You surely have seen that I published an extra blog last Sunday. It was getting too long, saving became difficult for me and for all of you it’s maybe TOO much reading.
So when you missed it, no worries it is just under this one, so you best start on the first one.
The very nice comps from Leeton are over. I like the F1.0 GP concept! As said I hope they continue and even more participants will be at the next one.

A few more pictures , all shared by the organizers, from Leeton.

The special “ugly ducky ” tow plane. I saw it at several comps the last one in Benalla. Great little machine!

 

Lot’s of young ones helping out at the strip, impressive!!! They are the Aussie future.

  

Fabulous hardworking volunteers! What a way to grow up!!!

I told you about Ben and his plan for the last day to stick to Lumpy. Here is the proof.

As shared by Formula 1.0

   

Number 3 Andrew……….
Lumpy[ 2]  has fun when Ben[1.]  get’s the bottle and handshake from Ingo.
Ingo is the CFI from the SRGC located  in Lumpy’s WW 2 hangar [our old one], which I hope is safer now, after it was neglected when Richard left. Heard Lumpy is “working “on the roof!!!Nice detail. About 50 years ago, when Bill ran Sportavia, Ingo was one of the few, working and checking on the beams and steel in the roof every season. Ingo has a long history in Tocumwal.
Formula 1.0

That was LEETON, now we continue with the Pre-Worlds/ Club and sports class Nationals in Lake Keepit.

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THE LAKE KEEPIT NATIONALS and WWGC PRE-WORLDS.

As shared by Women in Gliding Australia

  

pictures  from last week even a “roo”  came to visit.
As shared by Women in Gliding Australia

 

After 7 day’s , some pretty long and intensive, the pilots had a rest day and started then with

    

Day 9 task 8; “Blue Sky outside,  a tiny bit of high cloud, very hot already.“[Peter]
After the rest day, which a lot spend in the pool, everybody was motivated again for the last couple of day’s.
Nice tasks over 400 km. What happened?
Sports 464 km. ; Both Adam and Pete [Temple] were in a hurry;speed 142. 94 [VENTUS 2] and 148 km.[18m.ASG 29], and got the 1000 and 985 points.
Good day for the PRE-WWGC girls as well.On 3. Lisa Turner, 4. Ailsa, 7.Lisa Trotter, 8. Cath, 14. Kerrie, 15. Akemi, 18. Diana.  Only Simon, who has not flown comps for years, out landed after 50 km.
Adam;”What fun today was, really enjoyed the close in race/justle with Peter Temple & Lisa Turner! Day winner, just. No pics today, so here’s one of ‘Skippy’ who came in for a drink because it’s been so hot”.
The full story on  Adam Woolley’s Gliding Adventures

Club 415 km;
Ray Stewart flew around with a speed of 113.57 km./h. and was by far the fastest;1000 points.
Runner up Sarah had a speed of 102 km./h in ” her ” St. Cirrus. All 11 in this class finished .
Jenny was on spot 4, Sabrina on 5, Ayala on 6, Sylvia on 8 and Jo and Kathryn both on 11, with equal points;716.

With CD Mandy in the middle…a happy “bunch” of Lake Keepit pilots.
As shared by Lake Keepit Soaring Club

Day 10 task 9;  Today started with high cloud , a delayed start, and a change of task. We launched them all,  and there were no re-lites.   [Peter]
sports class; 3.30 AAT so another pretty long day. As I have to leave early in the morning not all scores are in, so it looks like Adam is on top again with 1000 points over 510 km. and a great speed of 140 km./h. He and Pete Temple had a late start about half an hour after the first starters.[14.23]
Diana had an early start at 14.00 and was preliminary on spot 5. News on the last 2 day’s on Sunday.

club class; 3 hour AAT; Sarah was preliminary the best with 323 km. in time 3.04; speed 104 km./h in the St Cirrus. Jo was runner up, then Sabrina,and Ayala, great day out for the girls. 3 Girls still have to be scored now.
www.soaringspot.com

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NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL MULTI CLASS CHAMPIONSHIPS.

“Day 5. The Grid slowly fulls up at the East end of the airfield. ”
Photo Neil Alison 

On January 7 ,after a cancelled day ,they continued in both classes, open and racing.
Open;
day 6..task 5..AAT between 261/521 km..
Keith was very eager to go for it . He must love his soaring, flying here there and everywhere but home base is Minden in Nevada in the USA. He won the 1000 points for 498 km. with a speed of 131 km./h.
Day 7 task 6…Not Keith, not Derek but a Duo Discus W,with Davy & Wallace was the daily winner; 117 km./h. over 363 km. Keith flew 384 km with a spped of 115.73 km./h.

