UK open class Nationals and 15 m.!TOO much rain!

picture courtesy Katja Soikkeli

Alphen aan den Rijn Wednesday August 24 2011 ritzdeluy@hotmail.com

Hope you liked the in-between- special about Tim! Becoming a junior world champion in such a strong field and with such difficult circumstances is JUST GOOD!!!!
We do not have a WORLD CHAMPION EVERY YEAR .

In the UK they are flying the open class Nationals at Lasham, a big beautiful airfield which I visited a few times. Quite a lot of friends fly there some of them visitors from Sportavia in the past. I counted atleast 4! One of the pilots I always follow with extra attention is Pete Harvey. Since we met in Finland in 2005, I find him an interesting pilot/ former hang glider pilot.
On day 1 only 7 from 28 finished and Steve Jones won the day. On my first visit to Lasham it was Steve’s dad who I met first and who welcomed me at “his” field. I knew him and the then “little Jones-brothers” already earlier from Angers and other comps.
Steve won also day 2, a day on which ALL 28 finished their task over 300 km. So after 2 days Steve is on spot 2 , Pete on 2 and Kim on 3 all of them flying Nimbus 4T . Former world champion Andy Davis is on 4 in the JS-b!
Due to rain yesterday was scrubbed.

Also in the same time frame 20-28 of August the 15 m. class fly their nationals at Husbos. Out of 3 days they also flew 2 days and here it is Mathew Cook who tops the list after 2 days. Also here a lot of very well known glider pilots, as former world champion Leigh wells, Phil Jones, Paul Crabb and Jay Rebbeck! Good old Dave Watt is 2d, after 2 days, good on him …. but Leigh, Paul, Phil and Jay are only a few points behind, so a great “battle” for the next couple of days. Hope the weather allows them to fly!!! Yesterday was scrubbed.
We had yesterday SOOOO much rain, both in Belgium and Holland;up to 36 liter on 1 sq. m. in 25 minutes!!!! THAT IS RAIN!!!!

The Jones brothers [ archive]

I like Husbos, we had not only tragedy there in 2005 ,[ one photographer killed and a total loss car and damaged glider and trailer from one of the Dutch team members, due to an accident with arrival from Holland at 200 m from the airfield; the driver from the other car was injured] but also great memories and my team then, the Dutch juniors , still are a great bunch of young men and I like seeing them and talking to them; gives a good and familiar feeling. Specially when you know that I did not know them and they did not know me, before the JWGC started, only heard about me and I heard about them. I follow them with interest ,where they go. One is only flying for pleasure now, the others are still competitive.

As I was so busy with all these EGC’s and the JWGC , I lost track on what happened in Europe , so I looked back till August 10 to see what was going on on the OLC.
Great to see that Fuentemilanos had an old fashioned 1000 km day with 11 flights OVER 1000 km even up to 1.280 in an ASH 26E. I liked Pepe’s comment ;dia bomba !!! That’s what we need such a day, to forget the rain and less good conditions, this summer. Pepe flew his 3d 1000 km. task this season.
Good soaring also in Vinon where Paul Janssens and Gilles Navas had some long distance flights up to 901 and 909 km.
Also good to see that Greece had a great day and Alexis flew 866 km.
Rieti pilots flew over 800 km. as well on several days as well as pilots at La Cerdanya in Spain.

Gilles Navas [archive]

This upcoming weekend, [which I am going to spend at the airport of Mönchsheide in Bad Breisig for a 50thiest birthday ….yes from a soaring-friend] , a nice competition takes place at Malden , the place I visited last week and club from Tim; the Vergulde Venturi. Also a 2 day-competition at Deelen, SEABREEZE with 32 participants in 2 classes. [ www.vliegbasisdeelen.nl]

airfield of Malden
pict. from their site http://verguldeventuri.weebly.com

They are building one of the most interesting hangars at Malden, with under-ground-space for more then 30 trailers with gliders. In the hangar on the floor will be a work shop and place for rigged gliders from the club NIJAC.