“Not blue but grey” in France today…C.I.M. finished…

WGC in Montluçon-Guéret, France
8 August 2021 – 20 August 2021

Friday August 13;
TASK 6..flying day 4 for club, 3 for standard and 15 m.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPlEBs8MtV_xf6riDeJLfCTuO0-j_FGPWrAU8rSY9LidBvOcPeVaHd5rhOAMlIRig?key=OFZvTGRpT2hZNkU2b0N0THJRbHZId

After the ” thunderstorm-related-race” back and landings with nearly all competitors at the field , another day in the books in which the weather refused to be kind during this first week of the WGC.
Some,[ club and 15 m. ] were ready before the rain, a lot of the standard class , who were on track already, had to dry the glider or divert to Issoudun. But as always in hectic situations, EVERYBODY helps out !!!!!

Courtesy British Gliding Team
After yesterday’s scrub in the air the Club and 15m teams landed back almost straight away, the Standard’s however had started and were heading off on task. Jez and Howard were 40k away when they turned towards home into an a sky that was turning darker by the minute. After struggling to find lift and stay airborne they managed to land back just as the rain hit.”

So on Friday, the 13th….today, a new day started, not blue, but grey this time, HOT and HUMID….hence not too long tasks. First launches not before 2PM….2.30. “
Weather improved, “the layer of high clouds has disappeared and thermals are generally well marked with cumulus clouds.”

Waiting for the start today.
As shared by Belgian Gliding Team

Club class ; 2 hour AAT...
I was waiting already for a daily-win from Jake and Tom from the UK. Today it happened.,…both started and finished together in their LS 7WL and both are on spot 1. [ 2.14 km. in time 2.12] Behind them the LS 3 gliders from Stefan and Uwe with 2.13 km. in time 2.12.
Late starts again , just before or after 4 PM.
2 were out and 3 not yet scored!
Average speeds in the club class were the highest of all classes. ”

Club class;The LS 4 from Swiss pilot Sven Sprunger.
As shared on the official site.

Standard ; 2.30 AAT....
My Belgian mates had a real good day on spot 1 and 3 with Simon[Germany] in between. Dennis and Jeroen flew 244 km. in time 2.52/54. Congratulations guy’s!
A new day of success! For the first time all pilots of our team landed back on the airfield! Our standard class pilots were not convinced of their performance after the flight, it’s difficult to compare to other gliders in flight with an AAT. However, they did an outstanding flight today and finished 1st and 3rd! Congrats to Jeroen en Dennis for their great team work!! 🥇🥉🥳Belgian Gliding Team
5 From 29 were out!

Standard class; The Discus 2 a, from JP Morel from France.
As shared by the organizers.

15 m. ; 1.45 AAT... When they were launched, most gliders already in the air ,were struggling between 400 and 800 m. But the promised better weather they found straight away on track.
All starts were after 4 PM .
190 km. was flown by Max and Laurent [France] in 2 hours in their JS 3.
3 Diana’s followed with Matthew, Lucasz and Sebastian. And the 2 Dutch pilots Jeroen and Hadriaan [JS 3]
15m class pilots had difficulty on the way to the first sector and already had to dump some water ballast early in the flight. Nice clouds, but broken and weak thermals.” Belgian Gliding Team
24 from 28 finished!

15 m. class; The JS 3 from Ricky [Brigliadori]
As shared by PilotaperSempre

————————————————————————————

LAST DAY OF THE C.I.M. in Rieti.

The helicopter hangar is on the other side of the airfield. I was one year their neighbor staying in the military “dorms”.
courtesy Antonella Rosati Luca Ippoliti

This version of the C.I.M. was as moving as my last one , somewhere in 2010/11.
I guess you never forget the year a mate died in competition, due to our sport.
In open class Peter Hartmann, went back home after loosing his mate. I do understand.
But as said, life goes on, so the last day was an interesting one, with small tasks.
With 9 out of 11 days, better than anywhere in Europe at the moment, including one already announced rest day after 6 days of flying and one “reflex-” day, you might still call Rieti the MECCA of SOARING.
The weather for today;
The African anticyclone carries north west wind currents rich of moisture in the medium and high altitude. In north east area NE surface wind.
Good convergences
!”
Cumulus base: from 3.000 m up to 4.000;
Temp. Max 35/37 ° C

the weather today!
As shared by Aero Club Rieti “Alberto Bianchetti”


Combi class; 2.20 AAT….
still possibilities to win for a few teams.
3 Dutch pilots involved; Team van Houweninge with Austrian mate Hallbrucker are on spot 1 with 6.609 points.
Joost and Eric …by the way all 3 Dutchies are members of the Gelderse where my grand children fly…have 6.429 points and only 2 points less it s a strong Italian team ,former world champion Stefano Ghiorzo with Roberta Passardi. I never underestimate Alberto Sironi either , he is on 6.303 points and with him you never know!
I forgot another speedy pilot Vittorio Pinni …..AND,..he won the last day….in the Duo Discus XLT!
346 km. in time 2.19,58!!!!!So 148 km./h another fast day.
The toppers were all with the first 7 :
Final result in the combi class is ;
1. Van Houweninge & Hallbrucker in ARCUS M with 7.314 points.
2. Borgmann & Wolff in ARCUS T with 7.141 p.
3. Ghiorzo & Passardi in ARCUS T with 7.110 p.

18 m. class; 2.45 AAT...and 404 km…pff …speed 147 km/h!!!! By Arne Boye Moeller….good on him. A late start , just after 2 PM. He moved from 7 to 5.
Davide, ….did I see well on pictures that he has 4 children????….was 3d.
3 Airspace violations spoiled the day for 3 pilots.
Overall scores;
1.Davide Schiavotto in JS 3 with 7.793 points.
2. Jon Gatfield [UK] in AS 33es with 7.260 p.
3. Felix Schneebeli [Switzerland] in Ventus 3TP with 6.916 p.

Daddy Davide on spot 1 , Jon on 2 and Felix on 3. With Aldo the CD to the left and I believe the president of the club to the r.
As shared by Discover Gliding

Open class; 2.15 AAT...
It’s all about Michael and Felipe. Today it was Michael, who flew with a speed of 168 km./h 378 km. in 2 hours and 13 minutes. Felipe was a tad slower; 700 and 697 points. Those EB 29R’s are “mighty machines” certainly with top pilots in them.
Final scores;
1. Felipe Levin in EB 29R with 6.499 p.
2. Michael Sommer in EB 29R with 6.398 p.
3. Markus Frank in EB 29R with 6.245 p.

The huge mountains where the pilots fly to and over, are the Terminillo which I was at the highest top you can go to, looking at gliders passing by at eye-height,….very spectacular and the Grand Sasso.
You can see the Terminillo from the field.
The other mountain the GRAND SASSO, I only heard of , but CD Aldo shared a picture.
Seen by many pilots flying in the Rieti area.

It looks like a face with an eye and a nose it’s the “Little horn of the Grand Sasso”.
An example of pareidolia.
From ; Nuovi Mondi – Astronomia e Scienza
Crediti: Focus
Foto: Ugo Di Giammarco

The prize giving was modest, even after such a fabulous C.I.M. but loosing a mate does n’t invite for a huge wild party.
CD Aldo asked for ONE minute of silence dedicated to Christian.
The 4 women flying in this comps [also in the 2 seaters] got flowers from the president of the club.

And as always a BIG THANK YOU to the tuggies.

tuggies with well deserved bottles of wine.
Aero Club Rieti “Alberto Bianchetti”

Hopefully this weekend some more pictures .

Cheers Ritz

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