Alphen aan den Rijn Friday August 12 2011 ritzdeluy@hotmail.com
courtesy Jeroen Kroon[www.glidingpictures.com]
Got permission from Jeroen to use his pictures. THANKS JEROEN!!! Got permission from Frans as well, but unfortunately this program did not allow his pictures.
To not make the blog TOO long, I publish it today. Next one on Sunday.
When I left you last the pilots in Pocuinai were ready to go for a 2 hour AAT. At 12 local time , they launched the 18 m. class with a C task. The others had to wait as the cloud base was still only 800 m.!
In the end they were all launched while the first outlanding was reported before the start line for open class was announced to be open; a Russian pilot in a LAK 17 a, was the unlucky one.
18 m. started and was back first.The Polish 2 , still on top with Peter still on 3 in the overall scores.
In 15 m. most pilots arrived back home and the 3 French pilots top the overall scores after this day 9.
Most difficult day for open class. Toppers as Janusz, Pete and Sylvain , outlanded, in real or virtual, shaking these overall scores as well. Crews and TC’s could only wait while a thunderstorm passed by over the field.
Bruno won the day, what a pity he had 0 points on the day he violated the rules in the TMA, but that is part of the game/read you are just not allowed to do that, even when you did not intend to!
No flying on Thursday.
Only 2 days to go and to gain more points and some are eager. Much is still possible, but ….you have to be able to fly!!!
To be up to date I read as much as possible on all sites to inform you MY way about what’s going on. It is good to hear that people like to read it as, so they mention, they do not have to find out by themselves. Too easy, like this!
This morning I was amused by the difference on the view on day 9 [ Friday, so today] . The UK blogger writes; “The enthusiasm is underwhelming’. While the Dutch TC writes; “We are going to fly”!!!!
By the way she also showed that team the Netherlands is on top of the country/team -overall -scores; 6982 for Holland and 6962 for Denmark, the runner up at this stage. GREAT effort!!!!!
A new day new chances!
So day 9 , today, looked as a soaring day with a small window and small AAT’s for each class. Some pilots are at their best during such a day!!!
First 18 m. was launched at 13.15. They had the trackers with them as well. Unfortunately that was all ! No more gliders were launched and warnings for a thunderstorm with gusty wind OVER the field were mentioned at all sites. At the field according to the Germans 1.5 cm big hail stones!
49 Minutes time difference between the first -and- last -starting-pilot.
And…pilots finished!!! Russell [ 132 km.] and Jaroslav from Czech Rep. [144 km. and day-winner!] even in exact 2 hours!!! Our Polish friends on spot 1 and 2 overall, lost between around 130 and 200 points. Karol is still 1 but Zbigniew dropped to 4, ouch! And that on the last but one day!!!
Latest preliminary results overall with one day to go!!
1. Karol Staryszak from Poland in ASG 29 with callsign PL 7600 points
2. Russell Cheetham from the UK in JS1b with callsign E1 7394 points
3. Peter Eriksen from Denmark in ASG 29e with callsign PE 7391 points
One more day! Of course to get even for all classes they will try to give open class a 9th day as well.
In Musbach they had their first day ! Hurray! Finally action, after all the waiting and hanging around. The weather gods showed mercy. But…till that moment the young pilots all still had their dream of being world champion, no losers …only winners. From now on it is going to be different, there will be losers as well.
picture;courtesy Katja Soikkeli
picture; courtesy Lothar Schwark
“The young ones ” even happily said after they were launched, that the visibility was splendid! In the end a tough day with lots of outlandings!In club class the 3 German boys, Sebastian, Tobias and Alexander were the best and I guess with what they have practised over the last 2 years they will be difficult to beat. But nothing is impossible!
In standard class no finishers. But also there a great German pact with 3 top pilots with huge experience in many comps in the top;Felipe, who defends the title, Patrick and Jan Frederick, but flying together holds a risk as well. Let’s wait and see what happens.
Not a bad first day for most of the Dutch and Belgium pilots either!
Pictures both by Katja Soikkili. Is n’t she a great photographer!!!!! I love her pictures specially her portraits[ see below]. She even made a good one from me and I do not stick on that kind of paper. Lot’s more at the official site; www.jwgc2011.de ; also on the same left part of the site the video’s from Hubi.Have a look!
Day 2; Thursday ; flying again! OR>>>>>> a 3 hour AAT for standard and 176 for the club class boys!But….after changing to task B and for Standard even C, the day was cancelled. The weather was just not good and “high” enough, though….after the cancellation, our 2 Dutch boys Tim and Rik, found wave and climbed up to 2100 m. !!!!!!!
It is not Tim , neither Rik on this portrait, from Katja, if I look well the second picture is from Jeroen. But I have n’t seen him since he was 12 years old. I just liked both pictures!
Soaring day 2 was on Fridayand started with postponing. But AAT’s from 3 hour for club and 2.30 for standard were distributed! And…a first possible launch at 13.15 for a small window !
It all changed as the weather changed to 2.30 and 2 hours.
Difficult circumstances “en route” , but also “nice ” lift with 3 m./sec. Club class pilots finished first. And NOT a German boy won the day!!!!, but one from Denmark, with Miloslav Cink as 2d. He was already good in Finland!!!!! Good on both of them. Mads flew 200 km. in 2.38, just 8 minutes over time!
Lots of outlandings as well in this class.
In standard class again a Danish winner , for the day, Kristian together with Felipe from Germany; 150 km in 2.08. What is in their water that our Danish friends fly everywhere so well!!!!???? The other Danish pilot , Morten in st. class flew 180 km but he must have been caught by rain,…. too far in the sector????
Well done also by Horatio from Argentina, who I met in Finland.And Adrian from France “member” of the famous Henry family. And the Dutch boys did well!!! These results of course are preliminary! Look for all results at www.soaringspot.com
Both pictures courtesy Katja Soikkeli
Uvalde had some good preparations for the real comps in 2012! And specially Mac is doing well in 15 m. After 5 days he tops the list.
In 18 m. it is still Australia who tops their list with Bruce and Brad! Till now Bruce won 4 out of 5 days. Great pilot, great guy!
In open class Ron Tabery in the ASW22 BLE with call sign SS, is still the best. Thursday was a rest day and as I heard time to visit Frio to watch the bats at sunset!!! Ron won 5 days in a row and “achieved” 4988 points!!!!
The CIM in Rieti ended with a great looking skies on Wednesday and a cloud base up to 2100-2800 QNH. But a pretty tough wind like nearly everybody had in Europe lately. A 2.30 and 3 hour AAT was the result, after looking at the weather, for the pilots on this last day!
In open class Alexander Müller just held his “cup”. He lost on the last day 378 points on the day-winner , but still had 42 points marge to take the cup home! He left with a total of 5969 points.
No chances in the other classes. [see for all the results at www.soaringspot.com ]
Glorious winner in Rieti is Giorgio Galetto with 6379 points.
Giorgio Marina and Leonardo [archive]
NO news this Wednesday, but a short blog this SUNDAY, due to guests this weekend and week . But enough after that!!! Enjoy your week as well. Cheers Ritz