8 AM;

Ready to go for it!!! Today is the day. And,….a first day is always VERY important.
Everybody seems ready for it…pilots as well as crews and the organization.
If I see what effort they put in this competition , I can only say CHAPEAU!!!!!
After part of the day “off ” yesterday, they want to fly now!!!! Some stayed here , some went to Gunnedah for shopping and others to Tamworth. Quite a bunch of young people left for the movies in Tamworth and when I asked what movie it was STARWARS!!!!
We had a lovely dinner at one of the most high and beautiful points here, looking over the lake.
THANKS!!!!!

It ‘s all happening here today in LAKE KEEPIT and the next day’s till Friday January 17!!!!!!
Same evening is the farewell party and next day at 10 AM, 3 ladies will leave with a big cup and a medal, another 6 with medals. The rest hopefully with a great feeling on a good competition.

Well I hope for a safe and fair competition.
Briefing at 9.30. Here at the field, which gives a lot of “mental peace”, as I heard. One is “relaxed”…..but I guess HOT. It will be 42 dgr. C today.
Will be there for you.
Grid order today; Club, Standard , 18 meter.
DON’T FORGET the 5 S’;

Some pictures I found from yesterday’s opening:
Here is Akemi from Japan, ready to go for it with her crew David.

CU later;
10 AM;
tasks first
18 m; A task…478 km……B task…385 km
standard; A task…464 km…B task…361 km.
Club class; A task…422 km….B task …320 km.

Surprise, surprise!!!!The volunteers did a massive job to get the “new”- old -tug-hangar in good order!!! Compliments.
At 9.30 the briefing started and it was full.

It was NO mistake but on the white-board you could read; Practice day 4!!!
Not day 1. This way they wanted to take the day-1-stress away. Just the procedures they had already for 3 day’s.
Good idea!!!
Some messages from this morning.
—A good “bailing-out” program by Liz from the UK has been sent to the competitors.
—The FAI flag is already STOLEN. An always returning story!!!
BUT,…the webcam was put off and that “looked” in the direction from the flag. SO NO proof who did it or what happened!!!
—As pilots need their sleep they should be able to sleep between 10 PM and 7 AM. So NO noise .
—Dinners at the sport and recreation will be half an hour later; at 7.30.
—REAL/GOOD Coffee ready in the morning at 6.30.
— Helpers get the rope, your own crew hooks it on the glider.
— It is Mandy’s [CD] birthday today!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mandy!!!!

The weather; is about the same again. The air-mass is a bit dryer today the dew point lower.
No sea breeze or rain expected.
5/6 kts lift ,less where there is smoke or haziness. Top of ceiling today up to 13/ 14.000 ft.
Tasks are above …A and B tasks
First launch expected at 12 PM.

Team USA, Luxembourg and the Czech team had their team meeting here in the club house this morning. It was pretty busy here.
It seems tracking will be visible here at the TV as well.

Let’s begin!!! CU later.
Sean Young, editor from the Magazine Gliding Australia has arrived and wrote his first article yesterday after the opening ceremony:
“The opening ceremony for WWGC Lake Keepit took place on 3 January. The teams from the ten competing countries lined up at the launch point of runway 32 in sunshine and heat.
A Welcome to Country was given by James Hogbin of the Kamilaori Nation, the traditional custodians of the area. The Deputy Mayor Rob Hoke welcomed all the competitors and Lake Keepit SC president Tim Carr introduced each pilot. Gisela Weinreich officially opened the Championships for the FAI.
The three official training days had very strong thermal conditions with some high cumulus. On 2 January CB cells developed and delivered wind, dust, lightning and a very few raindrops to this parched land.
Today is a rest day. The first flying day of the Championships is tomorrow, Saturday 4 January. The weather forecast is for a temperature of 42° C, thermals up to 12,000ft and light north westerlies.

Watch Video of Opening Ceremony https://youtu.be/o7-qTb5Sfc4

11.40; FIRST LAUNCH will be at 12, was just announced!!!!
The 6 tuggies have started their engines and move to the grid.
Have my radio, so I can follow it for you , not from the field today but from the club house. Tomorrow I go to the field again.
One of the tuggies mentioned, when I asked if this was not a heavy job for him:
“I prefer this above field running“
Huge thermals create already big dust devils at the field.

