“My visit to Benalla was a reunion-like-happening!”

Finally a cool day here in Tocumwal, where the heat created new fire- storms, this time in Victoria [Gippsland]  . When I left Benalla this morning, I could smell the smoke and burning wood. Terrible and it gives you a scary feeling!

The 51 Australian Multi Class Nationals in Benalla are history  and the next one will be held in Kingaroy [ Queensland]  in October . IGC delegate for Australia, Terry Cubley announced as well after the prize giving, that Australia will bid for the 2016 flapped WGC.
Nobody did, so Australia decided to go for it, with great places as Benalla who had the WGC in 1987, Lake Keepit and Corowa. The final decision has been made and was in favor of Benalla.
Their bid “woke up” other countries,  so as far as I heard also the UK with Lasham and Austria will present a bid now.

The new National Australian Champions are already well known in the soaring world and have been all at WGC’s in the past; Lisa Trotter in  standard class, husband Peter Trotter in 15 m. class, Tom Claffey in 18 m. [ all 3 represented Australia in Uvalde ] and in open class, Lars Zehnder.
Flying in this competition as well,  7 ladies, one from overseas but nearly a local, Swaantje Geyer , so that IS good and also great to see quite a few juniors or young around -30- pilots. At this stage Australia does n’t have to worry too much about the future.
All about the 51 Multi class Nationals, the prize giving and dinner-party with lots of pictures in www.soaring.eu

Chaves suffered from and with the weather. I guess the best days will come when the pilots are packing up. A pity; a lot of cost, the effort put in to find gliders and trailers and the long travels to and from Argentina from many pilots could have been rewarded with better weather- circumstances , but the weather is the weather ….that’s soaring.
The winners still are the best in their class in the world, as they all had more or less the same circumstances.
With one day to go the final results after “only” 6 days in World class with  2803 points for the best pilot, says a lot.
In club class Roman Mracek, got yesterdays 817 points, as daily winner. Our Dutch pilots lost a bit which is a pity! Tim dropped overall from 2 to 4, swapping places with Argentinean pilot Santiago Berca.7 Days in this class and 5540 points for Roman.
In standard class 9 days and yesterdays winner was ,…Sebastian Kawa. I guess and believe he is going to do it,…win again . He won Uvalde, won the last WGC and defends his title in Standard class with verve; 6032 is his amount of points,  with Mario on a good runner up spot, with 150 points less. Very pleased to see Damian on spot 3.

 

From what I read and heard, the locals and the organization did their utmost best, to make it a BIG event ,they tried hard, a, b and c tasks were set .BUT,…. When the weather does n’t co-operate ,with low clouds, mist and a cold SE wind, what can you do.

The dance , music ,visit’s to great city’s , being part of traditional happenings at homes from the Argentineans and their kindness, not to forget the big steaks and good Argentinean wines ,  make up at least a bit for the loss of long distance flights, hoped for by the pilots,  when they left their countries. And not to forget the friendship between all countries and pilots as well as with the locals. I am anxious to hear all stories!

Something totally different but being in Australia I have to mention that Ned Kelly has been laid to rest after 132 years . The Kelly family and a lot live around Tocumwal , even the best restaurant here in town  Kelly’s pub is from the Ned Kelly descendants, still have problems to come to terms with a legacy , misunderstood by many, in their opinion.
Ned Kelly was a young bush ranger who robbed and killed to help others, certainly you could call him a criminal, but on the other hand ,  did everything for his family and friends and was hanged after killing a cop in self defense. Ned is one of the most-well-known Australians.
A bit of a Bonny and Clyde story.

Next Sunday the news will be from back home again, [I hope] ,  with more possibilities to do research and….HURRAY,….. with a land- line. The overseas season is nearly over and the high-light in soaring at Chaves as well. Looking ahead again then to the new season.

For all the other news from Tocumwal , you can read the diary in www.soaring.eu
cheers Ritz