Post 1.437 on Sunday August 6 2023

We continue with the comps in progress and only hope for better weather.

21st FAI EGC in POLAND
Leszno Strzyzewi
26 July 2023 – 11 August 2023

When I left you on Wednesday they had just publicized the tasks for the 3 classes. 3 hour AAT’s .

British Gliding Team was carefully optimistic.
“1st launch at 1115 hrs as conditions OK now with good cloud streeting. Wx will deteriorate from the W mid afternoon.” I presume early starts,….at least a.s.a.p.
Dutch Gliding Team mentioned;” The meteo man expected a good day, but he announced also that around 4 a heat front with a thick layer of clouds would kill all lift. The wind will increase to 50 km./hour .
During the day there will be cloud streets“
So if all goes well, it could be a fast day in a not really big window.

Here we go with
TASK 2 on day 6 on Wednesday August 2; “Today the weather improved and we could admire gliders in the air again! Pilots finished task 2.  Everyone could enjoy the one and only beauty of gliding 😊” organizers on FB.

18m. CLASS;
August 2 Task 2; 3 hour AAT….With a late start at 12.47….[the first pilots like Wolfgang [WGC Champion] and Christophe [Nacke, JWGC champion]] went on track on 12.07/08…. Arne Boye Moeller raced over the track ,passing all to be back at 4,when the weather change should start, to be the daily winner; 349 km speed 107.57 km./h. for 1000 points.
Quite a bit faster than runner up Michael Reiner from Switzerland with 103.83 km./h.
Arne moved up from 17 to 8 on the overall list.
All 36 pilots were HAPPY to be in the air again and only 2 were “out”.
After 2 days Bert jr from Belgium leads the class with 22 points on Peter from the Netherlands, so the “low countries” are doing well till now.[1.895 for 1.873] They “know about” this weather.
Sebastian was on spot 17 after a penalty , [ incorrect landing procedure] that’s weird for him.

August 3 Task 3; 3 hour AAT.

Some news about the day first…..”3 hrs AATs (again!) for all classes in a narrow weather window with a PEV start.1st launch just confirmed for 11:30 local time and the tugs are just starting up to head to the grid.” British Gliding Team 
Dutch Gliding Team; ” Another day with special circumstances. Ground wind 30 and more upper wind 40 km./h and possibly increasing. At the start 7/8 of cu’s and some small showers around at distance. The task first to the SW, where Jelena Gora is, well-known because of the wave there. Thermals there might be influenced by the wave. A challenging day with the expectation of changes in the scores“
It was raining during the first launches and to the S. it looked appalling, but still hope for cloud streets.
What happened in 18 m. class?
It turned out to be a more Polish day, with tricky conditions and lot’s of rain, not to forget at least 60 k p.h wind. The Dutch team was correct, big changes in the scores.
In 18 m it was Poland on spot 1,2 and 3; Sebastian and the 2 “Lucaszes”; 355 km and a speed of 117/116 km./h.
Due to the rain one could not get away and even had to use the engine to get back to the field; a launch but no start means N.S so 0 points. But all in all 36 started and 26 finished.
3 Toppers were out; Bert jr, Russell and Radek.
Some started at 12.44, the Italians and others at 14.28 p.e Dennis from Belgium!!!He had to relaunch between showers in retrospect , not too bad for him, as he did well.
The 3 Polish pilots moved up to 1,2 and 3 overall as well and Dennis who was 4th for the day, from 18 to 11. Bert jr moved from 1 to 10.
Indeed big changes!!!!!!

August 4..Task 4; 324.91 km….Task C was set in the end. Another very challenging day again ,specially in this 18 m. class .ONLY 4 from 36 finished. 2 German pilots , Sebastian Huhmann in his AS 33es [96.25 km./h] on spot 1 and Christophe on 4 and in between ANNE from France and Russell from the UK.
Russell and Christophe JUST could make it and their speed was 80 and 77 km. but they were in.
14 of the “out-landers” flew over 300 km. All started between 14.14 and 14.47.
Arne mentioned;”Polish Weather called for 34/37 outlandings including me…but still in 6th place overall..”
Time for a bit of rest, but first The Polish Evening.
Belgian team;“flying day 4 of the competition, the first cumulus appeared before 9am and quickly developed in beautiful cloud streets. 1st launch was foreseen at 11am but was delayed for some reason by 2 hours… This delay unfortunately was bad news for the 18m class, who started as the last ones in grid and whose startline only opened at 2.15pm. Due to the incoming cirrus clouds, the last 100km were extremely challenging and only 4 pilots managed to get back to Leszno.”

