GOOD MORNING on day 11!
Another day in Uvalde-paradise but not for all, as some pilots lost a few points yesterday. A pity , and it must have been very disappointing, so on the end of the competition, …but it belongs to soaring as they/we know.
Looking at the 15 m. class Sebastian won the 1000 points ,[134 km./h over 444.7km. ] is back on spot 1 overall [9390] and Matthias surely will “fight” back to gain that spot again. [9070..he lost 350 points yesterday]
I could write that the gold and silver will be for them , but I know the competition is ONLY over after the LAST day!!!
Steven Raimond the former European champion and as pilot flying in many EGC’s and WGC’s, slowly moves to the top as well.
In 18 m. class the earliest starter Aussie Dave Jansen, raced over the area he knows so well as he practised here for a very long time, being sometimes the only glider pilot at the field and….won the day! 503 km. in 3 hours 33 so with a speed of 141.2 km./h.
Uys who started more then half an hour later flew in the best weather too and was 2d, while the Canadian pilots seem to be on their best in the last week.
F1 and XG , David and Jerzy were on spot 3 and 5. A lot of unreadable voices on the radio, a few real good ones but by far the best BEST for me; David Springford!!!! MY HURRAY for him!
No changes overall, Zbigniew is building up a bigger space[ 9469] between him and the number 2 ,[ 9198] Mike goes STRONG and Lucasz [ 9159] surely wants to get the 39 points he is behind on Mike.AND…MS Michael Streit is only SEVEN points behind him. Everything is possible.
In open class to be continued….off to the field now!
9.15 from the field!
By the way it is pretty “cold”here today , dark clouds a totally different day again, but…I guess the sun will burn it all out and off we go for another day. The hot tea is really good now!!!
So back to open class!
Oscar’s JS -1 b , OG moved with big speed over the 3.30 AAT making 485.1 km. in 3.36[speed 134.5 km./h] A bad/sad day for Slovenian pilot, Bostjan only “receiving” 18 points dropping from 14 to 21 overall.His landlord and huge supporter my neighbour here in the tent was very much disappointed, no more sad!
Pilots were warned in the morning in ALL classes “stay clear from forbidden zones,” ……..
The first 6 in open class overall are in between 276 points from each other [9146 for Laurent still proud on spot 1 and 9149 by Pete Harvey]
Back after briefing with the latest!
AAT’s today for all classes .
15 m. …min. time 3.45…distance 517.8 km.[min 403–max 641]
18 m. …min.time 3.30…distance 478.4 km.[min 352–max611]
open….min.time 4 hours…distance 572.5 km. [min 419–max744]
gridtime 12.45 earliest launch 13.15.
Briefing;
Though yesterday was a shorter day with less speed [still 143 km.h. ] CD Ken memorised it as another good soaring day.
The launch crew was presented 10 people in green outfit from young to old and there was a plus amount as not all were upfront. They were cheered on LOUD and they deserved that.
Courtesy Rand Baldwin
The introductions continued with Team Serbia , Sweden and Switzerland.
Winners were cheered on and also the overall scores were mentioned.
The team cup is still in the hands from Germany with 9103 points , followed by the UK with 9039 and Poland with 9029 points>
Tonight there will be music in the big tent and the people who were here during the WGC in 1991 will meet together here tomorrow.Good it is tomorrow as I accepted already an invitation to go to the private Italian party tonight, as I like to catch up with my many Italian friends [have been in Rieti 5 times!]
Weather :
IT WAS still BLUE yesterday as Dan mentioned but only in the SE. The SW and NE had cu’s and the good height from yesterday was “courtesy” to the high Laredo temperature of 41 dgr.C.
Today will start slow!It will be good from 3PM onwards.
—trigger temperature will be 33.5 dgr.C
—more moisture and a strong inversion on 2 levels
—temperature 38 dgr.C
—no thunderstorms but some might be visible in the far NE
—lift average between 2.5 and 3.5
—tomorrow ….cu’s!
AND….DAN said: ” Uvalde does n’t give up clouds so easily,that’s why it is such a great place to fly!”
Over the last days there is always some tension and stress, ” if you were not friend together you are all friends now, take care of each other and fly safe[r] !!!!”was the message before closing the briefing!
GAGGLE TALK;
— so who was the gentleman from the past…it was Ralf Holighaus Tilo’s brother. Ralf stayed with us in Tocumwal together with his dad Klaus in the year the Nationals were flown in Leeton. My ex won them in hail, snow and more Dutch then Aussie weather. Ralf came first to Tocumwal and the first day we had dinner together and I saw his eyes turn from being jetlagged , but he “hung in ” till he put his head on the table and fell for a short moment asleep on it. We quickly brought them home.
—a bit of a German morning as I caught up with Gerhard Marzinzik from AEROKURIER as well. Still going strong. He flew with us in the past in Tocumwal as well.
—it’s 35 years ago that Elvis died
—somebody in Michigan won in the lottery 337 million dollar!!!!!! I flew over the Lake Michigan and loved the beauty of it even being so high.
—at the table today PR for the magazine and on line version of SEGELFLIEGEN [INTERNATIONAL] and for a business called enterprise.
—Gliding International by the way , from John Roake in New Zealand, my other “boss” donated day prizes;
” We have given 30 free subscriptions for presentation to the day winners at Uvalde.”
—talking to tuggie Sarah right now and just heard she had DB , the CONCORDIA 4 times behind her on tow! She is proud on that. I was wrong when I said she has a work shop, she has one but private for her own tugs. She runs a GLIDING SCHOOL in Tennessee and is the instructor there. So when she is in the tow plane she has , as she said “a devoted team of volunteers helping her.”
VERY pleased to hear that Sarah had her first ever flight in a glider in HOLLAND in Noordwijkerhout a short flight only ,looking at “flowering tulips ” below her , in a KA 7, but she still remembers it with a smile on her face. Sarah and me on the picture ; courtesy Werner.
