Post 1.504 on July 3 2024, the day our son and brother Dennis would have turned 55!!!! He sadly enough, only got to 18.5 years. [03-07-1969/03-01-1988] R.I.P. dear Dennis.

Hobbs New Mexico is the venue , as you know, for the 18m, 15m and club-class Nationals 2024.
After task 7 in each class they had a day with NO TASK on June 26. So 2 day’s to go as June 28 was the last day.
In the end they flew 7 out of 10 days, so not too bad, but I guess , more or less, what you can expect from Hobbs.

The UK Nationals I wrote about last week,had many good days and perfect winners. I noticed “an Oli Ramsay” from Oxford. Must be a student, I thought and saw he won task 3, did not fly task 6 was 3d on task 7 and won the last task the 3 hour AAT for 1000 points. Not being there, I can’t ask him why he did not fly whilst he was so good.
Then I am lucky that I have good UK friends,they filled me in.
“One point you might have missed from a distance is the performance of Oli Ramsay in the Std Class.Oli is 18 and still at school. He was given some time off to compete but with some mandatory school commitments during the week. On Day 3 he sat a Physics exam in the morning before coming to the airfield and launching at the back of the grid.
On Day 6 he was committed at school all day and could not fly.
Day 6 was a 1000 point day. Judge yourself whether you think Oli would have scored just over 800 points he needed to win the Std Class.
Definitely one to watch, starting at the Junior Worlds this summer where he flies for Team GB. He and Henry Inigo- Jones will be a formidable team.“
I totally agree with Roy [ThanksRoy] My grand daughter Indya will be crewing for the Dutch team and she will keep an eye on him in Poland. What a very talented young man !!!!
Looking forward to see their performances. Of course also from our Dutch mates. We do have a few “good ones ” too. And ,..never underestimate the French and German team and some Danish pilots were good too in the past.

Less than 2 weeks to go before this JWGC starts, to be precise 10 days. Found this picture from a great poster made by @maddycdraperart

The GERMAN CLUB CLASS NATIONALS flown from Burg Feuerstein between June 21 and July 5 count 45 pilots among them 2 real good ones often flying comps; Stefan Langer and Uwe Wahlig.
After 4 practice days they flew on June 24 their TASK 1; 367.91 km. not bad to start with for clubbies.
Uwe and Stefan, both in LS3WL, were the 2 best; 99 and 96 km./h.
Task 2 a 3 hour AAT was a prey for Stefan with 278.60 km and 87 km./h whilst Uwe was 4th, with 81 km./h. Pretty expensive for the points; 1000 for 872.
45 started and 39 finished.
Task 3 was short; 175.03 km. Stefan won again and was the only one with a speed over just 100 km./h. Uwe had a bit of an off day with an 28 th spot, after a “earlish” start at 13.01. Stefan left at 13.22.
44 started and 1 was out, after 144 km.
Then 2 days with very short tasks, showers and wind so both days were cancelled.
Then 2 days with NO TASK, maybe better NO WEATHER!!!!
On July 2 a very small task; 112.91 km to keep the spirit up…..BUT not flownn.
For today there is a task; 1.30 AAT.

The 47th INTERNATIONAL ISSOUDUN in France has many UK pilots. For a few years the young UK ones fly there as competition training . Also this year they prepare for the JWGC as Henry and Oli both flying in the
multi class;
On task 1 on June 28 [they continue till July 6] a 2.30 AAT, the first 5 places were for the UK with Tom [Arscott] as daily winner. The next 5 places for France. Only 1 pilot from Belgium flying a Duo Discus.
From 16 in this class only 7 finished.
No flying day and then
Task 3, 2 hour AAT and this time it was really great practice. 7 UK pilots topped the list and Tom , again the best won the day with 215 km/97km./h. Quite a bit further and faster than Henry, but what practice for him; 184 km/88.90 km./h. Oli was 4th. Starts after 4.30 PM.
Task 4; 276.57 km…. only ONE pilot managed to finish. Ludovic Hirtz in the Duo Discus; speed 73.85 km./h. 9 Pilots flew over 200 km.
Today; task 6…..309.49 km

Club class has 13 pilots among them the other 2 UK JWGC pilots George Whiting and George Downing both in ASW 20 and former 1987 world champion Brian Spreckley [LS1f] . Shaun Lapworth, [St. Cirrus] speaker at some GP- races, is a competitor as well.
task 1 was a short 2 hour AAT . 5 From 13 finished all with around 153 km and best was Thomas Chapman in ASW 20. Both Georges finished as well. Good practice!!!
Task 3 after a cancelled day was a 2 hour AAT again. Meaning the French summer weather is not yet “ON”.
From 13 pilots 10 UK pilots in the top 10 3 Belgian pilots followed but 1 was out. George White won with183 km/87 km./h.
task 4;  226.03 km….8 from 13 managed to finish in this class. The 2 future JWGC pilots had the best practice; the 2 Georges [ W and D] won the day with 228.83 km./ 85.26 km./ and 239.41/ 78.31 km./h.
Today task 6;...252.54 km.

