Alphen aan den Rijn        May 24 2009        blog 199

Kaiserwetter, is what I heard from a German friend  and indeed this word we can use at this stage for Holland; Kaiserweather!
 With already now at 10.00 am. 25 dgr. in my garden and very blue skies, hopefully later today with some nice cu’s like yesterday, this will be another good soaring day for a lot of places in Europe……and for the Dutch Nationals, busy on day 4!!!!
With the Minden area in the USA as TP,[ great mountain soaring ],  a good  877 km in a Ventus 2 was flown. For sure the pilot has seen the most beautiful high -levelled Lake Tahoe,  where we had that astonishing and unforgettable landing with an amphibian [Albatros] during the preworlds years ago.
Canada  has great weather now too and I was pleased to see that the members of the Canadian Rockies  Soaring Club had a great day from Invermere; one pilot flew 566 km. in a discus with a nice speed of 108 km/h.
Australian  pilots , still fly from Jondaryan on the East coast and it is nearly mid winter there. But other parts of the East coast suffer from heavy rain and flooding.  Gerrit wrote me that it was wild weather at the Gold Coast and sends a link to see the planting of seeds [he is a farmer] over the last weeks and this wild weather.
http;//picasaweb.google.com.au/gerritkurstjens/100NCD90#       Have fun!
Tocumwal  still has a pleasant 22 dgr. during the day, but my friends have had a tough and tiring summer with up to 47 dgr. and no rain.
News also from Alice Springs!!!!! There are whispers of a new SUPER SOARING SITE ,  opening up in Alice Springs. Very few details yet, but I will keep you advised of developments!

“Hahnweide ” is over!A good competition with great winners and with 6 days out of 8 in 15 m. class, with as winner , Belgium pilot Jean Luc Colson, a pilot to keep an eye on.
In 18 m. they flew 5 days out of 8 and the “fight” between Reinhard and Werner was firm. Reinhard won with 127 points more. Phil Jones, was a good third. He and his brother Steve, lost their  father not long ago, on March 8. Ralf was the wellknown founder of Southern Sailplanes , [UK sailplane and glider repairs]  and winner of the British Nationals in the past. Both Phil and Steve have been champions too.
Good to see Bernd Weber [from Schemmp Hirth ] on place 6!!
In standard class 6 days out of 8 . German pilot Tobias Lohner was in his LS 8 562 points ahead of the runner up, so a “good win”!!
Uli Schwenk is and was in so many other comps the best in open class [ 5 days] and in the double seater class Sigi just missed out on 50 points to win. [6 days]

Last Thursday the Dutch Nationals have started  with pretty marginal weather on day 1, when I was there. This weather was only on the east site of Holland and the rest had great weather. When we left Terlet at 7 it still looked beautiful on the way home.
So day 1 was a flying day, but as Baer Selen , who is “predicting” the weather for the first 4 days said, not the very best. All gliders started however , all gates opened even with the last launch after 4, but nobody flew the distance to make it a competition day ……except in the combi class , where Steven Raimond flew 104 km and got 20 points  for all the work!!! He decided to start again at 17.29, when the weather was improving.The runner up that first day flew 49 km.  so a huge difference.
 But it was good practise! The last 2 days looked great and after 3 days in the combi class, former European Champion Steven Raimond is already 250 points ahead of Peter Millenaar a young and upcoming talent, under 25 , so flying the JWGC for Holland in Finland. Steven won 3 days in a row!
In the club [yesterday 283 km.] and open class [AAT with best distance 429 km.] still everything is possible with several top-pilots fighting for the honors on Sunday next. As said before , in open class father and son Seijffert participate. Father Frits flew and won 50 years ago the nationals and this year he flies with son Bas in open class and they hope to win again. At this stage they are on 2d place.
In 18 m. class former European champion and runner up during the WGC , Roland Termaat, is leading after 3 days with 269 points ahead of the rest. Also in this class several good pilots who will for sure try to make it difficult for Roland, but he is a very good pilot, I know!!!
See for results www.soaringspot.com
If you can read Dutch go for all the latest to www.nkzweefvliegen.nl
Diane is doing a great job as PR lady.

It was great to be back at Terlet.  So many people I know,some I had not seen for 15 years,  so many nice talks and some cool beers on the terrace of the Thermiekbel, the local bar/restaurant. I lived for over 10 years every weekend and every holiday at the Terlet airport and I had not forgotten how beautiful the Veluwe is.
Will visit the comps at Terlet again on Thursday and on the last day; Sunday May 31!!!

The Kempen Cup is a short competition  [4 days] in Belgium with 68 participants in 3 classes. A lot of friends are flying this competition. Look for results at www.soaringblog.com
 The Kempen Cup is the first part of 3 regional comps flown on 3 different places. [ Kiewit and Keiheuvel]

“The story of the stolen flag”,  when you have attended WGC’s and EGC’s there is always the story of the flag from the FAI stolen on the last day. Read the very interesting story of the competition director ofrom the next JWGC in Rayskala Juha Silvennoinen, better known as Silva, about the flag-incident in 2005 during that wonderful weather EGC, with on day 1 a set 1000 km. flight in open class, flown by nearly all pilots!!!!
www.jwgc2009.fi 

See you next Wednesday for blog 200 !

cheers Ritz
ritzdeluy@hotmail.com