OPEN CLASS;
August 2..Task 2 ;3 hour AAT....The MIGHTY EB 29R indeed is MIGHTY. 3 of them on the 3 first spots. Sylvain Gerbaud won the day with 362.77 km in time 3.20.27 [ speed 108.59 km./h] for 1000 points.
Markus Frank is really doing well. Runner up with with 106.03km/h and on spot 1 overall after 2 tasks….43 points ahead of Sylvain. Hopefully many more days to come!!!!
15 started and 14 finished!

August 3
Task 3; 3 hour AAT….Another Polish pilot wins the day; 346 km speed 115.43 km./h by Tomasz Rubaj for 1000 points. He was the last to go on track at 14.29, whilst an early starter Czech David Mach left at 13.08 and was runner up. Both fly a JS1C.
Tomasz leads overall now just ahead of Markus.
15 started and 3 were “out” among them Andy Davis.
August 4; 376.34 km racing task. They were the first on the grid and all started between 13.31 and 13.56, but these late starters belonged to the 4 who “outlanded”.
1000 points to be earned in this class and they were for Dutch pilot Francois in his EB 29R; 105.66 km./h Runner up was Tomasz in the JC1C with 102 km./h both were the only over 100- km-pilots.
All 15 started.

DUAL SEAT CLASS;
August 2 Task 2; 3 hour AAT...more good “low-countries-news” Joost and Erik won the day in their ARCUS ; 297.40 km speed 99 km./h. Not too fast but still good for 1000 points!! After a bit of an off-start on task 1 with only a 21st spot from 22, they recovered strongly.
Runner up from Belgium [low country] team Bielen & Snyers; 320 km with 98.74 km./h. Good on both of them.

August 3 Task 3; 3 hour AAT….No Polish winner in this class, but team Barszcz & Kornacki was
runner up behind the Danish team  Ørskov & Mix; 324 km speed 106.39 km./h.
22 started and 15 finished. Some flew back with the engine, as they could not get away because of the showers.
August 4; task ; 309.50 km racing task…An international top 3. Winners for the day French team Philippe de Pechy /Bouderlique speed 92.49 km./h!! Runner up Hungarian team  Gulyás & Korom [91 km./h] and 3d UK team Gary Coppin &Steve Jones[91 km./h.]
Time for the POLISH NIGHT.

I hear and read that after today the weather will be not good enough to fly, but later in the week summer starts also in Poland. So a few days of rest and more days of flying to come I hope/they hope!!!
The POLISH EVENING was NICE.
Not everyone is happy with the organizers ,but they seem very kind and try hard.
“organisational kerfuffling”
” a bit of a mess, wrong tasks, mistakes in tasks, first start at 11.14 turned out at 12.55 on small window days etc”
“EGC2023Weather updates!Our Met Man is a man of few words:
WX: 06.08 not flying, 07.08 50% prob flying” British Gliding Team

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6th FAI JEGC in DENMARK
Arnborg
 29 July 2023 – 12 August 2023

Task’ s 2 on day 4 [plus 1 official rest day] were ready to be flown. Luckily I read also for Denmark some optimisms.
“Today’s weather is an improvement on yesterday, with a good soaring window for today! The Club Class have been set 168km, and the Standard Class have a 169km task. Both are in the local area, with some potentially nice conditions forecast.
First launch expected at 11:30am local” British Gliding Team

Wednesday August 2; according to team UK “Yesterday’s weather’s was challenging to forecast, with a front moving quickly in from the South West. A day with lots to take away from“
Team Germany was happy with a new day of flying but the circumstances were more difficult as expected, they had to divert due to shielding. But all finished.
Club class; 168.53 km…Kim Toppari from Finland won this 2d day of flying;speed 89.79 km./h. From 36 only 28 were “in” . Sara from Finland was on spot 28 the last finisher , but IN.

Standard class; 169.92 km….Matthias and Lasse from Denmark are truly doing well in their home country. Number 1 and 2 with a speed of 92 km./h They were ahead of the 2 UK boys Freddie and Ben on 3 and 4; 89 km./h.

Thursday August 3;NO FLYING…….

Friday August 4; YES a task again , small but they can fly! Flying day 3 out of 7 till now. BUT..…
Club class; task 6 …. 129.07 km CANCELLED
Standard class;task 6.... 132.43 km they were launched but CANCELLED IN THE AIR.

