With 2 regional comps, one in Lake Keepit Australia and one in New Zealand in Omarama , where the South Island Regional Gliding Championships are flown, we are going to the end of 2013. About 40 days and we “hit” 2014.
Last Sunday both comps started.
In Omarama they fly in open/18m. and 15m/standard class and club.
14 pilots in the first combined class , open/18m. amongst them Aussie Graham Parker flying the ASH 25 and on spot 7 after day 1 and  winning day 2 ;1000 points , even with a handicap of 114!
In the other class 2 young pilots we know from last years Australian National Junior Championships also  in Lake Keepit , Alex and Nick.They keep a blog and you can read their “adventures” on :
https://www.facebook.com/NzJoeyGlideTeam?directed_target_id=0
Nick won day 1, Alex was so unlucky to outland. In this class are 11 competitors.
In club only 5 and nobody I know.
For scores and more news you can go to;
http://www.glidingcomps.42.net.nz/sireg2013/day_results.php?class=opn&day=20/11/2013

 

as shared by Jill Mc Caw mum from Alex and editor of SoaringNZ.

In Australia , Adam wrote his blog and you can read what happened , looking through his eyes, at Lake Keepit on the first couple of days as he had to go back to work [as an airline pilot in PG];
” Couldn’t get any more time off work that wouldn’t jeopardise the CC Nats, Squad Week & the WGC next year”
https://www.facebook.com/W3Racing?hc_location=stream

Day 1 was won by Bruce, [JS1B/21m.] who thought he was slow during the 3 hour AAT, but he flew 387 km. in 3.23 and gained the 1000 points in open class , whilst runner up Jenny [ ASH 26E] flew 317 in 2.53. 7 Pilots in this class.
In 18 m. class , with 7 participants , it was David Jansen who won the 3 hour AAT in his ASG 29 E, with 342 km. in 2.39.
In 15 m. class an AAT from 2.30 and local pilot Jacques Graells won in the LS 6A.
In club Allan Barnes [LS1f] was the best flying 270 km. during an AAT of 2.30, flying 270 km. in 2.30 on the dot! In this class 12 pilots. Adam was 2d in his Cirrus 75.
In the 2-seater class 2.30 AAT won by Derek Ruddock in the DG 1000, 285 km in 2.48.
Day 2 was “scrubbed” due to the weather.
Day 3, bigger tasks but not for everybody easy.

With Adams message:
“Much better day today, 250-340km set. They’re playing it easy here today, because the weather looks BIIIG for Thurs – 750km big, not sure .”

Bruce one of the task setters on day 3, wrote:
” Today was forecast to start slowly, and end early. Indeed it did start slowly, but the early finish was not the problem. We set a task north to Bingara, then NW to Moree, which on a good day can be a wonderful flight. The slow start meant a careful glide into the hills, while things warmed up and strengthened. The real problem was out to the NW, as it was completely blue there and the wind seemed …much stronger. Most of the big wings came home with some hard work, but the smaller classes and clubbies had a real struggle, and there were about a dozen out landings. That means I will have to endure some jeering in briefing tomorrow. That’s OK, the weather tomorrow looks to be very much better, so I will simply send them far, far away where the grizzles can’t be heard! I think David Jansen had a good flight today. I was slightly slow on the home leg.”

Bruce won the day [ 362 km] and I felt sorry for Jenny who was 2d the day before and now just outlanded a bit over 30 km. from the goal.
In Club 256 km and Alan and Adam were the best. Adam went after, for a retrieve arrived back home at 2.40 AM without the glider;
“Couldn’t find it, or the access gate in the paddock during the night.”
In 18m. David won the day with 128 km./h. and runner up was Tom [Claffey] with 114 km./h. over 372 km.
In 15 m. nobody finished but the best performance was 197 km. from the set 308k.
Good old Harry [Medlicott] won the day in the ARCUS slow but steady with 79 km./h. over 254 km.

Day 4; today nearly 500 km in open class and won for the 3d time in a row by Bruce
In 18 m. also nearly 500 k. this day won by Tom and David “lost” only 10 points. After 3 days he is on top in the overall scores, with more than 200 points.
In club Allan is “the mini-Bruce” ,[ as in glider he has an LS 1-f]  also 3 wins in a row and more than 600 points ahead on the rest!

All scores you can find on; www.soaringspot.com, pretty interesting look at the club class today!!!

Hope to see a lot of friends on Friday at the Conference from the ZES , but I am still not sure if I can go there, due to personal reasons .
En passant I heard that dad Bert Schmelzer sr. gets concurrence from son Bert, as in writing books.
Bert sr. wrote a fantastic book about the history of gliding in Flanders , published in December 2009 and now in December , there will be a new book from Bert jr ;

“One year of gliding “

…. never stop exploring….

with the best 348 pictures from the more than 30.000 , with commentaries,  as we are used from him,  to combine it all. Looking forward to see the book, with 288 pages and  articles from Arndt Hovestadt and Daniel Rossier AND an interview with Tilo {Holighaus} with
” his vision on the future of gliding and the process of building high-tech gliders .”
As Bert said: “I really enjoyed making “One year of gliding” and, honestly, I am a little proud of the end result. I hope you like it!”

Bert jr. here enjoying a flight over the SAHARA.

You find  a preview, all the news and how to order the book [ from November 17 onwards ] on ;
www.bertschmelzer.com

By the way Bert jr’s FAI 1000 km flight “from Zurich to Vienna ” and back  this year  in the DISCUS 2B on May 18, is just recognised by the FAI . In that flight he set en passant, 3 new European records in 15 m. class. Busy as he is at the moment, he still found time to explain all of us a bit more, which is VERY MUCH appreciated.
You can read this in my Sunday Soaring café blog   www.soaringcafe.com , but here is already a small part. This flight will be also described in the new book.
…THANKS BERT:
“I prepared myself for this specific flight on May 18 for 3 years! I had to learn to judge the meteo-situations, analysed IGC files for days and nights to get to know for me known , but even more un-known areas to fly over in all kinds of weather, optimise de waypoint and task database and,…I had to fly as much as possible, in all kind of weather situations  .”

Above the Dachstein Area.
1 of the pictures from this 1000 km. flight.

On top of that Bert has a busy job as architect in Zürich, but you will hear later, that just moving to Switzerland from Belgium had a great influence on his soaring ambitions and achievements.

Yesterday was a good day in my old area around Tocumwal. Luckily the Corowa gliders arrived and they have started their season too.
Jos from Holland has 3 flights now in his ASH 31/21 m. from Corowa  one over 500 and 2 over 700 km., so a great start of the season. Pepe enjoyed even an over 800 km. flight.
From Tocumwal Terry Ryan , a real kilometre -eater flew in his ASH 26 757 km [ 741 FAI triangle] and Ingo in his Discus 683 [ 623 FAI km.]

I liked the next story, what about you? It’s all about Human Factors!

http://www.mentalpilote.com/why-are-gliders-pilots-more-intelligent/

Hope to see a few of you for a few hours in Eindhoven , if not I will be back on Sunday both in my European blog  and “in the soaringcafe”

Cheers Ritz
On Wednesday November 20 2013, nearly winter time, we have 5 dgr. now and MAYBE the first snow tonight.