Alphen aan den Rijn Wednesday July 13 2011 ritzdeluy@hotmail.com
After 27 dgr. yesterday we are back to 17 today. Summer finished abruptly with a change of wind , bringing us colder and very wet weather. They expect for this week about 100 ml. which normally falls in ONE month [ of July].
In Lüsse the exciting competition continues! No doubt about the quality of pilots over there. On Monday , day 7, pilots got tasks from 331 km. in 15 m. class, 395 km. in 18 m. and 414 in open class. Work for the boys and girls! And looking at the weather not the easiest day.
In open class Michael Sommer won AGAIN, with 128 km/h on the clock, there seems no limit on him. Alexander Müller had a bad day loosing about 500 points on Michael. A pity for him.
In 18 m. Michael Streit , number 1 overall, won the day with 123 km/h. Sicco from Holland was THIRD, good on him. Holger Back 4th.
In 15 m. Mathias Sturm was the best with 104 km/h.
It is nice to follow the news on Facebook about the pilots.
In Issoudun the pilots in open class had a 551 km. task on Monday their 8th day of flying and all flew it. As said lot’s of Dutch pilots in this class, who I all but one, know. Nice to see the duo discus with Antoon, got the 1000 points. They are 2d overall now behind Ronald Kaay who is sabout 800 points ahead at this stage. Natasja did well, and is back to 5th place overall after a good day. She flew her very first 500 km something to be proud of!!![www.natasjavanderneutblogspot.com]
They cancelled yesterday and today will be their last day,…… hopefully!
Kilometer-eater Guy Bechtold from Luxembourg arrived in Fuentemilanos and straight away flew 1000 km! But Holland had great weather as well with a flight from 657 km from Terlet in the Nimbus 4D. Yes terrific looking skies here on Sunday !
Also on Monday it was fantastic with a nice 600 km triangle from Malden by Rinus van der Steen [ 693 km in DG 600/18m] and by Jeroen Koole from Terlet 626 km. in a discus bt.
While yesterday ELY had another 1000 km flight in DG800 B /18m.Wilfried Krüger flew it and one day before he just missed out on 1000 km ;959 km.
As said Lüsse continues and today is their last soaring day. Great weather, so they must have thought what they can do in France , we can do too. On flying day 8, they had a long task to go for ALL classes; the open class pilots;565 km. over a mountain area, 18 m. flies around the “church”of Berlin [538km] , and 15 m. goes to Poland .[518 km]
Sikko is 3d again; 988 points in the pocket!!!! He really handles that JS1 well.
He wrote on Facebook on Monday about day 7;
“After the start the cloud base was at 800 m. At around 2 most pilots started. I waited till 14.06. Mostly cloud streets on the first leg, but the 2d turnpoint was in a not so good area south of the Elbe. It’s here that I made the difference, The gaggle followed the cloudstreets but I flew straight to the TP having a 2 m. climb just before.
In the end I was too careful on the 3 and 4th leg on my way home, but I was satisfied with my 3d place!!!
So yesterday he was 3d again , that long distance task of 538 km. speed, 123 km/h. Good on him!
His news on Facebook;
” Today 538 with 4 T’P’s around Berlin. Started at 12.14. On the first leg of 120 km. no really top weather but I did not have to turn. Around 50 km in front of the TP the first good climb. Cloudbase up N. had lowered a bit. After TP 1, I just flew up with a gaggle[ direction East] , who had started about 15/20 minutes earlier. At TP 2 I lost them and it was more difficult. At Frankfurt on the Oder I had to dig myself out, was pretty low, but after that I went like a rocket, till TP 3. The last 150 km. I only turned a few times and coming back I was 3d. [Yes IF I only…..]
Picture”[I guess by Joop if I remember well]; Sikko here with Ronald Termaat at the Dutch Nationals
The numbers 1 and 2, flying together, won in their ASG 29 , starting about 15 min. later.
In open class Alexander Müller won the day, after being last the day before, he must have been on a mission! Long distance flying, what he loves is pretty different to competition soaring, but on day 8 he just started 15 minutes later then the groupe and won, before Michael who was 2d. Speed 124 and 123 km/h.
In 15m. the French and Italians had a good day occupying spot 1-2,3 and 5, with just ONE point difference.
If they have the same bad weather as we have here today, it might be over, let’s wait and see and hope for one more day.
BUT……as the day was just cancelled we know the winners now!
open class
1. Michael Sommer 7548 points in EB.
2. Tassilo Bode 7399 points in ASW22BLE
3. Holger Karwow 7122 points in Numbus 4 M.
Young Sebastian Nägel was 16 in ETA and Alexander Müller on 14. Uli Schwenk is on 7 and good old Bruno Gantenbrink on 9 .
18m class
1.Michael Streit 6814 points in ASG 29 E
2. Robert Schröder 6626 points in ASG 29 E
3. Reinhard Schramme 6534 points in Ventus 2cxa
Great 9th place for Sikko just before Werner Meuser and Holger Back was 4th.
15 m. class
1. Matthias Sturm 6942 points in ASW27
2. Louis Bouderlique 6576 points in Ventus 2a
3. David Bauder 6500 points in Ventus 2ax
Stefano Ghiorzo and Thomas Gostner were on spot 4 and 7 while Tilo Holighaus was on spot 16.
A GREAT competition!!!!!!CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!!!!
The 18 m. class in the UK is flown as well and several of my friends are competing. First day was on the 9th and the winner Mike Young “only ” received 312 points for finishing together with another pilot. All others found a field or pulled the engine. Mike I know already since 1987 when we were all in Benalla for the WGC. He was about 17/18 years old then, teaching our kids how to play cricket but already then we said “they are our [soaring] future”. So Leigh Wells was there with sister Sally, the Jones boys if I remember well and all of them indeed are making our comps now, by flying terrific!!!! Great to see, their enthusiasm then and still now!!!
Mike won day 2 and 3 as well from 28 participants, under them Russell Cheetham, Patrick Naegelie, Roy Pentecost , Jez Hood and Andy Davis.
Day 4 yesterday was an AAT in 2 hours , presenting the day winner with 157 points. Nobody finished best distance was 127 km.
They continue till the 17th!!
The EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS in Nitra in Slovakia start on the 17th. and go till July 30. Enough to look out for as lot’s of pilots would like to take over the winning Cup in each class. In 2009 it was Mario Kiesling who won in standard class, Mr. Sklodowski[too difficult first name!] from Poland in world class and “our” Rene de Dreu from Holland in club class. The world class will be replaced for the 20 m. 2 seaterclass so this year we still have 4, next year 3 classes.
That’s it for now , see you on Sunday! Cheers Ritz
To finish pictures from the JS1 Revelation. This glider was flown in Lüsse by Sikko . On the picture it was flown by Maurits Dortu during the Dutch Nationals. Pictures courtesy Bert Kuijper.
