Post 1.531 on August 22 2024

UVALDE TEXAS Garner Field, United States
18 August 2024 – 31 August 2024

For all classes a 3.15 AAT was set. Altitude up to 5000 m[ 16.500 ft] .
Arne mentioned; “Another scorching and exciting day with 43 deg C and high speed flying. Groundspeed often in excess of 240 kph between thermals on the 506km task.”
The SA team about the weather; “Weather forecasts haven’t been the most accurate over the last days, so fingers crossed whatever the weather is, it’s good.“

Thursday August 22 task 4;
18m; 3.15 AAT……with 154.39 km./h over 506 km, it was Stefan Langer [AS33me] again [he won task 2 as well] from Germany who took the daily win! Over the last year, wherever he flew, he nearly wins everything !!!!
His mate Simon [Ventus 3e] only lost 30 points, together they are very strong!
Spot 3 till 16 shows JS3 gliders flown by different Nationalities.
All 32 stated and 1 was “out”.
Matthew was 5th for the day and always has a strong analysis.
Matthew; “Which sector would you max out?
A lot of competitors chose the southern sector, perhaps anticipating the northern sector to be so ballistic as to run out of time, or perhaps concerned the forecast thunderstorms would make it unnavigable to the north later in the day.
Fortunately I had the ultra-high-def SkySight satellite pictures overlaid on the task inflight and was able to clearly see the north sector was fast but not ‘too fast’, and then turn short in the southern sectors for a very safe and easy 950pt flight even after an atrocious start (falling out of the wave just before my PEV window, twice).” Matthew Scutter’s Gliding

Rich, official media team; “The 18 Meter Class went on a 3:15 hour Assigned Area Task south to Callaghan, northeast to Los Angeles, northwest to Commanche Caves and southwest to the finish. With the seabreeze and some blow off from the storms, coupled with the better climbs in the hill country, it made good sense to make distance in the north. However, you never want to put all your eggs in one basket. Most of the leaders did exactly that. Going a little into the first area and making the most miles in the last area to the north. Final glides were mostly stress free and the top 5 pilots were separated by about 50 points.” WGC Uvalde 2024 WGC 2024 Uvalde Late Report Day 4

20m. 3.15 AAT…..all 16 started and finished and best for the day was French team Bouderlique & de Péchy in the ARCUS T;150 km./h over 530.82 km.
Great runner up spot from team USA with the VERY experienced, maybe the most experienced from all over there, Karl Striedeck and the WWGC champion Sarah Arnold, who I met first in 2012 in Uvalde when she was a tuggie. They only lost 7 points for the day.
As Adam mentioned;” Hats off to the American team, who rolled in 500′ below Keith & I’s 4-5kt climb at 9000′. We decided to move on, because the CU ahead still looked like it was producing 6kts. Unfortunately, it did not & leaving that climb with Karl & Sarah, turned out to be the difference in 993pts & our 886pts.”

Adam; “I think 50% of the field today were thinking, we need to Max out the task in order to not come in under time. I know I certainly was, with 162kph to the 2nd TP & ‘only’ needing 172kph to come home on time, flying in from FL130 & 8kt averages, surely we were going to smoke it in.
Unfortunately not.
The highlight of the day was rolling into a 10.5kt climb for 5000′ or so, leaving the gaggle behind.”
Adam Woolley’s Gliding Adventures

Rich; “The 20 Meter Class had the best airmass of the group. They were sent on a 3:15 hour Assigned Area Task north to Menard, west to Eldorado and south southeast to finish. With a maximum distance speed required of only 164kph, you had to plan on maximizing the distance in all the circles to be sure you did not come under time. The weather conditions in the hill country can be really strong. Pete Alexander and I learned from Adam Woolley and Pasi Pulkkinen last year when they maxed out the turn areas while we went 8km less than them. We lost the day because we did not realize the task was under called until it was too late in the first area. We will not make that mistake again. Thanks boys! The leaders did not make that mistake and had a great flight with the highest altitude being 5,000m (16,500ft). With that kind of altitude, final glides were stress free.“

open; 3.15 AAT....They must have lost each other on the way! Felipe and Michael. As usual they started together at 15.55 but finished at 19.23 and 19. 37!!!!! Pretty unusual for the well oiled German “machine”.
Daily winner ; Felipe Levin with 505 km and 145.37 km./h. Michael was on spot 10 with also 505 km but 136.11 km./h , which means he must have got into trouble in the end. They swapped places now overall, Felipe is on 1 and Michael now on 2 but 8 days to go so EVERYTHING can happen.
Great flying from our Dutch pilot Francois in his EB 29R. A very experienced pilot, who flew many CAT 1 comps and is more and more a very consistent pilot. Good on him; On task 1 he was on spot 3, task 2 spot 2, on task 3 on spot 7 and now again runner up, with a strong 3d place overall for now! Good on him!!!
Francois mentioned that the late launches were enervating . First leg was FAST and furious , and up to 4000 m in thermals and then on the 2d leg the weather declined totally and you could only try to stay as high as possible and get home.

Rich; “The Open Class was sent on a 3:15 Assigned Area Task northwest to Queso, southeast to Taco, northeast to Burrito and to the finish. This task sounded more like a lunch menu at Taco Bell than a race. The Open Class had the opposite problem than the 20 Meter Class. It would be better to make the distance in the north area since the southern turn area later in the day was expected to be weak. That is exactly what the leaders did. The altitudes were lower than the 20 Meter ships since they were in the hill country earlier. Maximum altitude for the Open Class to the north was just under 4,000m (13,100ft).“

—-In the past I have been at many places where John Good was too. In 2012 he was the deputy CD in Uvalde ,juggling with 4 balls , when he was just listening at the stage and later at several comps as the WWGC in Lake Keepit. John is a great TC AND writer!!!! Where I write simple and out of the heart ,he writes as a real professional. Also about this WGC where he is also adviser to the organisation.
His reports are on the US Soaring Teams site and the tasks 1 to 3 have been published now also on FB.
The beginning of his Day 3:
Team USA Daily Report: Day #3 (August 20)
“A remarkable day today at WGC2024 – among the more notable in the long history of contests here. With a vast high- pressure system sitting almost on top of us, the forecast called for extreme temperatures – perhaps the highest of the year – and blue condition. Lift would start a bit late, reach good altitudes, and probably end early. Long tasks were set, but had to be modified as the sniffer was unable to reach safe altitudes until almost 2 pm.” Much more US Soaring Teams

Looking back at 1991;

“MY” world champion Baer Selen in 1991 in standard class.
After 12 days of flying, Baer accumulated 11.216 points in his Discus. 46 Pilots in this class but sadly enough Anssi was out due to the tragic collision with Mr Kodama from Japan, who’s glider was smashed too. Janusz Treciak [Poland] was runner up in SZD 55-1 [ 11. 040 points ] and Eric Moser , for me still Herbie, was 3d in a Discus A.[11.034]

In open class the 1991 winner/champion was Janusz Centka from Poland in ASW 22B with 11.111 points, have never seen that anymore. Holger Back from Germany was runner up with 11.101[ Nimbus 3] and Gerard Lherm from France was 3d in Nimbus 4.[10.987]
24 in this class.

Or at the window of the office where pilots eagerly looked how they had flown.

CU tomorrow!
Cheers Ritz