Post 1.491 on April 10 2024

It’ s Wednesday again ,publish-day, but it took me till last Monday afternoon, before I could sit behind my laptop . Head is still not really clear, still very tired, but the influenza nearly left my body.
My muscles hurt from coughing but, I do feel better.
Time to look back on what happened.
I promised you news about comps in Nitra and Torino, so here we go.

——Nitra [Sovakia] ..PRIBINA CUP! Not as many participants as in the past, when there sometimes were over 100, but as Easter is early this year, it is normally colder and less good weather.
Was that this year also ?
They had 6 out of 9 days , both in club and open. So that ‘s not too bad.
In CLUB……most days had small tasks as 2 hour AAT’s or less for the 10 pilots. One of them , Pavol Klein, flying a St. Libelle won 3 days in a row, but got a penalty on task 5 for a too low finish and lost his till then overall-one-spot.
Then the weather improved, the tasks were bigger and task 6 had already a 2.30 AAT. Polish pilot Pawel in a Pegase won the day. 3 Austrian pilots, Jacob , Raphael and Matthias, flying an LS 4 used their “better” gliders in the better circumstances to fly consistent and even winning task 5 with a 1-2 and 3 daily spot.
The last flying day showed a 3 hour AAT ,so finishing on a “high”.
After 6 days Jacob had 3.359 points and was the club class winner.
Only 10 points less for his mate Raphael with 3.349 points.
The 3d musketeer Matthias had 3.200 points and Pavol 2.671 [5th]

Open had a quite a few “hot” names on the list. From 19, only 2 ladies Jana and Hana Treslova flying an LS 8 and JS 3, both in 18m configuration.
Also in open task 1 was cancelled and the next tasks were small; till task 6 AAT’s from 2 hours or less.
Task 6 had a 2.30 AAT and the ARCUS from team Tomas Rendla won the day with 253 km with 98.28 km./h. That says enough! Only 1 pilot flew over 100 km./h ;Petr Krejcirek in the AS 33es.
Also their last day had a 3 hour AAT, won by Kornel in also an AS 33es; 263.27 km/ 81.73 km./h.
After 6 days the overall scores ;
1. Petr Krejcirik [Czech Rep] in AS33es with 1.943 points.
2. Zdislaw Bednarczuk [Poland] in JS 3T with 1.900 points
3. Rendla & Rendlova[Czech Rep] in ARCUS with 1.816 points.

——51 Trofeo Citta di Torino 2024.
They flew 3 days in 3 classes; sports class, 18 m and a class for beginners/amateurs.
Sports class had 15 pilots and on April 1, no joke, they got task 1, a 2.10 AAT and the daily prize was for the ARCUS M pilots Etalle & Costa .They flew 263 km/ 119.78 km/h.
Task 2 was a 1.45 AAT and ONLY 1 pilot, Ugo Pavesi, in ASG 29, flew the task ; 148.60 km/ 51.97 km./h. Pfff…..but 173 daily points in his pocket.
Task 3; 2.30 AAT and Stefano Ghiorzo in his Ventus 3T /18 m was the best from the 13 still flying pilots; 237.70 km/ 95.08 km./h
Andrea Ferrero, being 3d on task 1, 4th on task 2 and 3d on the last day won the TROPHY in sports class with a total of 1.413 points..
Stefano was runner up and team Alberto Sironi /Venturini was 3d.

18 m pilots had the same tasks and on task 1 also a 2.10 AAT won by Andrea Ferrero in his AS 33es. Stefano was runner up.
Task 2 was won in this class as well by Ugo and Task 3 by Stefano.
Overall scores for 18 m were a tad different; Andrea 1.271, Stefano 1.236, and Vittorio Squarciafico [Ventus 3F] with 1.139 p.

——–WeGlide is getting better and better. Those young innovative people are doing a great job. Over winter ,their development team has been busy with a new app.
You can read all about it in their WeGlide Magazine. https://magazine.weglide.org

They are also at the AERO 2024!!
“From 17 to 20 April, you can meet our entire team at the AERO in Friedrichshafen. This year’s AERO Gliding Expo will have a special focus on gliding. All exhibitors will be represented: The major glider manufacturers, exhibitors of accessories, associations, and clubs. Many tow plane manufacturers will be there as well. That’s why it was immediately clear that we would be there too. 
There even is a separate gliding conference area with an exciting program. On Saturday morning, you can find out how the WeGlide Copilot can help you in flight. But the other presentations on electric flying, weather forecasts, and aircraft news also sound very exciting.“

–—-From Mexico to Canada the ECLIPSE was visible and millions of people travelled to the places where the “miracle” was going to happen.Not all were so lucky as at some places clouds disturbed the joy. I found this gorgeous -one-of-a-kind-picture shared by the Soaring Society of America. …and share it with you.
The last solar-eclipse was in 1991.

Sky Sight was so kind to show us where the eclipse was.

——-Not too much news this week but hopefully next week more.
In Australia the season is over but “superb late season conditions” allowed John Welsh to fly a 300 in his Hornet; https://www.weglide.org/flight/373031
The USA starts and already news as “What a great beginning for the 2024 soaring season.”
Hobbs Soaring Society
Terlet here in the Netherlands had a busy day last Sunday with flights over 400 k and Arjan was there to make some pictures here is 1 of them.

Today looks like a good day here, sunny, blue skies,about 14 dgr. C and I see cumulus clouds from my window !!!!!
CU next Wednesday
Cheers Ritz.