Hammerwetter ! Money!

The weather in different places in Europe is GLORIOUS!! Yesterday Holland had 4 over 700 km. flights and that means only thermals!!! Today it looks great again. Did we have yesterday pretty much wind and a very COLD one, today  is much more pleasant on the ground and for sure also in the air! Look at this glorious weather on the picture from Stan Heerink.

The Hahnweidecompetition  had only 3 classes in the air yesterday,  but today they go for it!!
HAMMERWETTER!!!!
Tasks for st. class and 15 m. ;548 km.  The 18 m pilots have 626 km. and the openclass 631 km. while the 2 seaters have to fly 518. That is a competition day,  that’s how we like it!!!

In Eskilstuna the 38 Swedish pilots and some guests started today and fly in 3 classes for the best place in the Eskilstuna Open. Club class has just under 300 and the racing class and open over 300.

In Varese the 18 m. pilots fly the Italian Nationals. 16 pilots are active one of them Giorgio Galetto.

In the Formula 1 racing world , money prizes , when you are the winner, are high . Some sports as soccer and tennis  have created millionaires.

If you are a soaring pilot  it only cost you, …. but you can have a lot of fun. Maybe it should stay like this but I do like the “injection” to improvement in competition soaring the way the organizers from Fatraglide in Slovakia changed the “normal” club class comps in Club Masters with a 3000,- EURO prize for the winner.
Here is the concept as I copied it from their site;

—” CLUB CLASS MASTERS is new concept which is replacing Club class known from previous years.
Why?
Until 1978 there were only 2 world gliding champions every two year. Now we have 6 classes at WGC, 3 classes in women gliding championships and 2 in juniors, which is fine but can you name the winners from last year? Probably not. Who is the best pilot?
Only way how to find out is to get back to the roots and let them compete together. One class, similar gliders, one winner, no tears. That´s what we call „Glider racing as it should be“.

Rules?
–only racing tasks (no AAT – because we are not in math competition)
–Turn points FAI sectors (because if you fly 300km we should not cheat it 1km on every TP)
–club class with handicap max. 1,06 (it´s old club class we all remember – without retired standard/15m gliders because handicap can´t make it fair all the time)

EUR 3000 prize money – winner takes it all

As long as prize money does n’t have it’s influence on decisions and fairplay, I like it!
The winner this year is Roman Mracek. He won the Prievidza Cup in Nitra, was runner up in the duo discus in the combined class in Prievidza and won these Masters flown from Martin Airfield in a St. Cirrus. Congratulations.

I totally agree with comments as “till now it always went well”, so why money. Let’s wait and see how this develops and they are not the first to do it this way.

By the way a lot of pilots visiting the WGC at Uvalde in July are busy, busy flying with this weather. Great practise!!!

For more news from last week you can go to www.soaring.eu
Enjoy! Cheers Ritz