Post 1.425 on Wednesday May 31,
last day of a pretty wet spring here and start of the meteorological SUMMER.

It’s a TOO busy time to follow all comps as there are just TOO MANY!!!
BUT,…no worries when you are interested you can find them all on www.soaringspot.com . They show the daily and overall scores and when you are lucky they have a link under news, to FB, so you see pictures and a story as well.
I concentrate on the above Nationals.
But…..please check also the German junior NATIONALS [ 27 May 2023 – 10 June 2023 at Aalen-Heidenheim/Elchingen ] with 68 “future WGC pilots.”

—–Some flights are just fun to follow and there is an extra place here for them as well.
Here is one from Peter Millenaar, who got to know Martti, borrowed his glider [JS1c TJ/21m.] and flew over 1000 km from Rayskala. Most interesting was that he was just on duty and had a day left to relax;
“First of all: Martti Koivula, thank you so much for letting me fly your amazing weapon of mass enjoyment! What a beast!
I had the privilege of flying to Turku for a weekend stop with my airline (ASL Airlines Belgium – FedEx feeder). Very lucky with the weather on this day as well. The first 100km or so was a bit tricky now and then. The second and third leg were absolutely amazing. Stunning conditions with thermal strengths of 4-6,5m/s. Declared task of 824km completed at 121,3km/h .
I believe 1100+ would have easily been possible by taking off 15-30 minutes earlier and continuing till 8pm.What a day… I love Finland. Martti, thanks again!”
https://www.weglide.org/flight/266176

UK NATIONALS 2023 in STANDARD , 15m and OPEN at LASHAM.
27 May 2023 – 4 June 2023

Dutch glider pilot Mark Wering flew the Nationals at Terlet, but before he left for the UK again I gave him my best wishes for my Lasham mates, specially, Roy and Alix, Patrick, David and Sandra.
There are 3 classes and they started on
May 27 with TASK 1;
Standard; 198.78 km….NOBODY finished but 7 pilots flew over 174 km after a late start after 3PM.
Daily best; Tom Arscott in LS 8.
21 Pilots in this class including Jane, Fran and Alison.
15 m; 203.55 km….Also in this class NO finishers but 2 over 175 km.
Daily best; Owen McCormack in Ventus 2a
22 pilots on this class among them Ayala and Liz and former WGC champion Leigh Wells.
open/18m; 200 km....31 started and 13 finished.
Daily best ; “good old” Russell Cheetham; 83.87 km./h. in JS 1C. More well known pilots in this class; Andy Davis, Steve Jones and Pete Harvey .

Day 28 with task 2;
Standard; 3 hour AAT…. with 320 km and a speed of 105.35 km./h. Jez Hood was the daily best.
10 finished, some were penalized and some flew nearly 300 k but could not finish.
15 m; 3 hour AAT.….Chris Starkey “got” the 1000 points for a distance of 326.68 km. in time 3.10, speed 103.05 km./h.
20 Started and 18 were “in”.
Open/18m; 3 hour AAT….Russell was the winner AGAIN. 348.91 km in time 3.04. speed 113.50 km./h. for 993 points.
Andy was runner up .
31 started and 28 finished quite a lot were penalized ;Exceeding maximum start height, mostly  in the 2 minutes prior to starting .

May 29; Task 3;
Standard; 205.04 km...changed to 170.13/153.06 km.….and for most that was still too much. Tom was over 170.13 km., 5k faster than the runner up; 71.43 km./h.
19 started and only 7 finished. The distance on the scoring was 170.13 km and Howard was the first to be “out” ; he flew 170.04 km and missed out on 29 points!!!!
15m; 209.75 km...changed in 157.77/ 173.67 km; Chris was nearly 10 k faster than the runner up; with a start at 15.16 he flew the 173.67 km task with 81.05 km./h. 2d Successive win.
20 started and 12 were “in”.
open/18m; 279.72 km....changed in 179.49/ 192.57 km.; Tim Jenkinson [JS 1c] was already on spot 3 and 2 now on 1. He flew the 192.57 km with a speed of 86.93 km./h.
30 Started and only 7 were in. “Poor” Russell was out after 140 km and Pete after 179.42 km.

May 30; task 4. NO finishers….66 pilots “out”.
Standard ; 181.91 km..…B task 151.35 km...NO FINISHERS!!!! So all 19 pilots in this class…OUT. One…., Jez, flew over 100 km. for 188 points.
15 m; 201.91 km…B task 150.22 km...Also in 15 m ONE pilot over 100 km; Gary Stingemore in As 33ES, for 31 points. 19 started and nobody finished.
open/18m; 238,33 km. …B task ..175.19 km…28 started and zero finished. 4 Pilots flew over 100 km. Best was Kenneth Barker in the JS-MD 1C;116 km. for 53 points.

May 31; task 5…TODAY. Still not “flashing” weather!
Standard; 153.78 km...15m; 152.56 km...open/18m; 181.67 km...

After 4 tasks the overall scores look like this;
Standard; 1. Jez Hood in LS 8 with 2,374 points. 2. Tim Fletcher in LS 7 WL with 2,231 p.
15 m; 1. Leigh Wells in JS 3 AND Tim Scott in ASG 29 both 2,121 points.3. Philip Jones; 2,116 p.
open/18m; 1. Andrew Davis in JS MD 1C with 2,423 points. 2. Tim Jenkinson in JS1c with 2,417 p.

