Post 1.470 on December 13 2023

To be honest I have no clue who is going to win this 37th WGC not in each of the classes.
Mostly I have a gut-feeling, this time not.
With 3 days to fly including this one a lot can still happen as scores are pretty close.
That makes it EXTRA interesting!

Briefing;
A short one as the day before there were no winners . Very nice to find the briefing now on line.So I use it straight away to share some facts for today
Of course more important for those there, but nice to see it at home too.

Push Back Time: 11:30
First Launch Time: 12:00
Start Frequency: 120.125
Safety Frequency: 122.025
Finish Frequency: 130.00
Pre-Start Altitude Point Below [ft]: 7500 MSL
PEV: Wait Time = 10 min PEV Start Window = 5 min, maximum of 3 PEVs per launch
Minimum Finish Altitude [ft]: 2300 MSL
Airport Elevation: [ft] 782 MSL
QNH: 1015
End of Legal Daylight: 20:35
SAR Watch: 121.500

Earlier start, rain expected late, Storms possible 7,500 – 8,500ft,Cumulus expected, moderate N winds all day
Risks at the end of day: Cloud, Rain, Smoke Trigger: 4,800ft 33° 1130; 5,700ft 35° 1230 (QNH) Thermals on task: 5kt, <3kt at 1830 Wind: Take off: 12kt N, Gust17 Landing: 12kt N, Gust 19 Flying: 18kt N QNH 1015 Last Light 2035 No Total Fire ban today our area
First start at 12

TODAYS flying;

The tasks :
Club; AAT 3h15 191.3km/432.0km..upfront
Standard; speedtask 395.5
15m. speedtask 381.3 km

Extra tip; From friends over there I heard that the trick today was deciding when to start. The conditions got better during the day,but it was important to get home before the storms arrived from the W.

Task 9 on flying day 8 out of 11;
15 m; 381.34 km….with the weather forecast most started before 2PM ,some dared to start later, unfortunately they paid…Swiss Yves, winner from task 7 started at 14.11 and finished as number 22 from 25.
Who won? Poland’s Lukasz Grabowski, [136.83 km/h] who started at 13.57, 2 minutes later than Sebastian [135.37 km/h] who was 3d for the day. Both fly a DIANA 2. In between on 2 was French pilot Christophe [135.61 km/h] who started at 13.45 in his JS3. Good to see the French in the top, I missed them there.No 1000 points but 915 for Lucasz.
Nice speed!!!!
2 Had to leave the comps already, so 25 started AND finished. Some just made it IN.
With 2 days to go Sebastian leads with 7,482p closely followed by Uys [7.442] and Henrik and Steffen….., you tell me who will be in the end the winner.
Between the first 10 pilots in this class the difference is; 1. 7.482 and 10. 7.203 points.
Toby was 5th today , Adam lost some points as he was 16th , but he still believes he can do it:
“Today was a day not to lose, & I did achieve that. Tobias is now within 33pts of me & I’m just 143pts off Sebastian & 103pts off 2nd. The competition is tough, but I can do this“
Much more about the day on Adam Woolley’s Gliding Adventures

standard; 395.47 km….Pavel Louzecky from Czech Rep. started [13.47] and flew and nearly finished together with Miloslav and they were 1 and 2 with a speed of 119.37 km./h and 118.78 km./h. 1000 points and 991 in this class for them.
South African pilots Laurence and Phillip did well on 3 and 4.
Sarah [USA] with an early start was 5th.
The French , Julien and Max, on spot 18 and 20; weird they are such good pilots. Dennis from Belgium was out after 91 km. A pity!!!
UK pilot Tom lost 250 points [spot 14 for the day] but still leads the group with 7.277 points.
Lucasz has 7.061 p and Sjaak 6.917.

club ; 315 AAT.…29 left in this class and they all finished. Best for the day was Polish pilot Jacek Flis flying 363.65 km in time 314.45; speed 111,89 km./h for 1000 points! In the top 5 , also 5 different nationalities; Roelof from The Netherlands was runner up [987 p.] Stefan from Germany on 3 [969 p] James from Australia on 4[ 946p] and Michael from Denmark on 5 [ 923 p] Uwe was 6th.
James is on the good way…he is 1 overall with now 7,560 p, followed by Uwe and Stefan with 7.371 and 7.336 points.
Not a good day for UK pilot Tim, he dropped from 3 overall to 6 by being 18th for the day, after a rather late start, [13.55] but not much later than Roelof , [13.50] James [13.53] and Michael.[13.53]
A pity!
Tony mentioned about the day;
“A nice day. Trough approaching from the west threatened to shut the day down early. Expectation was rain at Narromine at 5pm. We finally had some nice climbs under cu.
We didn’t realize how shadowed the second area would get and should’ve went further in the first. Came in 5 minutes early.” Tony Condon
I heard there is a lot of rain and it will rain all night and maybe even tomorrow whilst gridding?????

World Gliding Championship 2023 shared pictures and good interviews with Rick Sheppe President of International Jury WGC Narromine and Uys Jonker on the JS5 and the Future of Glider Design.

A THANK YOU FROM and FOR ALL VOLUNTEERS!!!!

AND for ALL TUGGIES, here they go to do their job

Time for breakfast back later with some nice pictures I received in my box from Czech Republic Gliding Team by Peak Pictures. Another top photographer.
“World Championship Gliding. Narromine.The 15 meter gliders have been flying for a week already, so here are a few photos from what will be the third last day of the competition (better late than never)Part 1 for today. Tag your mates“

UPDATED;

A REAL French crew member. I met him at several comps!

Finishing the day with the actions on ONG

CU tomorrow with the last -but -one- day...PENULTIMATE DAY!!!!
Did I see the approach from a cyclone from the West?????
Hope not, the rain now is OK but cyclone-wind is not!!!
Cheers Ritz