11.55;All car’s, still 4 at the grid ,have to be removed NOW.
First launch in 5 minutes. Meaning to go for TASK A.

12.PM; Club class glider J 1 is the first to be launched during this WWGC.
With the words “full power, full power” to the tuggy, Polish pilot Judyta started her WWGC in ASW 19, with that honor. BI , Kinga, another Polish pilot followed.
They have to fly 422.3 km.
The 6 tuggies go up and down, nice to see how quick this goes. 2 Of them are female ,Val the tug master and Fran.
There are 17 pilots in this class. They pass by still pretty low here, so I can easily see the call signs.

12.25 One glider thermalled pretty low so tuggies were advised where she was.
12.30; All club class gliders have had their regular start. Line opens at 1PM.
12.31; Launching from standard class in progress . Just saw EU pass by with Czech pilot Hana . 16 In this class!!
12.35; Claudia Hill from the UK in WH [club] announced her return for a relight.
12.40 ;the 2 gliders which returned, will have their relight as quick as possible. Normally that could be straight after standard has been launched. 12.43; L 7 with Ayala [LS 8] just passed, by so they are still busy. PO with Serena from Germany just is launched as well.
12.48; Relight of club class glider happens now….WH.[ after minor technical problem] .
Meaning standard class has been launched. Line opens at 13.25.
12.55; 18 m. will be launched now!!!Margot just passed by in 57.
13.04 ;One pilot tries to get more speed. She is hanging behind the tug over sport and recreation with 60 kts.
13.20; launching from 18 m. still in progress . !4 gliders in this class.
13.22; They have finished NOW.
Line for 18 m. opens in 30 minutes.; 13.50.

Back later; French crew members are having their lunch here. Smells good, looks good.

3.45;
Was in Manilla, to do some shopping. What a lovely old town,… looks like a real Old Settlers Place.
Eye catcher for sure; the old Manilla Railway Bridge, what a beauty. Have to go back to make some pictures.
When I came back here , the tracking system was installed in the club house and a few people were checking it.
Mind you the delay is 15 minutes!!!
Heard the girls are up to 13.000 ft. and speed over 130 km./h over the first leg!!
That does n’t surprise me as on the road,we saw the most beautiful “willy-willy’s” rising high, like small but powerful tornado’s. It looks like a real good day here at the ground. Several nice clouds popped up , but the wind , has changed at bit and is now a more Westerly.

4 PM:
Have to find out about a few things and as the first pilots are expected to be back here around 6 PM, I do have some time.
Most pilots are reaching the 3d TP meaning 18 m. has to fly a leg of 219 km…standard 135 , but they just finished a leg from 146 km…club just finished 121 km and starts their leg from 175.5 km.

A bunch of young crew members “found each other” in the cool kitchen. Just having fun!!!!

5.15 PM;
In standard class it looks like Hana and Aude are only 50 k out. Take the 15 minutes off and they can be quickly here.
In club also only 23 km.
Have put the finish line on!!!
In 18 m;They need some more time.

5.20 PM;
And there they are..Earlier than expected...
Club class arrives at 14 …long…wind calm.
heard FX..AJ..BM..EJ..WH..40..ZC..V 57..KW…CQL …JO ..KE and a few more.
PO..standard class as well now!!Some land on 20.
More difficult to see.

5.50 PM;
18 m is arriving as well with LT..XM..PT….L7 ..FQ..MM…and more!!!
6.10 PM:
ALL pilots are safely back home!!!
It was a bit of a “fight” sometimes, chasing the kangaroos on the 4-wheel-drive [quad] , but the pilots were disciplined , listened well where to land because of some “cheeky” animals and happy, so were the organizers.

TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY!!!!!
THAT WAS DAY 1!!!!
Excitement enough,….meaning not a boring day!!!!!
145 km./h by Lisa Turner in 18 m. Not bad!!!!
137 km./h. by Sarah in st. class at this stage with a pretty late start at 2. 12 PM. The Czech team started at 13.35.
122 km,/ h. in club class by 2 Aussies , Jenny and Jo, at this stage
Looking at it tomorrow.

FOR ALL RESULTS FROM DAY 1;
www.soaringspot.com

CU TOMORROW!!!!