Post 1.549 on October 9 2024

South African Nationals
Potchefstroom
28 September 2024 – 5 October 2024

You followed with me already 3 days in Potchefstroom, from one was only flyable. But the weather improved, so the next 4 days were pretty good, with on the last day even a speed of 154 km/h. in 18 m.
Here we go;
In CLUB, task 4 was a 300 race and 10 pilots started only 1 was not able to finish. Daily winner Wayne Schmidt in the ASW 27; 105.68 km./h.
Task 5 showed a 324 km race . 119.92km./h was the winning speed by Morné Strauss [member of the Vryheid gliding club, nice name for a club] in JS 3RES/15 m. From 10 this time 2 were out.
Task 6 had a 348.61 km racing task and Morné was again the best, this time with 114.35 km./h. 9 started and 3 were out.
Task 7; 248.74 km last day and this time an LS 3a was the best glider looking at a speed of 120,97 km./h for Jason Adriaan. He won the first and last flying day and was very consistent in between.
“Being the final day and prize giving & dinner this evening, the tasks are by necessity not as long as perhaps they might have been if there were still days of flying to be had. Again conditions are expected to be not dissimilar to yesterday and the inversion will not be as strong. As in previous days, it is likely to die from about 4.30 p.m.“

Overall scores and South African Champion in club class ;
1. Jason Adriaan in LS3a with 3,722 points. Congratulations!
2. Wayne Schmidt in ASW 27 with 3,491 points.
3. Rene Coetzee in ASW 20 a with 3,257 points.

18m class;
Task 4; 390.84 km and the daily winner was Oscar Goudriaan in JS3,with a speed of 125,81 km./h. followed by Mark Holliday in ASW 27 with 115.82 km./h. The overseas guests Pasi from Finland and Holger from Germany were on spot 3 and 4.A total of 12 few and finished!
Task 5; 450.26 km…Oscar was the fastest again 128.29, whilst Rene Lans flew a tad less with 127.12 in JS-1 C Jet 18m.All 12 started but 4 were out.
Task 6;  462.27 km and Pasi Pulkkinen won in a JS3/15 m. He shared the daily prize with Rene, same amount of points; 998. And, 12 started and 1 was out.
Pasi:”Today 465km task where everyone started at the same time as fear of day shutting down. The whole gaggle flew today together. Grest thermals up to 11500 feet in blue. After second turn I went different way than the gaggle (the line of gliders behind Oscar), Got a good line and was on top of the gaggle when we joined before 3rd turn. Oscar managed to get 200m higher on last climb and left first with PN. For some reason me and Holger passed them on final glide. I arrived 1st and Holger Karow 10 sec later. Lost 16 sec to him at the end as he left 26 sec later than I did. That gave 998 points for today and 2nd place.”That turned out to be a shared first place.
Task 7; very last day!!!!! 367.81 km.…Mike Tiffin from the Cape Gliding Club was the daily best; 154.72 km. , but the best speed for the week, was for Swiss pilot Andreas Spielmann in JS 3 /18 m with 154.96 km/h. being 3d on this last day
7 Flew over 140 km./h!!!!GOOD day to finish a comps.
“Conditions seem to have been better than predicted getting up to 13 000 ft. and reports of lift of over 4 m/sec. But again it was apparently a little difficult initially after release and getting up.”

Overall scores and champion in 18m;
1. Oscar Goudriaan in JS3 /18 m with 4.075 points. Congratulations Oscar!!!
2. Mark Holliday in ASW 27 with 3,951 points . Good consistent pilot!!!!
3. Holger Karow in JS3/18 m. [Germany] with 3,914 points and not far behind on
4. Pasi Pulkkinen [Finland] in JS3/15 m. with 3.908 points.

In the 2 seater class were only 5 teams and they flew the last 4 consecutive days as well.
Laurens Goudriaan flying with I think Marcus Geisen [ as he loves Potchefstroom’s magic!!] in the ASG 32MI , won task 4 a race from  390.84 km.with 123,80 km./h.
Task 5, 450.26 km was for 2 Jonker’s, Uys and young Maarten, in a Nimbus 4D.128 66 km./h. and only 2 from 5 finished.
Task 6 , 462.27 km., only 2 from 4 finished; the Jonker’s won again with 127.61 km./h
“Greetings this morning for the penultimate day of the 2024 SA Nationals. A pleasant change this morning to see the flags and windsock hanging more downwards than previously. The temperature is still a bit cool, but feel sure it will be warming up before too long up to probably mid 20s later in the day.“
Task 7 last day;  367.81 km; 5 started and 4 finished and the Jonker’s were the daily best again with 149.63 km./h.

Overall scores and champions in the 2 seater class;
1. Uys Jonker & Maarten Jonker in Nimbus 4DM with 3,885 points. Well done!!!
2. Laurens Goudriaan & Markus Geisen in ASG 32MI with 3,116 points.
3. Daly jr. & Other in ASH 25 with 2,942 points.

Very happy 2-seater-class- champions Uys and Maarten Jonker;

Lovely prizes for the winners and champions.

All in all a good event as the Soaring Society of South Africa mentioned;
“What an incredible week at the South African Gliding National Championship! A huge thank you to all the pilots, organizers, and volunteers who made this event a resounding success. Your passion and dedication to the sport truly shone through. Here’s to soaring high and celebrating our shared love for gliding. Can’t wait for next year!“

——-Still pretty nice after-summer-weather last weekend in parts of Europe, also in The Netherlands. AND,..more below in the USA from Hollister by Ramy Yanetz.

——-Danish gliding on the wings for 90 years by Jens Trabolt  in Glider Forever.
“This Saturday, October 5th, 2024, it is 90 years since the Danish Gliding Federation was founded by a number of independent gliding clubs.
The hope was that organizing the activities would strengthen the sport and camaraderie. If our ancestors had been able to see today’s equipment, they would probably have cheered extra loudly for the future.
To celebrate the 90th birthday, NORDIC GLIDING and the Danish Vintage Glider Club have assembled 2 significant aircraft, each of which represents chronological and technical extremes in the last 90 years of Danish gliding.”
See more photos and read the behind-the-scenes-article describing a very challenging photo session here
https://nordicgliding-com.translate.goog/dansk-svaeveflyvning-paa-vingerne-i-90-aar/

Through the years I got to know a lot of Danish pilots and they were always great fun to catch up with. Lovely people.

——Ramy Yanetz shared his flight from October 3, which made him very happy;
“Big Sur day from Hollister. Crossed twice to the Big Sur Coastal range. Got to 16,000 feet (!) over the coastal range and bagged the Pacific near the Big Sur VOR. The highest I ever been in thermals from Hollister. Followed the coastal range convergence to Paso Robles and Shandon, then back to the San Benito’s convergence with thermals to 14K, and bagged Junipero again. Great October day!”
He flew 470.39 km with 91.43 km./h.

——-Some fun as well from down under from the Southern Cross Gliding Club THE club from Sydney.

And to finish this fabulous stunning picture from Geoff.

——Climate change creates more and more heavy weather!!!! After Helene , it’s now Milton, ready to damage more in Florida. I noticed today, that it has increased in power again. Not good!
Stay safe when you live there!!!!

CU next week.
Cheers Ritz