.45;
The last glider from the tie-down area, had 15 minutes to be in time. It’s rather far to 18. He made it easy.

At 12.30 6 tugs went out. AND,…surprise surprise the last one around the corner was the “ugly duckie ” from Charlie . Not here for one day!?
Yesterday they launched all pilots in 55 minutes!!
At 12.45 the self-launcher went for some good sniffing.
It depends on him, if they go at 1 PM.
Stand by!!

1.10 PM;
The sniffer had 6 kts at 6000 ft.
Not long after the decision was made; TASK C.
At this stage all pilots sign for the new task in front of the grid.

2.PM;
The day has been cancelled. Car’s are coming back. Not yet gliders to be seen.

Hear and see the tug’s now, they return home.
Tomorrow is another day.
CU then.

Tonight dinner at Gina’s!
Cheers Ritz
Try to make some more pictures this afternoon.

Some German/Austrian friends flying at Corowa arrived here , as they knew we were here. Like in the past I showed them proudly around. It all looks so good again after the disaster by the last owner . Lumpy and Sharon have done a superb job.
We sat under the veranda from great smelling wisteria and had a cuppa with Joergen, who in the past flew in Corowa as well.

We then walked to the beautiful white gum tree. This one is very special. It was planted on January 10 in 1988 on the day of Dennis funeral.
Janet Hider- Smith [ you might remember her as a great Aussie female pilot and editor at several comps]took a seed from this tree in St Kilda park and put it in a pot. Bruce Brockhoff brought it to Tocumwal and we planted it in front of our caravan, to be there with us for ever, not knowing that years later we were kicked off by the last owner.
It was in memory of Kees Musters, our best friend who was WGC champion in Hobbs New Mexico . He died after a fatal hang glider accident in France , just one week before Dennis had his accident at Finley with the Scout VH_ADP on January 3 1988.
I told the story a few years ago to Lumpy and he said he would take care of it. That gave me comfort.

Off for dinner now CU tomorrow!