Qualifying FAI SGP at VARESE.

Race 4; 253 km; was set on Wednesday….halfway through the GP…. Clear skies in the morning and clouds popping up, for sure better weather. They could go into the mountains [Alps] , now the weather allows it.
Who will win the 2 tickets for the FINAL in September??
Official news; “The sky looks great but a coverage is forecasted quite early in our area. That’s why the first launch is planned from 12.15.Today’s task will let the pilots fly more to the north, crossing the Alps of the Bergamo area. Cloud base should be more than 2000m and for sure it will be an exciting race!!“
What happened?
Start at 13.40.
2 German pilots in a Ventus 3 T were the best for the day; Mario [Kiessling] and “good old” Uli [Schwenk]. Followed by 3 French pilots in JS 1C [Didier Hauss] Gilles[ Navas] in ASG 29 and young Kevin[Faur ]in a JS 1.
Kevin is still a junior!
Speed 118 km./h.
Gilles still leads with 29 points but Mario and Didier are “at his heels’ with 25.

Race 5; a short task …..156 km…..as there was a forecast for thunderstorms at mid afternoon. First take of at 12 and at 13.05 was the start.
“The race has started and the pilots are at 10 km from the northern point of the task. 2 options already appeared with a group taking a straight route while the other going more West”.
With a speed of 124.7 km./h. 2 pilots came in first and they had not been at the podium till now. Werner Amann in his ASG 29 [ 1 hour and 15 minutes] and Aldo Pigni in his Ventus 3. Till now Aldo had zero points today he got 10!!! As did Werner. Aldo honestly admitted he “followed” Werner.
Werner mentioned he was lucky to enter straight away a good thermal and just went for it. Mario was 3d with 7 points. Didier had no points,..not good for his totals…but Gilles had 5.
The weather turned out better than expected, the task was a bit too short but you never know ahead.
2 more days to go!!!!
So Gilles still leads with 34 points followed by Mario with 32 and Didier with 25.

Race 6; 289 km …nice long task as the weather was good!!!
Official news:”Waking up the sky gifted us an amazing view of the Monte Rosa today. The pilots will fly a longer task, excellent conditions have been forecasted with only isolated thunderstorms that should not affect the race. Everyone will anyway overflight awesome landscapes. Take offs from 12.45 p.m. Two races to the end and everything can still happen!

An interesting flight/race with Gilles as winner [10] with 117.2 km./h followed by Katrin [8] with 117 km./h. and the French junior Kevin on 3 with 7 points. “We ” have to keep an eye on this young man.
Only 1 point for Mario, but he is still in the “race” with a total of 33 points.
Gilles leads and is already sure of a place in the finals….he qualified. He has 44 points now and that’s 11 more than Mario, who had a poor start today.
Katrin has 30 so has Didier.
A lot is still possible.

Race 7; 306 km…..good weather so a race to follow, as a lot can happen. They expect more instability, so they go again in the high mountains as well as passing the Lake Como.
A lot happened today! Only 8 pilots finished, several got penalty points but Mario won the 10 daily points, he was the only one with over 100 km./h speed, where Katrin turned a point wrong and was penalized and missed out on points ,whilst young Kevin got the 7 points for being 2d!!!!
He had a superb amount of 25 points being 6th overall from 15, during his first visit to Italy.
The QUALIFYING SAILPLANE GRAND PRIX was won by
1. Gilles with 50 points, followed by
2. Mario with 43 points and
3. Didier with 33 points.

Interesting; The pilots which were interviewed by Margot, mentioned that comparing a SGP to the “normal/ classic competitions ,they like “ the small amount of competitors and the regatta start when all depart in the same weather.”

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Buno Bonnevaux in France; 18m and open class Nationals
June 20-June 26.

They had 2 practice days before the event started for 23 French pilots in 18 m. and 4 HC pilots from Belgium, Dennis Huybreckx and Francois Delfosse and Denmark Henrik Breidahl and Arne Boye Moeller.
In open class 14 French pilots and 4 HC from Belgium [3] and Germany [1].

18 m. class
Task 1; 2 hour AAT …..but task was cancelled.
Task 2; 236 km. AND,…105 km./h was the best speed in a JS 3 by Anne Ducarouge. Good on her! Only 2 were “out” one an LS 6 c/18m who missed out on only 20 k.

Task 3; 1.30 AAT, this time ONLY 2 pilots finished. Arne won the day with 215 km. in time 1.59. He got 332 points.
His comment :”Constantly measuring up alternatives and striving to balancing risk in a potpourri of weather systems.”
He had at some places nice cu’s and then an unstable air mass, unexpected shear wind “pushing one up the wall of a cumulus” and with 46 km to go and “after 170km the plot thickens as expected. And the fun begins“. he went through rain,” the last chance for climbing to final glide 27km to go in strong winds now and very wet air…a surreal climb against the rising wall and pouring rain to final glide.” picture below.

Not always easy to find a good spot for an outlanding.

Task 4; after a cancelled day, task 4 was set and 255 km. was on the sheet.
Here is what Arne had to say about the day:
“So we waited amiably till after four in the afternoon under a sad steel gray sky with a solitary wisp of cu underneath to the east that we were towed out to. With 22kph wind the distance from there to the startgate in the west quickly became more than 25km and at least another 10km to any chance of climb. The task was cancelled which was very fair. I dumped my ballast in an attempt to reach the cu’s and set out the jet to accomplish contact. Climbed up, returned to start and flew the 208 or so km with 109kph.“
You can’t say they don’t try hard!!!!

