Last Sunday I published a blog already on day 1, a cancelled day,BUT …..with launches, some flying and practice for a finish, last Sunday the RACE really started here we go;

As shared by the organizers.

Sunday September 6 race 1;
as said before….
A Sunday with lot’s of visitors due to “a day off”.
The pilots will start with blue conditions but going East they will find cu’s, that was what Giorgio had to say during briefing this morning.
Grid 12.30 and compressing straight away.First launch expected at 13.00.Regatta start expected at 14.00.
” CU on the grid fly carefully ” and off they went to prepare their loggers for a task of 264.8 km.!!!!

Giorgio [B] and Brian during briefing.
Picture courtesy Fabio Bossi and shared by the organizers.

So off they went and it turned out a ” clean sweep ”  for France with 3 pilots in the top claiming the 10,8 and 7 points before Giorgio with 6. Not because the ” 3 musketeers”   were the fastest,  but this happened AFTER some pilots had lost points to penalties.
Late regatta start at 14.30 due to the fact that some pilots the first, were released at 1000 , some at 750 m and in the end they had some problems to keep high so,  the organizers wanted a fair start for all.
For those who have not read the story on the site, here it is fresh copied and pasted:
“ The thermals started slowly causing some difficulty for the first gliders launched to gain altitude which caused a delay in opening the start line. But by 14.20 everybody had climbed up to start altitude and were able to make a maximum altitude start. During the first leg of the Race to Gandino there was a slow seperation of the competitors as the leading gliders slowly pulled ahead by better choice of route and starting their climbs quicker. Thomas Gostner was first at the turn and scorched along onto the second leg but his strategy of flying low on the south facing hills did not pay off as the valley wind had not become strong enough to give him the energy he needed. Riccardo Brigliadori also pushed hard onto the second leg but did not find a good enough climb and eventually had to take a weaker one. This combined with the extra distance he had to fly on the ridges cost him a lot of time.

During this leg a small group came together and working together slowly pulled ahead of the rest of the field. This group with Sebastian Kawa, Romans Mracek, Cristof Ruch, Christof Abadie, Maxmilian Seis, Giorgio Galetto and Peter Panek. Sebastian lead this group as they came onto the Campo Fiori mountain near the airfield but the rest stopped to climb behind him and he continued to the end of the mountain. When he turned he realized they may be climbing better and returned to their thermal losing the slight lead he had built. The group flew into the 2nd turn point with Giorgio out front then back to the Campo Fiori where they climbed together. It was now a game of tactics, no one wanted to take the risk to push ahead or to lose the group, they stayed together taking two more climbs until they all had a comfortable final glide. The outcome was a spectacular finish with all the group crossing the finish line within a few seconds of each other but Sebastian and Romans descended just a little too low in the last kilometre and incurred a time penalty which knocked their position back several places. The top three places were taken by French pilots with Maximilian 1st Christof Abadie 2nd and Christof Ruch 3rd a great day for the French pilots but a special day for Max. He is the youngest pilot in the competition and probably the least experienced at this type of racing a warm congratulations to him for his excellent performance.”

” The race coverage was very intermittent due to some technical problems with the tracker data but the presentation on the new Silent Wings viewer was very special causing Giorgino Ballerati to remark that is was just like being up there with them.”

2 Pilots even “out-landed”  before start due to a airspace violation. A total of 11, so more than halve of the competitors was punished for flying too low, too fast or in forbidden areas . REASON to take better care of start and landing AND airspace.
You come from far to be the best and loose already on day 1 by “things you could/should have known” .Such a waste!
You can find the scores on www.soaringspot.com .

RACE 1; A great day for the French pilots.

Number 1 ;Young Max[imilan] Seis in the JS 1 EVOLUTION.
Number 2 ;Christophe Abadie in the ASG 29.
Number 3;Christophe Ruche in the JS 1 EVOLUTION.
picture courtesy Fabio Bossi.

Max is still a very young pilot , so we do not know a lot about him. He flew once in an 18 m. class competition [this year during the French Nationals …spot 8]  , he started this GP with only 2 flights in the  JS 1, he is sponsored by his parents , studies for his ATPL in Coventry [airline pilot] , likes flatland more than mountains because he is from Bordeaux ,so he has not a lot of mountain-experience. He loves the pure racing experience and has not flown at Varese before. The long story is on the FB-site from the FAI  Sailplane Grand Prix.

  

Max with Brian and in his glider.
As shared by the organizers.

Monday September 7 race 2;
The “high”  is OVER Varese, no wind and mainly blue thermals , some cu’s and thermals up to 2.5 in the afternoon.So a pretty good day, not tricky but you never know is what Giorgio said and as the day before he explained all out-landing possibilities en route and special those spots where there are none!!!
Grid /push back at 12.30 and first possible launch at 13.00. Task; 250 km.

