8.30 AM;

It’s all happening here in Lake Keepit.
Great soaring with bride beautiful clouds and an impressive sandstorm on one day! Even the locals called it quite spectacular!
The flying by the ladies was TOP. Their landings as well.
The organization was spot on with their forecast; be back in time. They all did, though the organizers were a tad worried, when some ladies really waited long to go to the start point.
At 5 the sun carefully tried to show her face again…. at 5.15 we saw red sand to the east of the field. ….At 5.25 the storm was here, blowing over chairs , gas bottles and BBQ’s.
The ladies and crew were having their drinks at the bar, but had to run for the red sand. Though the French men remained quite long in their chairs with their back to the wind and sand, before they gave up as well.

2 Gliders had slight dust-damage as far as I know now. Their canopy’s were blown open, but not off. Thanks to Diana who lay over her’s and Tim , who saved W8. So they have to clean the cockpit today and the instruments.
And yesterday evening their faces.

Back to the ladies and yesterday’s flying.
In the end when all scores were in Anne Ducarouge was the best in 18 m. flying 456 km in time 3.17 , so speed of 138.61 km./h. for 1000 points.
Alena was number 2 and Melanie number 3.
In standard class it was ” Czech -girls- above -all” . On spot 1 Jana, [1000] on spot 2 [999] Hana and on 3 Dana.[997 p] One of the pilots in this class came back with the engine.
In club class 4 from 5 in the top are LS 4. Still a great little glider. Celine, Chrissie and Jo [ASW 20] were the best . Amelie and Sabrina followed in their LS 4’S on 4 and 5.

Today’s task on day 7 with briefing at 9.30 and first launches expected at noon.
18 m;….570 km…..
standard;….446 km . ..
Club:…428 km. ….
Grid order ; 18 m….club and standard class.

Tonight is the INTERNATIONAL NIGHT.
Members of the INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY of the FLYING BROOMSTICKS invite to the BABAJAGA ceremony, 10 pilots will become members of the club. Ceremony starts at the end of the International Night.
Back after briefing.

10 AM:
Briefing is over. We have to drink was the most important message. Last night 1 team member was brought to the hospital with kidney stones!
I know the pain I had them too as well as gall stones!!!! TERRIBLE.

TOMORROW DAY OFF,…NO FLYING!!!! Lot’s of people will be more than ready for that!OFFICIAL REST DAY!!!!
7 day’s in a row of intensive heat , smoke ,sand and long-distance-flying ….it COSTS!!!!!
NOTE; no coffee- van on rest day and no dinner at Sport and recreation.

Today we fly TASK C!!!!!
Today’s sponsor is MERILBA ESTATE , a WINERY, donating the wines as prizes. Thanks.

weather; hot with 41 dgr. c drier air with winds from N. shifting to the W. Possible rain in weekend with S SW chance.
Today; early start…5500 ft at 12 am when they launch.
Cu’s later in the day!
Thermals 5/6 kts.
Long day til 6/6.30.Landing winds on ground 10/15 kts.NW
Pilots will be advised where to land. First time during this competition they come from the East [Manilla] they have been ‘Mentally’ prepared during briefing for a 32 landing or ….a 20 landing BUT only up to the intersection!!!!
Peter will advise ,as every day!

Tasks by Bruce;
C TASK!!!!!
Standard and club are quite similar but with each their own start point.
Some areas are close to restricted areas so LOOK OUT!!!!!

Scores as always fast in by Peter [Temple this time, to many Peter’s here ] His mate who scores standard and club class is not here but works “remote”.

11 AM;
Pretty busy here. French team is cooking for tonight. Their crews are taken care off SO GOOD with every noon lunch ; fresh and healthy prepared by Madame Bailleau ,[Anne Audier] as I call her.
Lot’s of people pass by and say they “want to be part of the French crew.”
They eat with great appetite with fresh fruit as desert!!! AND ,…they clean everything,..when they leave,… you don’t see that they have been here.

Off to the field for some pictures. Back later.

12.30 PM;
Back from the field and there is no real point in going there as gliders are empty till close for the launch and by experience I know you should not disturb them before flight.

18 M was up in a flash but the temperature was 4 dgr. lower than forecasted, so it took them 45 minutes “scratching” pretty low ,as we could see, to be at 1800 m.
Line opens at 12.45.
Clubbies have been launched as well and their line opens at 13.10.
Standard class launches in progress now.
WH [club] comes back for a relight at 20 at 12.55.

1 PM;
Standard class continues behind the tuggies. L7 just passed by as the last.
WH , relight, will be launched now!!![1.10 PM]
Standard line opens at 13.35.

Off for some food now!!Leaving you with some more pictures from the storm yesterday.
By the way all gliders were clean again , this morning. MM was cleaned in front of the hangar to be able to vacuum clean it.

4 PM:
Looking at the tracking,…it does n’t go really fast.
Club has done now 165 km still 192 km. to go but the day is longer than the day’s before. [15 minutes delay!!]
The 2 girls from the USA are leading here now on the way to TP 2.. When there they have flown 225 km.
Standard did about 140 k with 293 to go and ALL are in one gaggle.
18 m; some have done 125 km, and rounded the 2d tp, however most of them are still on the second leg on the way to that point .
So still 400 km to go at 4.20 PM..Mind the 15 minutes delay.
BUT,….at TP 2 Castletop to Bingara ….it looks better.
Though…looking to the tracker there might be 2 out and 2 back here in 18 m.
Have to check that.

Keep an eye open for you, whilst reading my book.
5 PM:
News about 18 m;
PT get’s an aerotow retrieve. XM just lands back here from a retrieve.
57 seems to have landed as well here with her FES….
Spirit here is a bit low,…they don’t expect anybody back. They still work hard for the INTERNATIONAL NIGHT….though……
Last light at 20.32 according to the task info.

As standard goes to the N. now ,they go further away from here. They are still not at Pine Station ,which would be 230 km. from the 435 set k.!!??
Some crews decide to drive with the car and trailer and follow their pilot.

5.15 PM;
One of the organizers just passed by and mentioned:”the task setter is hiding”.
Good news too; ZE leads 18 m . races all by herself from TP 3 to 4…. Good on her. A leg from 155 km.
But they are slow as said , an average of 70 k per hour.
Club struggles to TP 2, then they have flown 227 km from the set 417 k. Sylvia from the USA has passed it already, so is Kathryn. She is on her way up N for another 73 km to reach Narrabri ,which is 80 km NW from Lake Keepit by road. Then another 120 km back and she is home.
They fly 70 km./h average, so must have a bit better weather.

5.30 PM:
PT is back here after her retrieve. “long final 32.”
standard; still one big gaggle moving slowly to TP 2. They are nearly there and have flown then 230 km with 200 k to go. They go first N to Narrabri as well.

5.45 PM;
Clearly a distance day. MM has started her jet and flies home, after 212 km.
8 Still flying in 18 m!!!!They are halfway to TP 4 …Burren… about 250 k to go, to attend the INTERNATIONAL NIGHT.
BUT,…..they moved the night to tomorrow!!!!
So no international night today!!!

6.10 PM;
A different atmosphere here now as every other day. Trailers and car’s prepare for outlandings. I still hope that maybe 1 or 2 can come back, but I guess that’s an utopia.

Another nice event was the evening at the top of the mountain at Harry’s’ Got this picture this morning from Frouwke

A -KILOMETER-DAY!!!! So quite a lot of pilots fly as far as they can even when they are getting further from home, no worries it’s a WWGC.
So more trailers drive out to follow.
More Pawneys travel to Gunnedah to pick up some of the girls.

Busy day ,busy evening, CU tomorrow