Racing;
Day 6 ..task 5…AAT between 261 and 521 km.[388,98 km] and here the same face at the podium Nick [Oakley] 1000 points for 410 km. with a speed of 110 km./h.
Vaughan Ruddick in the LS 6 was runner up and it’s all between him and Nick over the last day’s , though…you never know.
After 5 races Nick has 4.614 points and Vaughan 3.714 and the number 3 Tony van Dyk 3. 353. Huge differences!!!!
Day 7  task 6...a set task from 345 km. Winner; Nick!!!He is really in a winning mood. Vaughan and Tony followed.
917 points ahead Nick is now!! He is going to make it 1000.

Day 8; “A wave day today and we have one Assigned Area Task for both classes. We have only a very light westerly at the moment at the airfield and the launch has been delayed until 13:30.” No scores yet!
Latest news….. on Sunday.

 

 

   

Finish  by Photo Neil Alison and share by Gliding NZ National Multi-Class Championships – Omarama

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Africa; slowly, but very slowly,  showers are going to” destroy” new hopes. It’s that time of the year and Africa had already fabulous weather. End of January the season is over, but with a good November and December and a really good start of January everybody will be more than happy.
On January 6 still 8x a 1000 plus from Namibia.Speed around 130 km./h.
Flying from Bitterwasser over the borders of Botswana has made the boundary bigger ,as well as the fun and distances. And what distances. I have never been in Africa so it is a bit difficult to write about it.
I know my Lasham-soaring-mates are over the moon with nearly every day a 1000 km.plus flight. Patrick, Roy and Hugh flew a few years with us in Tocumwal, hoping for that “bloody” 1000, as far as I remember they did not fly it with us, yes long distances but not that special 1000 km badge/diploma.
But I know they had fun.
Roy, now flew 4x a 1000 plus 2 in the ARCUS M and 2 in the Ventus 3. And another 2 flights over 750.

Antii from Finland flew from 8 day’s in Kiripotib, 4 x a 1000 and 4 x a flight over 800 km.All in the ARCUSM. That glider is a real fast hardworking-“horse”

Yesterday South Africa added more 1000 km.flights to it’s total from Worcester and Douglas.

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—New impressive distances;
January 6; WOW……Jose De San Mart (AR) Swiss pilot Jean Marc Perrin flew in a DG 808 /15m. a task of 1.717,9 km with 132 km./h. !!!!!It took him 13 hours, what a long sit!!!! There was great wave even up to 6654 MSL.
January 8; MORE WOW…..as Morgan [Sandercock] and Brad Jackson in the back, flew 2.337 km. with a speed of 217 km./h!!!!!! From Chos Malal in Argentina in the ARCUS J. They flew the most used track with wave up to over 7514 MSL.[4799 AGL]

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—-News from FAI Sailplane Grand Prix
FAI Sailplane Grand Prix 10th series.
The venues and dates for the 10th series of National FAI Sailplane Grand prix events has been finalized. There are three completely new locations included in this 10th series offering some new and interesting possibilities for exciting sailplane racing. read more:- http://www.sgp.aero/sgp-main-news
The 10th series will commence after the final of the 9th series at La Cerdanya in Spain during June
2019 [June 1-8] . http://www.sgp.aero/finals2019

The first will be in Livno in Bosnia between July 27 and August 3.
This is the only event in 2019 . It is not only a new venue for SGP racing but the first time for any International gliding event in Bosnia Herzegovina. The club at Livno offers an opportunity to fly in this beautiful region between Split and Sarajevo. The soaring area is known locally as “little Namibia” reflecting the excellent soaring conditions. The club web site shows some of the possibilities for flying from Livno http://aeroklublivno.org/

The other GP races will be in
Potchefstroom in South Africa between January 4 and 11 in 2020 in 18 m.
Viticura in Cile between January 18 and 25 in 2020 in 15 m.
Rion de Landes in France between May 2 and 9 in 2020 in 18m.
Denbigh in the UK between May 18 and 24 in 2020 in 15m.
Cerdanya in Spain between May 31 and June 6 in 2020 in 15 m.
Boras in Sweden between  June 7 and 13 in 2020 in 18 m.
Varese in Italy between June 20 and 27 in 2020 in 18 m..

For more information about the FAI Sailplane Grand Prix series please contact director@sgp.aero
More on http://www.sgp.aero/sgp-main-news/announcing-the-10th-fai-sailplane-grand-prix-series.aspx

And the  Sailplane Grand Prix South Africa mentioned :
“We already have the first two entries for the South African Qualifying Grand Prix. 
A maximum of 20 pilots may enter, 15 from South Africa, and 5 entries are reserved for International guests.”

 

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—News from About Gliding

“Could the mass of the gliders in a thermal influence the climb rate?
It’s probably something you already experienced on very poor days: a large gaggle enters your weak climb. Subsequently, the climb rates drops to zero. That’s of course partly caused by the wider turns, and by the added nervosity that results in inefficient maneuvers.

CU next Sunday with the latest on the Nationals in NZ and Australia.Then it’s back to normal again.

Cheers Ritz