KILOYANKEEPAPA was mentioned, during briefing,  as sponsor and one of the prizes for the winner will be a  tailor-made SPEED TASK overall. Also daily prizes will be theirs. Here is the 2016 premiere.

  

As shared by Kiloyankeepapa soaring sport apparel

The race started at 14.10 and the winner with 121.81 km./h. was “the wild card”  ,local hero Giorgio Galetto, followed by Roman and the 2 French Christophes. Giorgio decided already in the morning, to take “this flight in his own hands”, in the beginning he flew with 3 other pilots to where nobody else went , but at the TP they were all together again . So he took his own decisions once more, admitted he was lucky as well and after finish he did not know if he had won, but it turned out he was the best .During the flight he raced over the ridges and turned less then the other pilots to achieve this.
Max was 6th behind Sebastian.

  

Giorgio .
As shared by the organizers.

Giorgio  [G] “walks around” in our soaring-circus already for years. ” This year my family celebrate 100 years of flight.” Both his dad and granddad were pilots.His dad, 91 years old now still flies , his granddad started flying in 1915.
In 1999 Giorgio was WGC champion in Bayreuth. I was there!!

In 2012 he was awarded the Otto Lilienthal medal.
This year [September 24] as you might know this medal will be awarded to Prof. Loek Boermans AND ,….. still very proud on that I will get the Pelagia Majewska medal. 2 Medals for Holland VERY unique!!!
You will hear all about it later.
Here are the race 2 winners;

Roman,  Giorgio in his new first-prize-jacket and Christophe.
Courtesy Fabio Bossi.

And,….an excellent picture of a finish, shared by the organizers.

And some words from Tom who is a bit disappointed about his ranking but,…it is not over yet!!!
“Well the scores show the story, less than 5 minutes off the lead for 10th place, zero points.
Last launch by a margin, got dropped off in sink but managed to climb up to a good starting position. Got left a little on the first leg but recovered well and apart from a few small mistakes getting onto final glide almost had a top five result.”

Sebastian mentioned that he has never flown before in Varese and really has to get used it.Small mistakes and being extra careful , flying conservative, cost some time.

Tuesday September 8 race 3;
Briefing at 10 and when possible I am ready to follow it. Today I was !
Roland [Stuck] was honored for ALL the work he does. The race 1 scores are official now.
I noticed pilots wear jackets so it is not warm.
The final control point has moved 1 km. to the East, so it should be safer.The hospital in town was the reporting point ,but yesterday an emergency helicopter coming in at the roof of the hospital was n’t too happy, with the glider-mates passing him!!!!The new weigh points list is on the internet.
Giorgio told the high pressure is still there but it does n’t look like like it,not on the maps neither when you look at it,….clouds appeared in the morning and the temperature and clouds are low!
They still prepare for a race as “glider pilots are optimistic”, as around 13.00,  cu’s could appear and the “rubish ”  should disappear.
A short task was set in the very close area.
Grid at 12.30 and push back and the estimated first launch will be at 13.00
“Another day….another weather. This morning is a bit grey but we are planning to race later. A task of 149km has been set.”
“The pilots have an exciting last few minutes in final-glide, crossing the large town of Varese which is 150m higher than the airfield.Today the reporting point will change to give pilots a better line past the higher ground in the last few km’s.” as shared by the organizers.
So that should be much better!!!

All middle high clouds and the drizzle from the morning have disappeared and at launch -time at 14.00,  it was sunny and blue with some clouds.All times were delayed so the regatta start was quite late at 15.15, but no worries as the task was only 150 km.
1600 m. before start for some, showed the weather was much better than expected.
The first leg is only 35 km.
After 15 minutes Laurens was leading the pact with Tilo and Rasmus.
As Giorgio [B] said ; “Being low is not an option today.Pushing is not good ,flying conservative is better.” Luckily all pilots are flying very well and climbing, so they can cross the Lake of Como. Rasmus was a bit too low to cross the lake , so he went back to the mountain to find lift.He found it and with ridge flying he could hang in again with the 5 best !!!!!!

