And with
3 finishers in St Class around 4.38 PM
and
a few….. 2 hours later
AND
at 5.45 PM first club class glider in AND the only one!!!!
USA pilot Boyd Willat.

3 PM; I had a look at the back of this club house and the front is about here , the wind is tough as you can see on the pictures.
the French definitely did start but are still not on the list. No worries it will be fine.

Looking South with the flags “rattling”

    

Looking over the club house to the East and looking North

3.30 PM; Well known faces arrived; Bruce Taylor , all the way on his motor bike, driving 5 hours through the wind and telling us there is dust everywhere and Lisa Trotter who arrived here by car.Lovely to see both.

In between the pilots are still going. Club class has the trackers and we can see a gaggle flying together and a few individualists.They are between 2000 and 3700 m. except for the last starter Karel Novak, who is at 249 m. ????at this stage.
Found out, when it stayed like that , that he must have out landed and that’s just confirmed after 45 km.!!
2 Czech pilots are “aux vaches” at this stage.
What will this weather do???

4 PM update;it seems 2 Swiss pilots have out landed as well,a total of 4 now, but not yet confirmed.
Some club class  pilots fly up to their last TP Quambone with one long leg of 144 km. to go to finish.We can see some lenties up North as well, but the “blue”  is nearly gone!!!The wind at the ground does n’t feel so strong anymore 10/11 kts gusting to 17.

Mark Rowe has arrived as well and I just found out HE built the hangar I visited this morning ,hosting the Dutch pilots , there you are.

USA pilot Boyd Willat seems “on the go”  leading the club-pact but still 90 km. to “home” at 2267 .

16.38; Glider M 9, very English voice , Matt Davis,  is finishing now. So STANDARD CLASS is FINISHING !!With him Y has arrived as well!!!And I is in too.
Both started at 1.50 PM.
Gliders come in nice high and still  water dumping.Wind is 10 to 15 kts on the ground and the pilots can nicely land in the wind, no severe cross wind or so at this stage.
Club class still working hard to make it home!!!

4.45 PM;At this stage serious- cirrus- overcast is “racing” over the field here, BUT, connoisseurs say there is still some activity under it. Pilots have been high , so high, more pilots must be able to come home.Energy planning, …not only for the finish and circuit but today also for a good final glide!!!
And indeed the 2 Swiss pilots out-landed in St. class, after 45 km.this is an estimated distance.

5 PM;the Czech pilots are already back from the retrieve and rigging the gliders at this moment.
Not a lot happening with incoming gliders, one has called for the weather.

5.15 PM; NO club class in yet , 3 St class gliders finished 2 Polish pilots Mateusz and Jacek with UK pilot Matt all were the FIRST starters. All those who started 10 minutes later are already half an hour LATE.

5.30 PM;NOTHING happened!!!! Still only 3 st class-gliders back.BUT,…it seems some club class gliders will arrive soon. The French and Danish TC’s were active!!! We ‘ll see.
According to the tracking Boyd Willat is only 37 km. out. Coach John walks back and forth.
Another st .class glider just landed long , so 4 in and 2 tuggies departed for a retrieve.

    

Beryl helping with the out landings and John waiting for the guests, it might be a long night!!!

5.45 PM; ZR, with Boyd Willat announced his arrival.Good on him. CLUB CLASS in as WELL. He landed here at 5.50. GOOD ON HIM!!!!
Several trailers are hooked on.
The 4th St class glider turns out to be PT; Thilo Scheffler from Germany, BUT,…he came back on a retrieve he flew 374 km. so JUST did not make it.
What a battlefield today.

6 PM; Arnie just went out for a retrieve by plane. Still cars hooked on trailers,…. ready to go.The French team with TC Benjamin are still at the field waiting, it might still happen for them.It’s getting more and more dark here.
7 Definite out-landings at this stage in St class and 8 in Club class.

6.30 PM; Just as we thought NOBODY would make it back anymore, there is on the radio L 9 [ st class ]who arrives and UK pilot Mike Gatfield is HOME.Good on him.Though he has not landed here yet.
Adam ,the CD mentions that a gaggle is coming and some sheer-wave turned up under the overcast.

6.45 PM;You would not believe this , we are surrounded by “shit” and through it , 8 gliders nicely behind each other came in. Some high and still with water!!! Some lower but IN. Most looked like LS 8 gliders, but you can find it soon on www.soaringspot.com
What a huge difference in time! First landing at 4.38 and now 2 hours later a second group arrives.
What a weird day and so different to yesterday.
2 Pilots are “hanging ” over the field after their aero-tow -retrieve, it looks they enjoy after such a long day the sheer wave.

Boyd got an applause and I just made a picture of the happy boy, but dinner first.Though……
Here are the pictures before dinner!!!!

A real happy chappie!!!!!

With Beryl and Tony looking at the result.

7.15 PM;

All pilots are accounted for Dutch pilot Robin was with the late finishers.
And here are the 2 HAPPY CHAPPIES , Matt and Mike, from the UK plus crew.

Too much adrenaline now, slowing down with a glass of white wine. Need that.
CU later or tomorrow  with more pictures and stories!!!!

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