As I told you the Austrian Nationals are NOT flown in Austria, but in Nitra in Slovakia this year and in 5 classes.
Reason; the Austrian Military top did/could not allow flying from Wiener Neustad[West] , the WGC place we have such good memories on.
The club class counts 15 pilots and …..nearly a miracle…., they could fly straight away on Saturday and Sunday.
Day 1 had 7 finishers [2 hour AAT] with 2 Czechs upfront Karel Mares [ASW15] and Tomas Suchanek,[St Cirrus] not “just ” pilots!
Day 2 was for Tomas , 1000 points over a 3 hour AAT, with Karel on spot 4.
The Standard class has 15 participants and an Austrian winner on day 1,[2 hour AAT] and a Slovak winner over the 3 hour AAT. 5 LS 8 gliders in the top.
In 15 m. class 7 participants amongst them wellknow pilots as Guido Achleiter and Heimo Demmerer.Same tasks and Guido won the 1000 points on day 2.
In 18 m. of course Austrian toppers, Wolfgang Janowitsch and Peter Hartmann as well as Slovak topper Vladimir Voltin. Wolfgang won day 1 and Peter day 2. Same tasks and 11 pilots in this class .
In open class an interesting mix of good Austrian and German pilots, 7 in total. Day 1 was for Josef Kammerhofer before Frans Jozef Eder and Alexander Müller. Day 2 gave the full 1000 points and they were for Sebastian Eder just before Alexander.
Wolfgang Janowitsch former WGC Champion.
Then a few days with silence, no news ; on Tuesday they continued.
Day 3 was a difficult day for some.
In Club the 1.30 AAT was won by Ondrej Dvorak in the LS 1 f, while Tomas outlanded after 68 km. loosing some 400 points.
In Standard Class one outlanding , same task.
In 15 m.also a 1.30 AAT with Heimo Demmerer as the daily winner, being on spot 2 overall after 3 days.
In 18 m. it was after 1.30 Peter Hartmann upfront then Vladimir Voltin and Wolfgang Janowitsch.
In open all pilots made it back after around 136 km. in just over and a bit more over 1.30.
The UK Club Class Nationals , in combination with the Regionals started last Saturday as well and ….with amazing good weather, an even bigger miracle and …..not such a miracle,…lots of TOP pilots.
As I read on the site from the UK juniors, the club pilots, 42 in total, left first on day 1 and had a great run to the first TP.
Pete Masson won the day and got the 1000 points and only 2 outlanded.
Former WGC Champion Brian Spreckley flew the Libelle to a shared 4th place while our former Sportavia tuggie Tim Milner was on spot 8 followed by G. Dale!
On day 2 another long task 437 km.and another 1000 points for Pete Masson, [DG 101] with as good runner up Ayala Truelove -Liran in the Libelle. She is practising for the WWGC and so to see , she defenitely is on the right way. Pete is the coach from the UK juniors , how lucky can they be and Simon Barker will be their TC in Leszno!
Pete won in Australia [Gawler] the Club Class WGC in 2001 , where I was supposed to be as a steward, but it was our high-season in Tocumwal, so I had no time .
He participated in 2008 in Rieti ,where I did the “writing”.Of course he flew many more comps! If I remember well he visited us in Tocumwal after his glorious WGC-win and I welcomed him with bubbles! What else!?
Pete Masson and junior Sam Roddie, who will fly an ASW 24 in Leszno and flies now at Lasham as well. Courtesy UK junior site!
Day 3 was a tougher one with a strong wind but no worries for Pete , he won for the 3d time in a row! 24 Pilots from 40 finished.
Day 4 , yesterday, was SCRUBBED for both classes! The great weather left the UK and arrived in Holland and we had a sunny warm day, like yesterday, FINALLY!!!!
Hope the good weather returns today in the UK.
In the Regionals 37 pilots and even a former WGC Champion as Andy Davis, [ARCUS E] who straight away showed “he can still do it!!” 458 was their task and he won day 1! On day 2 good “old” Dave Watt [Ventus 2A]won just ahead of Andy. But day 3 was a prey for Andy again.
