Alphen aan den Rijn Saturday July 17 EXTRA EDITION ritzdeluy@hotmail.com blog 321.
As you might have noticed I published a blog last Friday as well, to remain ”fresh with the news” now we are in the last stage of this interesting WGC. When you missed it, no worries it is under this one, maybe you read blog 320 first.
I will share with you the last days by looking most of the day on what happens.
Friday July 16;
Friends in Prievidza heard rain on their tent in the morning!!!! But….though the meteo man was less convinced about the weather, the forecast on the radar and the ”models” of the meteo-stations said ”FLY”. They changed from AAT’s from 3 hours to 2.30 in all classes , while the radar showed again showers and the pilots and crew could see a thunderstorm close by. Would it disappear ???
These showers killed all activity over the field. Would it be still a lottery in the end !? I hate that to be honest. The best pilots should win not the most lucky ones just flying behind a shower or upfront when others have to land or cannot depart. I know it is a WGC , and the best pilots in the world should be able to fly under difficult circumstances as well, some use the “‘good site” of thunderstorms to climb really high……but still….
I followed Art’s voice on the tracking system and they showed there as well the map with all the thunderstorms in the first sector at Trencin. The ”art” is to find your way around them. Good luck guy’s! Nitra had to the S also thunderstorms but they did not reach their sector. But…while looking I saw altitudes of 600 m. up to 1800 m. and heard that some st. class pilots could not find the connection in the dead air after their launch and had to come back and start again, after waiting quite a long time!
In fact EVERYBODY should have a fair launch and possibility to start, also the last ones on the grid!!!!! If not ….they should neutralize the day for this class;my opinion! You have only 3 chances to be launched ,when it then still not works it is over and out! That happened!
Others up in the air had 2m climb. The word lottery is in everybody’s mouth now , not only in mine. But…I know that some countries love this weather.
Sorry but I do not really understand the organization! One day , a good-weather-one they give small tasks to be sure everybody comes home as we have seen that outlandings can be very difficult in the Prievidza-area —perfect—good thinking—so you avoid more damage and yesterday they send over 100 pilots out , with the sure knowledge that a lot would go ”au vache”.
”This is a WGC”, does n’t count then.
It was only 2 hours and 30 minutes flying, but it turned out different for most pilots! Except for 7 ALL of them had to land out as there was just no way to go to no direction. Differences in start-times are huge. I saw that Belgian pilot Wim , on a nice overall-position before today, started at 15.46 with 2 hours and 30 minutes to go! Sunset is at 20.40, so that would not be the problem, but I read that Martin is the field which is visited by many pilots and that is NOT Prievidza. A pity if such a day ”makes” the scores in the end of a mixed-feeling- competition!
Of course great class from the pilots who made it back home. Were they lucky, or is it just their class??? From SUPER Mario , Mighty Michael and SUPER Sebastian, you can for sure say that they might have been lucky but they have for sure high quality soaring skills!!!The other 4 home-finishers I do not know good enough to to judge. But for all 7 GOOD ON YOU!!!!!
Happy news in between as the Team Captain from Germany Uli and Chrissie have received this morning a healthy young new future pilot with the name Fin. Congratulations to them!!! More happy news for the German team as out of the blue 2 pilots called 10 km.;Y4 and AK. Mario and Michael are back!!!!! But…topper Sebastian is back as well. It will take some time to find out about the scores.
CU tomorrow the last day of the comps, hope that is not such a lottery day!! Ritz