Alphen aan den Rijn    Sunday July 10  2011      ritzdeluy@hotmail.com

Back home again  after a great time with good weather , lot’s of castles , gardens and ice cream with chocolate topping, and what topping, the best we ever had. Last day was one of “shop till you drop” and off we went all home till next year.

Last weekend, on Sunday July 3,  70 women in the age between 14 and 70 visited the National Female Flying Day at Malden in Holland. SEVENTY, that is a lot of  women interested in soaring!!! This was the 10th edition and every year more women participate. A press message was sent by Natasja, who explained the non-soaring women what happens and she invited people to come and see and be part of this “party” in the cafe at the airfield.Next year I will be there as well.

What happened more; The USA still has great soaring weather and several 1000 km. flights have been flown. Finland has what I noticed on TV every day 27 dgr. and I looked if this was great soaring weather as well, and…it was , great flights in Finland!!! Also Spain had nice flights with another 1000 km flight from Fuente by Pepe .For sure you kept an eye on it as well.

The National comps in both Austria and Germanyare still in full swing.Did you keep an eye on that too???? Hope so it looks very interesting with the top pilots up front at this stage. Was very impressed with the day winner on Friday Sicco, from Holland flying in the 18 m. in Lüsse. He flies the JS 1-b with registration GPS and it looks “he found  new/extra wings himself ” flying it. Sicco was always good in the past and still is now. I remember a day he just made it home in/before a thunderstorm somewhere in Sweden or Finland. I was the TC and talked him more or less home , stayed at the radio, after warnings I should let go. No… I first wanted to know if Sicco made it in safely. He did! Then the lightning hit close and I did not know how quick I had to put the radio off.  With other words Sicco is very talented but gave competition flying away for in his eyes more important things in life.

Both Lüsse and Austria have world -level-pilots flying in the Nationals. In Lüsse the first 3 days were cancelled but then it started on July 5 with 2 hour AAT’s up to over 300 km.! They even had 400 km. days. In open class Michael Sommer is still TOP!!!! He flies the EB 29, but also Tassilo Bode [runner-up at a WGC ]and Holger Karow {WGC champion in 1999 and 2003} are in winning-mood/ condition.
Yesterday, was a TOP day with an AAT of 3 hours in 18 m. class between 220 and 628 km.
Open class had between 243 and 458 km. and 3 hours and 19 pilots had between 900 and 1000 points.Best distance;342 km.
In 18m. Sicco had a less good day loosing 400 points on the number 1, dropping from 4th overall to 13.

In Austria they flew in 6 classes. Yesterday was their last day.I am always interested in Wolfgang Janowitsch, cause I got to know him pretty well. He flew the Ventus 2 cxa and won with  500+ points ahead of the runner up after 4 days of flying. He won EVERY DAY!!!!
In club class they had only 3 days and luckily  last day’s weather made up for the less good days.
In standard class they had 5 days and good old Reinhard Haggenmüller won.
Also 5 days for 15 m. class and another friend Heimo Demmerer won. He won 3 days and runner up Peter Hartmann 2.
The 2 seaters had 4 days and the open class as well with Mr. Eder winning. Sven Kolb [Antares] who I met in Rieti was 2d.
As said the last day was a real competition day due to good weather.

The 36th International competition at Issoudun, where in 2 years the ladies will fly for th WWGC- cup, has indeed an international caracter. 15 Pilots from France, Belgium, Holland, Germany,even S.A/UK, with the combination Brian Spreckley/Dick Bradley, sharing the Standard Libelle in club class. That little glider remains a great and good “toy”. Brian and Dick are first overall after 6 days of flying.
In open class most of the pilots are from Holland, so on spot 1 at this stage is Ronald Kaay. Natasja is doing super! She is on spot 4 with the LS6. Great practise for the WWGC in 2013. Most distances/tasks were around 300 km.
In the same time the French Nationals are flown for 18 m. class in Vinon.

 Natasja as deputy director at the Dutch Nationals.

That’s it for now , have to look after 3 guests so see you on Wednesday. Cheers Ritz