Today the pre-worlds start in Chaves in Argentina with 109 participants in 3 classes. It is combined with the 3d FAI South American Gliding Championship. Here is a link to the blog from the only participant from Holland; Jeroen Verkuijl. The picture is his as well. So you have an American view on things by Sarah Kelly Arnold flying in ASW20 and a European one by Jeroen Verkuijl flying a Jantar. Not bad !!! http://pre-mundial.blogspot.com/
In Benalla the club, sports and 2-seater class Nationals have been spoiled by less good circumstances [a too small-window and rain]. After the first 4 days with nice to good weather, a new weather-cycle had to start and the pilots were kept on the ground. Interesting to see is that former World Champion [Uvalde Texas 1991] Brad Edwards, won 3 days in a row in his JS 1. A pity he still had to attend business on day 1.
European weather has been terrible last week. Too much rain in the lower countries , too much snow in some of the mountains. Not rain like rain, but pouring combined with wind up to 120 km/h here in Holland. For the first time after the disaster in 1953, we heard messages about “dykes which might not hold”! In the end it all worked out well.
About the snow that was about 1 m and especially France and Austria had problems.
No problems for French pilot Gerard Lherm he flew a very nice 1000 km flight in wave in mid winter and this 1000 was the first for the Languedoc [great wines] area in the South of France from Pic St. Loup.
Great flights still in Namibia [ Reinhard Schramme 1000 number 10 for this season] but also yesterday from South Africa. Gariep Dam had some great flights; a 900 declared FAI triangle in a duo discus and 3 Dutch new records over 700 km, flown with a speed of 136 km/h. in a Ventus 2CT /18m. Also a few nice triangles over 1000 km. On the picture the Dam from Gariep; in the past it was called the Hendrik Verwoerd Dam, after the first Prime Minister of the Rep. of South Africa. In 1996 it was called the Gariep Dam. This Dam is the largest storage reservoir in South Africa.
Picture courtesy of Doris Wiesenthal
Read all the news… more in detail in www.soaring.eu
Cheers CU next Sunday! Ritz
