Welcome back to the regular Wednesday morning blogs.

It is still so hot here, that I forgot that tomorrow the meteorological autumn starts already .
Yes, AND spring for my many friends down under.
I noticed because I saw on FB , last Friday, the packing and departure from containers to Kiripotib.
It’s that time of the year already.

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And the first competition in South Africa is already announced;

We’re excited for the Gliding Nationals 2022
*Entry Form for the SA Nats 15m, Club and Two Seater.*
Where: Potchefstroom Airfield
When: Practice Day 30 September 2022, Comp Days 1-8 October.”

“See you all there!”

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The Rencontre ASK 13 in St Crepin is not only a competition between teams flying the ASK 13, but their pictures are absolutely fabulous. I follow them already for a long time.
Pilots from club’s with an ASK 13 meet, talk and fly. On day 5 St. Crepin was in front of St Remy and Suisse. They flew 200 km. with a speed of 84.4 km./h!!!!
overall result;
1. St Remy with 4945 points.
2. St Crepin with 4879 p.
2. Suisse with 4879
There are 25 teams.
Here is a picture from August 26

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Indeed on Sunday morning I found some pictures from the prize-giving on my laptop and though it is rather late now, the girls will be, for ever famous, not only on the prize giving day. Being a WORLD CHAMPION in 2022 is FOR EVER!!!!!
I love the picture from Petra with her gorgeous little baby. In Lake Keepit [ [2019/2020] she had a little one still in the pram and Petra’s mum was taking care of her.
Now this looks like a new little long-haired beauty in her mums arms.
What better trophy to have!!??

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A few more comps finished, one of them the Junior National Championship in the UK. These comps were held in Keevil,[ United Kingdom] between August 20 and 28 and hosted by the Bannerdown Gliding Club
Out of 9 days they had 6 valid days, so enough to find out who the best UK junior would be.
They had short tasks,[87 km] longer ones,[ 251 km.] late starts [4 PM] and JWGC CHAMPION, Finn Sleigh , who won 4 days.
Like during the JWGC ,he teamed up with Toby Freeland, who was runner up.
1. Finn Sleigh in ASW 20 with 3.464 points.
2. Toby Freeland in ASW 20 with 3.267 p.
3. Alistair Emson in St Cirrus with 3.201 p.
4. Henry Indigo-Jones in St Cirrus with 3.053 p.
36 Pilots competed and another 12 2-seaters with experienced pilots to “help” out with coaching.

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From happiness to sadness!
TT, Tony Tabart passed away. Another gliding icon lost in Australia, in the world. Another MATE gone!!!AND,…one of my longtime mates and a good friend.

Some words from Tonies family, good friends and soaring mates;
“20 years ago I sat at a bar in Tocumwal and got talking to a man who had forearms like Popeye. As we addressed a couple of pints of wine, I had no idea I was talking to an Australian gliding legend. He was a man with whom I was to become a friend.”
AND
“Tony Tabart made it to 86 years of age. He was fiercely competitive, generous, fun, smart, mischievous, and a fine friend. Old mate, you will be missed.” by Simon

“Tony enjoyed a great innings over his 86 years; an adventurous, interesting and fulfilling life, and wonderful friends.” Jo.

“Mr Tabart has enjoyed considerable success in the sport. He represented Australia at home and overseas, in France, Sweden, Italy, Austria and former Yugoslavia. He was the first Australian to win a day in an international competition, in Yugoslavia in 1972. He was also the oldest winner of the Australian Open Gliding Championship in 2004, has been Australian Open champion four times and set several gliding records – including being the second person in the world and first Australian to complete a 1000-kilometre triangle.” Horsham Gliding, Tony loved to fly there, and since 1966 till recent he flew all Horsham weeks.

“He was steadfast in his love and support. Always tolerant, always available, always interested.
Through thick and thin, Tony and Jo have been a part of my life, Indea Moffitt’s life and then to his great grand children.
I can’t really express this loss… and my heart is with Jo, and Julie, for their loss is deep.” daughter in law Anita.

“I remember Tony Tabart doing a high speed water dump run in his Nimbus 2 as Gough Whitlam opened the Waikerie World Gliding Championships in January 1974. A wonderful pilot with a wonderful gliding record still competing at Horsham not many years ago too. We are sadly losing some of the very best.” Neil.

“Sad news for Australian Gliding with the passing of Tony Tabart at the age of 86.
Tony spent a lot of time as one of the very best glider pilots in Australia, representing his country at the highest level many times. Tony was very generous with his time as an elite cross country coach. It’s also worth noting that Tony was the last surviving member of the Australian team chosen for the 1974 World Championship held at Waikerie in South Australia, a landmark event in Australian Gliding.” Gliding Australia

I got to know Tony in the early eighties. We met the Aussie team in Rieti in 1984 at the Pre Worlds and Tony was one of them, a tall slim sheep farmer from Australia. When we talked he was not just a farmer, but he had thousands of sheep. We were impressed. An Aussie we only knew from “books and films”
Then we had already the feeling to once visit Australia and in retrospect, that visit to Rieti in 84 , changed our lives TOTALLY.
We moved to Australia and spend at least 30 Dutch winters in the Tocumwal sun , as I have written many times. We even lived there for just over 10 years and ran the SSC .
Tony and Jo stayed our friends all over the years till NOW. So did Bruce by the way and Griffo, all from the same ’84-holiday.
Over the last years I could see that Tony , every year I met him again became a bit older , but still full of spirit and we shared lots of long soaring stories, good wines and food.
His passing is rather unexpected, but with 86 and a double pneumonia , you know it might go wrong.
It did, but I am sure Tony was more than HAPPY with his life, he had ” his low’s, but also a lot of high’s.”
I will ALWAYS remember the SUPER FINE and SPECIAL times with him and with Jo.
I wish her and Tonies sister Julie all the best.

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To finish the final results from the World Gliding Aerobatic Championship 2022 in Issoudun

On August 28 the weather here was still good for soaring, so good, that one of our pilots Sikko flew a 500 in the ST Libelle from Soesterberg. He started, went straight up with 1.5 m/s to 900 m, had wind on the tail, cloud streets and flew till his battery was empty; 612 km[ 534 FAI triangle]
What do you want more that late in the season. Huge fun!!!
The German squad flies in Puimoisson and Michael Sommer is one of the coaches. A few 900 k’s in the EB, also not bad in this time of the year!

Last day of a fabulous SUMMER/August……
CU next Wednesday,
cheers Ritz