Prievidza started with the GRAND PRIX SLOVAKIA in 18 m. and day 1 had to be cancelled but day 2 was a nice one with 206 km. Roman Mracek [10 p] won the day before Sebastian [8] and Lubor[Kuvik 7] and Alena Nitusilova was on spot 6 and received 4 points. Yesterday was cancelled as well.
Alena here in Uvalde. Courtesy Andreea.
The Belgium Nationals are in progress in St. Hubert and also the pilots there started straight away on Saturday with 183 km, though Sunday had to be cancelled.
2 Classes 15 m. and open.
In 15 m. Yves Ruymen won in the Discus A [568 p.] before Bert Schmelzer jr. [567] . Brother Tijl was on spot 7 and the first outlander on the list. 6 From 20 finished and I felt sorry for Emiel who only flew 21 km and “received” 50 points.
In open class 13 pilots and 913 points for day 1’s winner Olivier Brialmont. [ASG 29/18m]
On Monday they continued with sunny and dry conditions, from a wet field but good enough to fly from. The task was this time 403 km. for open and 305 for 15 m. class.
My friends from Keiheuvel flew them selves to the top with Dennis Huybreckx as best , followed by Bert and Tijl Schmelzer, Emiel de Wachter, Jef Kell and Tim Huybreckx with points between 806 and 673.
In open Yves Jeanmotte was the best, gaining 1000 points.
Yesterday a 1.45 AAT was on for 15 m. and Bert Schmelzer jr.]Discus 2] took the 534 points as daily winner, just before Jeroen Jennen in the LS 4 and Dennis Huybreckx in the LS 8.
The Schmelzer brothers are on spot 1 and 2 after 3 days and the comps finish on June 1.
In open class Dutch pilot Maurits Dortu won the day in the JS 1.An 1.45 AAT as well.
After 3 days Jean Luc Colson is the overall-leader with a few days to go.
The Swiss Nationals with 32 pilots in 3 classes will be flown till June 6 from Amlikon a field celebrating it’s 50 thiest birthday.
After 2 cancelled days , there was hope to fly on Monday and after a postponed briefing tasks were set. 263 for the mixed open and Rolf Friedli won in the ASG 29/18m.
Yesterday the open class flew 188 km and Rolf won AGAIN!!!
In the mixed 15 m. a task from 252 km and all [17 pilots] but one finished.
It was interesting to see the OLC list on Sunday with some good flights from Italy; Giorgio Galetto in his Ventus from Bolzano with 840 km. and friend Alberto Sironi flying from Calcinate in the Quintus with a 750 km FAI triangle!
A 750 diploma for a Danish pilot flying a DG 808C /18 m. from Norway. Elverum , but also Hokksund really had a few good [wave] days.
Doug Haluza [Janus cFG] flying 2, 1000 km. flights in a row from Ridge Soaring had the days of his life!!!As he happily mentioned; “Nearly 2500 km. in 2 days!” Not bad!
Guy Bechtold flew in his Quintus his first 1000 km in this glider from Useldange. He even passed by his mates flying at St. Hubert. Two days earlier he just missed out ; 991 km.
750 from Räyskälä yesterday shows the great weather has arrived in Finland as well.
Kai Mönkkönen , one of my favourite photographers, flew over 500 km. in the Duo Discus.
Last but not least;
Uys Jonker applauded his team for their fine efforts to obtain the TYPE CERTIFICATE for the JS 1-C 21 m. It was handed over by the South African Civil Aviation Authorithy, who fully approved this glider on May 27! From now on the JS 1-C /21m. can fly in Europe in open class and Ronald Termaat is one of the pilots flying this beautiful glider in Vinon. We saw already in Uvalde how good the glider is . Oscar flew himself to a third place in it!!!
Off to Assen today and still troubles with my laptop. Internet Explorer just stops , and all sentences are in ONE row, very frustrating!!!
But, …have a happy week CU on Sunday!
Ritz