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The French Nationals [general and women] in STANDARD and 15 m class 2 seaters
Bailleau Armenonville …. 27 May 2023 – 3 June 2023

As the UK Nationals , the French Nationals are important because both countries have big delegations of pilots at ECG’s and WCG’s. Let’s see what they do?
After 1 practice day they started on
May 28; task 1.
Standard/15 m…181.29 km...with 38 pilots and the daily best was Max Seiss in Discus 2A [handicap 111] with 84.37 km./h. Christophe Abadie in his JS 3 was a tad faster but his handicap is 115….so runner up.
5 Pilots went “aux vaches” !
2-seaters; 180.70 km....16 teams, 3HC ; 2 from Belgium and 1 from Germany . Only 2 pilots flew the task and ALL started after 4 PM. Francis Svobodny in the ARCUS M won the day; 74 km./h.
4 flew over 170 km.

May 29; task 2
Standard/15m;163.11 km..…CANCELLED.
2-Seaters; 159.56 km….CANCELLED.

May 30; task 3
Standard/15 m; 140.79 km….33 pilots started and NOBODY finished. Best was Jean-Denis Barrois in LS 8 with 136.70 km. CLOSE!!!! Only 89 points for this daily winner. Not a lot points lost or won.
14 pilots flew over 100 km.
2-seaters; 156.09 km…..Pieraerts & Stouffs [ARCUS T] FINISHED!!! Daily winners for 51 points. BUT, they fly as Belgian pilots HC. So Eric Napoléon was the number 1;45 daily points, also in ARCUS T.

For today May 31 they have 177.21 and 174.82 km on the menu.

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Belgian Nationals 2023
Kiewit Hasselt 27 May 2023 – 4 June 2023

May 27 task 1.
Club class ;152.84 km.….10 pilots started and 7 finished. Daily best; Robin Selfslagh in LS1f; 62.79 km./h.
Sport class; 191.11 km.…8 started and 7 finished, Daily winner; Daan Spruyt in Ventus 2ax, Daan is a WGC pilot so 81 km./h is slow for him but for sure the best on that day.
Open/18 m; 230km.…Lot’s of my Keiheuvel friends fly in this class and they were with 4 in the top each in a VENTUS 3. Tijl and Bert Schmelzer jr, Wim Akkermans and Dennis Huybreckx started together at 14.41 and finished within 5 minutes from each other.
Tijl won the day; 76.47 km./h Brother Bert had 76.10 km./h
From 12 , 2 pilots were out.

May 28; task 2.
Club; 164.52 km.…Ward Gysemans also from the Keiheuvel in his DG 400 was the daily best; 90.62 km./h which was 5 k faster than the runner up in LS 4.
from 10, 7 finished.
Sport class; 206.41 km....Daily winner Jef Kell in LS 8 ; 90.92 km./h.
9 started and finished. Starts just after 2PM.
Open/18m; 253.44 km….Wim started 13 minutes behind the Schmelzer brothers and won the day; 108.72 km./h.
12 started and finished. Dad Schmelzer was last for the day but finished!!!![94.37 km./h]

May 29 ; task 3.
Club; 1.45 AAT....10 started…10 finished, always good to see. 2d daily win for Robin; 111.84 km speed 61.98 km./h. over Third successive runner-up-spot for Thomas de Bruyn in LS 4.
Sport; 2 hour AAT.…2d successive win for Daan;170.54 km ,speed 79.16 km./h.
8 started and finished.
open/18m; 2 hour AAT...12 started and 1 was out. Bert and Tijl started together again at 15.03. Bert jr.won with 1 km/h. difference; 85.64 km./h/84.90 km./h.

May 30; task 4.
club; 193.56 km….HE DID IT!!!!! After 3 2d places he was number 1 today!!!!! Thomas in his LS 4;64.79 km./h was his speed for 550 points.
10 started and 6 finished. Troublesome day for Robin who was out after 12 km. A pity after 2 daily wins.
Sport; 255.23 km.…3d winning day for Daan!!76.43 km./h.
10 started and 8 finished.
open/18m; 304.14 km.…Koen Vanderputten in the Ventus 2CT was the daily best; 87.41 km./h.
12 started and 11 finished.

May 31; task 5. TODAY!!!!
Club; 261.27 km…..combi; 324.07 km….open/18m;367.29 km…

More on Sunday after they finished the comps.
After 4 days the OVERALL scores are:
Club; 1. Thomas De Bruyn in LS 4 with 1,876 points. 2.  Ward Gysemans in DG 400 1,790 p.
sport; 1. Daan Spruyt in Ventus 2ax with 2,337 p. 2. Bart Leysen in Ventus 2a 2,202 p.
open/18m; 1. Bert Schmelzer in Ventus 3 with 2,139 p. 2. Tijl Schmelzer in Ventus 3 with 2,128 p and 3.Wim Akkermans in Ventus 3 with 2,123 p.
Close scores…exciting…..Still 4 days to go!!!!

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LAST BUT FOR SURE NOT LEAST:
Suzanne Moffatt wife from George passed away. Met her a long ago in Angers. What a lovely lady she was !!!!! Great pilot herself as well. But later she liked crewing for George even better;
“Suzanne Moffat (a Gold C glider pilot herself gave up her soaring career): 50 years of crewing (mostly for her husband George) in 5 World Championships, 2 Smirnoff Transcontinental Races, numerous national and regional contests.” from Aug. 2002 newsletter, the WSPA (Women’s Soaring Pilot Association)“
R.I.P. Suzy

CU soon again somewhere this weekend, with the final results from these comps.
I guess Sunday evening.
P/S; Mind you from June 9 till 17 we will be on our annual high school holiday. There will be NO BLOG!!!!

AND…in that great Nordic Gliding Magazine from Jens Trabolt , you can read all about the Danish Nationals with pictures;
Nordic Gliding & aviation magazine