First day ,…ready to go!
Picture shared by the NK organizers
On Thursday,the first flying day at Terlet from the CAE Dutch Nationals , the pilots started with small but interesting flights in 3 classes.
Practice , on the day before was impossible due to the weather.
Tasks were set from 147.3 km. for the 10 club class pilots , among them 2 Belgium pilots Rik and Stijn van den Boer flying the St. Cirrus and St.Libelle.
Also Annemiek , yes from the NUON-solar- car- race in Australia is a participant during this competition. She flies the St. Cirrus. A total of 6 St. Cirrus gliders, 2 Libelles and 2 Discusses.
In the combi class 8 pilots among them European champion and WGC pilot at many occasions, Steven [Raymond], as well as Bas Seiffert[WGC’s] and well known Dutch open class glider pilots at several WGC’s.
One , Francois [Jeremiasse] flies this time a Ventus 2 and the other, Peter Batenburg flies the ARCUS.
They had 189.8 km. as recipe for day 1.
Dick Teuling flies in open class in the Ventus 2CT/18m..
Familair face?
Yes he was my instructor in 1967 and he is on my FB picture letting me solo!
As shared on FB by the organizers.
In open class 11 pilots, had to fly 217 km. Also in this class a few WGC pilots and former JWGC pilots as Jelmer Wassenaar and Rene de Dreu former European champion.
As you can see a pretty strong ” field” and then still 10 pilots fly later in the WGC’s and have no time now, or fly somewhere else, though from those 10 , 5 participate; Francois, Steven, Jeroen , Jelmer and Bas.
My 3 mates Daan,[Pare] , Bertje [Kuijper] and Sjoerd [Talsma] are the tuggies again,… as always flying the Piper Pawnees.
Picture courtesy organizers and Reint Veltkamp.
Day 1 straight away was a difficult one. In Club nobody finished but Annemiek managed to fly the longest distance; 68.7 km. whilst the runner up flew 23.8 km. !!!
In the combi class no finishers either , best pilot was Francois with 104.3 km. followed by Steven with 97.8 km.Good on them!
In open class, no finishers, no points, no day!
For all classes we can forget day 1 , but at least they TRIED!!!!
Outlanding from and photographed by Philippe Hendriks.
AND
tomorrow is another day.
Fantastic sunset
courtesy ; Hinze Osinga
Day 2, another difficult day with the forecast for showers in the morning but better circumstances in the afternoon so the first launches were set for 1.30 PM. later postponed .
Tasks; 125 for Club and combi and 155 for open were set.
At 3 PM we had here in Alphen around 3 4/8 of CU’s, at 4 2/8 and at 6 it was azure blue, no clouds.
And indeed the nice weather was at Terlet as well.
Late starts though ; club at 15:48, open class at 16:08,and combi-class at 16:24 and they went for the A-task.
It WAS possible and a great window to fly in had arrived.
Later in the day great looking skies.
As shared by the NK organizers
BUT,…not for all. Some got into trouble , but points were not too expensive. The winner Bas [LS 8] , who flies in Rayskala later, won in combi class [334 points] , but Steven [ASW 27] who flies in Poland lost 170 points on him and was one but last.
In club young Frank Hiemstra [St Cirrus ] won and worked hard to get 373 points.
In open class Max [Leenders] normally ” used” to his Nimbus 4DM , won the day in the Ventus 2CT/18m. [388 points]
Jelmer [LS 10/18m.] and Jeroen [ Ventus 2CXA] both preparing for Leszno were on spot 3 and 7.
In club and open class the pilots being patient [ departure at 4.26 and 4.33] and going as last on track won the day.
Only one out-landing !And lot’s of nice finishes! As seen by Reint Veldkamp.
Day 3 yesterday: The morning was grey here, and as I heard also over there. A small front was passing by and then,…..later,…soaring could/would/should be possible!
Tasks were set and pretty tough tasks, with in the back of the head an always awesome and very busy BBQ for that night;
Club-klasse 167 km. – start-line opened at 1.37 PM.
Combi-klasse 233 km. – line open at 1.52
Open-klasse 298 km.- line opened at 2.02
Around 4.30, club class pilots finished and the fastest pilot was Hinze in the Libelle on the picture above; 76.3 km.
Annemiek landed in a paddock, just 20 km. short of Terlet.
In combi class Bas had his 2d win in a row and looks ready for Finland.[speed 93.3 km.] Bad day for Steven , who seems less ready for Poland, though a bad rehearsal………anyhow he outlanded.
In Open class Mark in the Nimbus 4 T won.
The BBQ could start, BUT a late night was not advisable as the message arrived on all phones; Tomorrow May 25, grid open at 7 and closed at 9 , briefing at 9.30.
By the way the weather turned good here as well around 5 PM. [ 4 sun-time] with great and HIGH cu’s , whilst ,as the morning-forecast said, thunderstorms in the N. [Groningen]arrived at 2 PM. And all of this happened on Saturday in our small country!!!
Day 4 today; an early morning, for the crew members , for some after a late night .At 9 [8 sun-time] we had here blue skies no wind and very sunny conditions.
What would it be about 100 km. to the S.E ????
Webcam on this morning,…blue as well!
Shared by the organizers.
A SPLENDID day anyhow, for Jeroen after 2 days on a 6th spot, but clearly somewhere else with his mind, as he announced this morning the arrival of his first born child a beautiful little girl. So the comps are over for him but I am sure he is not unhappy with that, as much as he loves his soaring!
But more splendid news, I don’t think any time in Dutch history a 700 km. task has been set on a National competition!!!!!
525 km. for club class with 6 TP’s
605 for the combi pilots with 7 TP’s and
701.4 for open class with 7 TP’s
ABER HALLO!!!!!!Looking forward to see how this turns out today, but clouds popped up here already early , disappeared as quickly however and to the WEST huge Cu’s with dark overcast, but that’s HERE as said 100 km more to the NW.
All pilots have been send direction East into Germany.
For those interested and living in the USA or Australia, the task is on www.soaringspot.com
Wish I was there today!!!!!!
On May 21 the organizers from the German Women Nationals mentioned that other pilots were welcome in 3 classes club standard and 15 m. So all women with the correct documents could participate in this strong National competition in the oldest airfield in the world [ as they claim] in Stoelln /Rhinow. Don’t wait too long there is a dead line!
http://www.dsmf2014.de/
More news today at www.soaringcafe.com also about the Hahnweide competition, they had day 1, the JENA CUP [ they struggle with the weather] the Polish Nationals in Standard class [ they had day 6] and the UK Nationals in 15 m. and open class which started yesterday.
Cheers Ritz
at May 25 2014