Task 5 on flying day 3; 151 km……with a speed of 91 km./h Adrien Henry won the last but one day, followed by my Belgium mate Dennis Huybreckx. Anne was 9th loosing 100 points.
With one day to go “only” 1.084 points for leader Adrien .
3 Did not finish. Arne was one of them; “Kudos to everyone else that didn’t land out like I did. After starting late and nearly a hour later painstakingly catching up with the lead group after some 60km..most managed to scrape away towards the 2nd turnpoint except I. But the jet worked perfectly.“

Task 6; 2.30 AAT on the very last day. A pity about the weather!!!
CANCELLED. Pilots out of their gliders and water on the grass.
So it stays as it was;
With 3 out of 7 days the new National Champion in 18m is;
1. Adrien Henry in JS 3 with 1.084 points.
2. Christophe Abadie in JS 3 with 1.001 p.
3. Anne Ducarouge in JS 3 with 993 p.

Open Class;
Task 1; 154 km was set …not much for the big birds…but it was difficult, very difficult. Only 6 were in and best was Christophe Sturm with a speed of 58 km./h in a JS 1C/21 m. for 118 points, …but sometimes you loose with 2 points so every point is good!!
In this class gliders as ASH 25 ,ASW 22 and ASH 30 MI, Nimbus 4DM, EB 29 ‘s and of course ARCUS T and M.
Atleast they had a day 1.
Task 2; 237 km. and another difficult day, but this time the big birds “stood up” and showed why they are good; 2 EB 29 ‘s in this class and they were upfront. Team Pierre de Broqueville and Jean Luc Colsson [EB 29DR] were on spot 1, but they are from Belgium so HC.
Winners in EB 29D team Paris/L’herm with 89 km./h!!!! Normally they would not take out the EB for a ride on such a day.

No flying on day 3 and 4.
Task 4; 286 km.…..as you could read they tried hard but it was not meant to be.
Task 5; on flying day 3….200 km…and again the EB won the day with Pierre and Jean Luc from Belgium.[ HC] Not a a speed you dream of flying an EB ;96 km./h. but …..
Great job from Philippe de Pechy flying his JS 1C/21 m. to a runner up spot;95 km./h , BUT to a first daily prize for the comps. Eric had one point less [467 for 466]
All 20 who started flew the task.
Task 6; 2.30 AAT....last day!!!NO FLYING, so no changes.
With 3 out of 7 days the French champion in open class is;
1. Eric Bernard in JS 1c/21 m. with 1.137 points.
2.Philippe de Pechy in JS 1C/21m with 1.107 p.
3. team Bouderlique /Astrid Galaret in ARCUS-20 with 1.062 p.
In between was team De Broqueville in EB 29DR with 1.101 p.

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Omarama was closed after so many years, then Keith Essex took some gliders and a tug to fly from there for a season, as he loves it, but he lives in the USA. SO,… new life has been blown in Omarama now.
“Dear Friends of Gliding,
My professional gliding school, KahuSoaring, is open for bookings for the upcoming season.
I would like to invite you to discover this spectacular gliding site.
From September through April we experience excellent conditions, wave, thermal and convergence soaring – often on the same day.
Come and enjoy the entertaining puzzle of the elements, the crystal clear air and breathtaking scenery of New Zealand.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Milan Kmetovic“

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The new Italian 15 m. CHAMPION is Ricky Brigliadori, who won 3 days in a row out of 4 flyable days…AND he did not fly on day 1.
The new Italian Standard Class National Champion is Elena Fergnani in a Discus. She won 2 days out of 4. Since she became WWGC champion I did not see a lot in the media , but here she is again .
Both comps were flown from Varese, 13 participants in Standard class and 9 in 15 m.

More about the UK Nationals in St. 15m and open class flown from Lasham, next week. Till now they had, thanks to the weather, only 1 day, the first day of the comps. [June 26-July 4], but it was a 1000 points day.
15 m. class with 19 participants…328 km.; won by Andy Davis JS 3 [MD] and 7 finished. Andy was the only one with 100 km./h.
Standard class 311 km; NOBODY from the 19 pilots finished but 2 [ in LS 8] flew 252 km. for 1000 points each.
Open class; 370 km.;Richard Browne in JS 1C won the 1000 points with a speed of 96 km./h. Shaun Lapworth was runner up in the same glider.

The Swiss Nationals [June 26-30] in mixed open and mixed 15 m. suffer from the same bad weather. Grenchen is the place to be.
They had only 2 days till now; in open 320 km. won by Yves Gerster in JS 1C followed by Juerg Haas in the same glider.
AND,…a ONE hour AAT…won by Yves again;148 km. in time 1.07, so a fast flight …132 km./h. for 98 points.
Rainer Crohnjaeger was runner up for 88 points in the ARCUS. Jurg had 4 points less.
NO task yesterday. 19 pilots in this class.
In 15 m also 2 days….262 km. flown by 4 from 15 pilots. David Leemann won in an LS 6 with 88 km./h.
The 1.15 AAT was flown by 11 from 15 .The winner in ASW 28 km flew 128 km. in time 1.23.27 for 234 points.

The Slovak National Championship had definitely better weather. They fly from Nitra in 3 classes till July 2.
Club had tasks from 163 km till 308 and at this stage after 9 flyable days , it’s Tibor Fratik in a Pegase who leads; 6.907 points…when I remember well, he flew several times with us in Tocumwal… .
15 m; between 205 and 354 km. At this stage Miloslac Cink [LS8b] has 6.840 points winning 2 days and several runner-up-spots.
The combi-class pilots had to fly distances between 246 and 408 km. Best at this stage is Radek Krejcirik in JS 1.21 m.[evo] with 6.483 points.
During the 408 km task he started together with dad Petr [JS 3/ 18m.] ; speed 111 km./h. for 102 and they were 1 and 2.
Peter is now on spot 6.
TODAY all classes fly task 10 out of 11, a 2 hour AAT.
They had one day with NO TASK.
More next week.

That’s it for now,
Cheers Ritz