Didier reached the TP first but LOW, starting another 43 km.leg.No worries,… back in the mountains he pulled up and climbed back to the rest.Meaning he had a 6 km. lead on the rest.All around 1500 m.
Max was 2d and Uli, who celebrates his 31th marriage- anniversary,  was 3d.
The group is divided ,the only one pushing today seems Didier.
Sometimes it is a bit to exciting for me, certainly when I hear the voices from Shaun,  Giorgio or Brian, going flat /worried, because a pilot is low.
Didier is a bit low again ” uncomfortable ” the guy’s call it,   but goes and goes over those ridges at “only” 800 m./450 m. He is all by himself but found lift. And,..there is forbidden airspace as well, he has to avoid that and fly around it.He is using the energy of the slopes, doing pretty well and Brian who thought it was over for Didier long ago, is amazed to see him still flying.
He needs a “killer climb” to finish them all off, or the others will pass him; they mentioned.
Still 6 km. ahead.
It’s interesting to see that pilots go to the left and others to the right on such a small task.
Sebastian keeps it safe and flies high ALL day, very conservative the guy’s call it;  it makes me feel better. Tomorrow and the next 2 days, I can’t follow it , which might be better for my heart.

Didier , who is at the next TP now at 4.11, starts his 39 km.leg, followed by Ricky and Rasmus. BUT,…Max goes better and higher with Christophe, so they are the number 2 and 3 at this TP with Tilo behind them.
Didier continues his “aggressive”  ridge flying, where others are patient, find lift and glide; so a difference from height between 500 m. and 1500 m.
But,…he climbed again over the city of Varese.So it was working well in the “flat”  now.

Werner, Tilo and Kai “use” the valleys to climb the rest [about 10 pilots] stay over the mountains.
Only 13 km. to go, for the last TP and NOW Tilo leads the pact.
Aussie TOM is doing well too, flying all alone, over the valley on his way to the TP and HOME;Only another 200 m….lift.
Giorgio [B]finished his comment and  moved to the finish line to do the radio.
Who will have the best final glide????A pretty stressful final glide according to Brian, certainly when you are not that high.
The weather started bad, got better with the start and less again during the flight.
Sebastian moved from his group to reach the leaders.3 Different groups race to the TP now and then it is ” just going home”.
Didier is behind now after such an adrenaline-race …..a pity!
Tilo is going straight to the finish line with 1000 m. and 24 km.including the check point.

Werner is still in the race as well, a bit lower so more stress for him.
Tilo is the first to reach the control point  with 200 km on the clock just before 5 PM.
Werner is 2d and Sebastian 3d all according to the tracking system.Max on 4 and behind him a big gaggle.
Now it is waiting for penalties and the scores.
All came in with low energy.
No “killer climb” for Didier today, the current GRAND PRIX Champion, was 12th with 0 points after such a day!!!!

Great pictures by FABIO BOSSI!!!!!!

“ Tilo is first to cross the line today. Tilo’s winning glider today is a Ventus 2 cxa with Front Engine Susutainer. The glider is owned by Luca Znidarsic from Slovinia who developed and fitted the installation into the Ventus2 amongst other gliders. Tomorrow we will review the glider with some of the others flying this week.” As shared by the Organizers.

Today’s flight made it a valid competition/GRAND PRIX .GOOD!!!

Werner, Tilo and Sebastian
Courtesy Fabio Bossi

and
a REAL HAPPY CHAPPIE!!!!
When we were in Uvalde and went out for dinner to the Italian team, Tilo told me how much he loves the GRAND PRIX.For that reason I find this picture TOP.
As shared by the organizers.Courtesy Alexander Georgas.

After 3 days the scores are; 20 points for Max and for Giorgio [G] and 18 for Roman, who flies very consistent,[Roman may very well be the dark horse of this competition according to the SGP journalist] . 16 for Sebastian and 15 for the 2 French Christophes ,13 for Werner and 10 for Tilo.

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Euroglide 2016

Preparations for Euroglide 2016 have started.

Date Euroglide 2016 will take place from Monday 20 June 2016 until Saturday 2 July 2016.
Take off in 286 days

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With the message yesterday I share some pictures from Narromine from above:
“Not long now (83 days 12 hours 15 minutes) until our little airfield is buzzing with JWGC2015”

  

Talking about Narromine,…the Dutch Junior gliders and other gliders ,have been packed yesterday in Venlo under supervision of Francesco and Grietje from the Corowa Soaring Center in Australia. They continue today with more gliders as they fill 3 containers with 17 gliders from Europe [from Germany, Italy, Spain ,Sweden , Finland and Holland as far as I could see].
Several pilots do this every year and stay in Corowa for most of the overseas season.
Grietje and Francesco  are very experienced and pack gliders already for years.[18??]
The juniors will get used in Corowa to climate and flying and move then to Narromine.
First estimated flying day in Corowa will be 31-10-2015.

  

As shared by the Dutch Junior Team.

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CU most probably next Sunday with the latest on the FAI GRAND PRIX FINAL
Cheers Ritz