First launch at 12.
As shared by the organizers.

Thursday  July 23;with 37 dgr.C in the shade another difficult day for the crew and family on the ground and a good reason to climb as high as possible for the pilots.
3 Hour AAT’s were set for this day in all classes.Showers might spoil the day in the end so do you start early or late and take a risk, because the weather might be “slow”??? The poker-game  can start!!!
It seemed that around 4 PM the over-development started but all pilots , except for one,came home, so they were correct.
“ The start line opened for all of the categories. The weather is sunny, but the evening will be rainy. This is a short task (3 hours), the gliders should arrive before the rain.” as written by the organizers.

As shared by the UK team.

18 m. class ;
414 km. in 3 hours was THE result and the one who flew this was Sebastian in his ASG 29. Nice speed as well;138 km./h. Not bad!!!!He started rather late at 14.22.
So,… kilometers combined with 3 hours at the dot, that’s the trick. Some had many more kilometers but used more time as p.e.Thomas [Gostner from Italy] who flew 429 km. but needed an extra 15 minutes and was with that on spot 6.
Sebastian increased his lead [7220] and with one day to go he has to keep Andy on distance [7013 so about 200 points ] and Belgian pilot Yves Jeanmotte who is doing a great job!!!!![6920]
He and Tijl [Schmelzer] belonged to the early starters at 13.45.
BUT,….he is only 3 points ahead of the Polish mate from Sebastian, Thomas Krok.
Another 100 points behind for Roman on spot 5.
Sebastian does n’t know ” final-day-jitters”  , he will just fly and maybe take Thomas with him.
But,…Russell [ who is on 10 overall now ] will help Andy so it is not over yet.
Exciting!!!!!
As you can see on the pictures shared by Sebastian, the clouds were great in the beginning later they had to deal with showers.

   

20 m. class ;
East-European countries had THEIR day. Erazem get’s the hang of this European soaring and won the day. So Slovakia, then the Polish, the Hungarians, the Czechs, another Polish team and an Austrian one.
With one day to go, Wolfgand and Andreas are on top overall , just ahead of Mac and Akemi ;70012 and 7005!!!!
At spot 3 Jakub and Christoph from Poland.One ARCUS on top 2 ASG 32 ‘s [MI and EI] following!!! It proves  to be a great glider as well that ASG 32.
All pilots started between 14.11 and 14.31.

Wolfgang and Andreas. On this picture winners at Hahnweide 2015.
Will the be European Champions as well ???????

And ready to go .
As shared the Austrian team.

The winner today Erazem ,without Sebastian but with Danish pilot Arne to the r. As shared by the French team.

open class ;
” REVENGE ” !!!!!!! Nothing to loose, Jan [Andersen] won the day.  After his misfortune yesterday he showed spirit and his ability to fly in the top,  by winning!!! Good on him. The MOST kilometers [426,95] and AT the dot,[2.59,25]  means a speed of 142.32 km./h.,  so 1000 points!!!!!
A good day for the flat land pilots as Francois and Jeroen from Holland [3 and 6] did well so did Belgian pilot Daan Spruyt.[on spot 10 in his Nimbus 4 DM at on spot 11 overall]
A bit of an off day for Pete and Ricky [Brigliadori, started last at 14 .36, 25 minutes behind Jan] ] being on spot 11 and 15, which had not too bad consequences for the overall scores. Markus had a bad day by entering forbidden airspace and dropped from 18 to 23.
The Polish pilots are still on top 1 and 2 followed by Jeroen!!!!

To finish some impressions from the ALWAYS great International Evening, as shared by the Dutch team.In the end it was inside due to thunderstorms.

Frans and Dillen, top [Dutch] crews!!!!

The last day: They announced early in the morning, that the grid in use will be 17.
That they try to start launching at 12 .30 and the grid closes at 12.
That the briefing for pilots is at 10 AM.
What will this last day bring us all especially the competing pilots and for sure the ones in the top????
Tasks today on the 9th [out of 12  GOOD!!!!] flying day; 2.30 AAT’s in all classes

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By the way, great see that Karin and Marcus flew a 1000 yesterday in their ARCUS from Villacastin in Spain.[127 km./h.]

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And to finish 2 nice pictures I found at FB, shared by the UK team.

The Polish team with many times [9?] world champion, Sebastian and his dad and mates [ the tall gentleman is a fabulous TC] and Janusz above Sebastian, who flies WGC’s already since ages was WGC champion in 1989 in Wiener Neustadt and in 1991 in Uvalde Texas in 1993 in Borlange and in Eskilstuna in 2006
and
2 former World champions in a ” tete-a-tete”,Andy [UK in 2003 in Leszno and 1993 in Borlange] and Killian [France JWGC champion in Rieti]

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Cheers Ritz CU on Saturday when it is all over again, but ,…Rieti is starting soon for the smaller ships. AND,..of course the WWGC with as I noticed on the site, 10 German women!! A few very “strong”  ones. Including Chrissie, former world champion in club class , now still flying with her husband Uli in Ocseny in the 20 m. class and doing well there and Sue [Kussbach]  a 3 times world champion in st .class.