Saturday August 5 ; and NOW they really fly!!!! Flying day 3 out of 8. Rather big tasks, challenging weather, not a lot of lift so a pretty demanding day for the young ones, I read.
Club class;  task 4 …..285.55 km ….and even a 1000 points day and they were for Toby Freeland in his ASW 20. Speed 90 km./h. Toby is 2 overall now behind Kim from Finland who flew with a speed of 85.89 km./h to a daily 3d spot.
All 36 started and 32 finished, so a GOOD DAY!!!! 2 Of the out-landers were really close; 279 and 263 km out.
Standard class; 328.88 km…..and a Czech day; Lukáš Kríž on 1 with 91.94 km./h ,2 Jaromír Macoun with 91.52 km./h and on 3 Michaela Rendlova with 91.29 km./h..Starting together, finishing together and all 3 in an LS 8. Dutch pilot Niels was 4th with 88. 09 km./h.
20 started and 14 finished [3 Swiss young ones ,1 from Germany 1 from Poland and 1 from Hungary].

August 6 ; NO TASK yet!

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C[coppa] .I [Internazionale] .M [del Mediterano] in Rieti in Italy
1 August 2023 – 11 August 2023

As written in my last blog they fly in 2 classes an open and a mixed class.
The first task on August 1 was a nice one with 422.68 km in open and 379.44 km in the mixed class.
OPEN CLASS:
August 2,Task 2; 2.35 AAT …and 2 Italians and 2 Swiss pilots in the top 4. Daily winner Andrea Ferrero in AS 33es/18m. with 382.90 km speed 147.32 km!!!!! A “whopping” 7 km./h faster than the 2 Swiss pilots Stefan and Felix in ASG 29 E and Ventus 3TP/18 m.
All 24 started and finished!!!
Matthew on task 2; “we had the classic convergence followed by a ridge bash at the end – once again I had the Galetto Gatfield Deluxe Tour package, but with a few more wits I managed to sneak ahead a few times but they always reeled me back in and we all finished fairly close together.
The winner smashed us all by skipping the first ridge and hitting the convergence directly, up and down and back with basically no thermals.”Matthew Scutter’s Gliding
August 3; task 3….403.76 km…..Andrea Ferrero flew around with a speed of 136 km./h in his AS33es.
Matthew finally got the feeling for Rieti;
“Today I finally learned what Rieti is all about!I started in the wave, flew the first 40k in it before I realised the ridge was faster, dropped to the ridge and took the first turn, climbed up in thermals to transition to the convergence, 200km up and down the convergence, a couple more thermals, then with no more thermals left, jumping to the rotor of the very same wave bar as from the prestart climb for the final glide!How many sites can you do all that in an afternoon?” Matthew Scutter’s Gliding

MIXED CLASS:
August 2 Task 2 in ; 2.45 AAT...Team Pirker & Pirker in ARCUS M from Austria “got” the 1000 points; 405.94 km. speed 133.94 km./h.
All 22 started and 20 finished.
August 3 Task 3; 408.75 km…..Swiss team Leutenegger & Rüegg “got” the 1000 points flying ARCUS T/20 over the track with 128.59 km./h. The Austrian team Pirker/Pirker was runner up but 5 k slower.
All 22 started and 18 were in.

I have been in Rieti several times and the most mentioned spots on tasks were The Terminillo and the Lago di Campotosto. I was AT the Terminillo, but never saw the lake not even on a picture. So I am glad the Austrians shared this one.

August 4 was an official rest day in Rieti!
August 5 had NO TASK.
August 6 today; Open; 2.45 AAT and mixed; 3 hour AAT. More on Wednesday.

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CIVA News from the Aerobatic world championship in Torun in Poland; the 25th FAI WGAC and the 13th FAI WAGAC ;
“Bjorn Straijer set to rest any discussions that the Swift is out of reach of the Fox with a win in Program 3 in the Advanced class at the World Glider Aerobatic Championships. A blistering 77.8% on his scoresheet will take home a Free Unknown flight gold medal for the Dutch pilot.
The overall Advanced contest leader Thibaut Fromantin @thib_from_the_sky was only a few points behind for 2nd place in the flight. Tomas Michalek @tommichalek99 who is the points leader for the Czech Team that holds first place in the Team competition also reached the staggering 77% threshold to earn abronze medal for the flight.”
I don’t know anything about this sport and how the scores work, but a new DUTCH world champion is not bad. Not bad at all!!! Congratulations!!!

Bad news as well; Andrea Florence had the next news from Torun
“Breaking News!! Pietro Filippini (My Aerobatic Instructor..) yesterday was involved in an important accident when the cable of the towing plane struck the fuselage of Pietro’s plane and tangled around the glider blocking elevators. Pietro was able to bail out without major consequences.”
One on the reactions on this post; “Tow cable behind a plane wrapped around a glider during its aerobatics. Seemed the plane was at the wrong place ’cause the glider was in the box.”

You can see 3 more pictures on Andrea’s GLIDING & SOARING

That’s it for now more on Wednesday. It’s raining “cat’s and dogs here, more autumn than summer. BUT there is light at the horizon,MAYBE 25 on Thursday again and DRY!!!!
Cheers Ritz