The USA team for the JWGC has been introduced and I saw a nice video from 2 boys on the National TV in the USA; team Members David McMaster, Jacob Barnes started young and “live” for their sport. Also flying in Poland, but not on TV, Thomas Greenhill and Steven Tellman.
https://www.weny.com/story/50978595/two-local-glider-pilots-heading-to-poland-for-the-2024-fai-junior-world-gliding-championships
We will wait and see and GOOD LUCK also for them.
13th FAI Junior World Gliding Championships & 5th FAI 13,5m WGC 2024! Go Team USA!!!

EUROGLIDE;

BUT,….for a lot of pilots the innocence was gone after the fatal crash from Johan. Quite a few knowing him well, went home.
Matthew memorized him is his blog but after the day-off in honor of Johan ,he had to go on. He was not sure if he could, as the weather was not the best, but in the end he flew over 700 km and he hoped to be already back in Venlo on Friday afternoon. BUT, first he had to wait” for a front to pass, before 400km into a 25kt headwind.”
His adventures are sometimes hilarious, [Landing on a CIA black site???] but always very informative.
Matthew Scutter’s Gliding
He made it!!!! In total 400 km was the last part to get him over the line in Venlo. “Extremely hard work Matthew said in his spoken blog,“headwind was about 45 km, but on the end of the day it went easier.”
The scores will take a while, but he thinks he might be not winning by hours but by a day or more.
Great result from ,I know, a” “very good and efficient pilot.”
Through this week more and more pilots returned, unless the sad moment still full of joy, excitement and adrenaline.

Keith Essex, who won the 18 m. Nationals in the USA , was still not fed up or tired from gliding so on June 25 he flew from ELY. 1.234,48 km with a speed of 156.14 km./h. He seems hooked to gliding and WHY NOT??

VERY SAD news…..GEORGE MOFFAT; passed away, an hero/ icon for many. His book ” Winning on the wind” has been on our book shelf ,as by many others. I met him and his wife Susie in the 70thies, when he flew in France, the 8 jours d’Angers. A true gentleman in his way of walking , very straight, with his nice grey hair, but even more as a person ; always kind and friendly also to me as a young- pretty- new-to-soaring-girl.
George was 97 years old.
He was twice world champion in 1970 in Marfa in open class and in 1974 in Australia in Waikirie where he flew against Ingo Renner another soaring icon. Both times in a NIMBUS. The video” ZT good finish” about Waikirie is one of the most loved and seen video’s in our soaring world.
He received the  Lilienthal Medal and you can see him in the US Soaring Hall of Fame.
He loved his writing,….. sharing what he knew with others.
R.I.P. George.
P/S I must have a picture from George and Susie in Angers in one of my many books. Till now I could not find it, but when I do, you can see it too.

As promised
THE HOBBS CLUB CLASS WINNERS;

The qualifying FAI SGP in Slovenia flown from Lesce-Bled, has started as well.
https://sgp.aero/slovenia2024
Follow the race live on : https://sgp.onglide.com/

Race 1 was last Sunday; 290.44 km and regatta start at 13.25. Local pilot Jernej Lokovsek [JS3] won the 8 points. Jernej has NL on the tail as call sign [LIKE], don’t have to explain you why….though over the years it was/is the call sign from Dutch top pilot Daan Pare. Like “we” always had/have MM.
mentioned;
“Congratulations to Jernej who crossed the finish line first, almost half an hour ahead of the second-placed Mario Kiessling from Germany and third-placed Luka Žnidaršič  [Slovenia] The pilots encountered difficult weather including a strong shower on the first leg that forced them to wait. It was a game of skills and patience.Let’s see what today’s bring.”
Race 2; cancelled due to strong rain.
Race 3; 187.77km....14 started and quite a few penalty points BUT…..Message this morning;”Congratulations to Mario Kiessling for his daily win! He is closely followed by Boris Žorž and Tilo Holighaus.”

More next week

The OBN the open Belgian Nationals suffer from rain as well in this marginal WET summer.
They fly from St Hubert between June 29 and July 7 with 42 participants.
16 in club, 10 in the combi-standard, 15 m and 20 m and 16 in the combined 18, 20 and open class.
Till now they had tasks but only flew in each class on one day, July 1;
192.87 km in club won by Thomas De Bruyn in LS 4, he was NEARLY home; 190 km. No finishers.
261.97 km in the combi, won by Thomas Leduc in Ventus 2cxa. He flew nearly 250 km. nobody finished.
333.52 km in the combi for bigger birds ,won by Dennis Huybreckx in Ventus 3T.;74 km/h.Only 4 from 16 finished.

More next week.
Cheers Ritz