We now just need the weather to come right. Rest day declared for today due to overcast skies.
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| Looking for a way through yesterday's storm |
Sunday, 3 August 2014
News Flash Day 6
Looks like that now all the traces are in John won the day. So great news, another day win for John!
We now just need the weather to come right. Rest day declared for today due to overcast skies.
We now just need the weather to come right. Rest day declared for today due to overcast skies.
Day 6
Another great day for John with a skillful 2nd place on a day that was dominated by storms. This effort puts John right back in contention which is great to see.
After complaints about no racing tasks the organisers took a chance and set a hard point racing task day on a day with high risk of thunderstorms, which seems to be just about everyday around here. The day was blue right up until launch at 12pm when the CU's started. They developed quickly and those in the know knew what this meant and they all took off early as soon as the gate opened.
It was a 355km task for 15m and about 320km for 18m. The first leg was 180km for 15m and about 150km for 18m. Depending on how quick you started everybody ran into a massive line of thunderstorms about 80 - 100km on track.
I tracked along the front of these storms for a short way with dark rain and lightening on my left until I saw a lighter area which I thought might be a way through. I headed in for a couple of km but a large bolt of lightening dead in front about 1km ahead made me decide this was a bad idea so I turned around and headed out. This was as close as I got to the turn point.
Brett however, with a much closer turn point headed in to have a go. His last radio call was "I'm surrounded by thunderstorms with no way out". So he landed out somewhere near his turnpoint, which meant a long retrieve for Barbara, Matt and Geoff.
John with much more experience when it comes to storms managed to weave his way around and get the first and second turnpoint before finally running out of options and being forced down by rain.
After complaints about no racing tasks the organisers took a chance and set a hard point racing task day on a day with high risk of thunderstorms, which seems to be just about everyday around here. The day was blue right up until launch at 12pm when the CU's started. They developed quickly and those in the know knew what this meant and they all took off early as soon as the gate opened.
It was a 355km task for 15m and about 320km for 18m. The first leg was 180km for 15m and about 150km for 18m. Depending on how quick you started everybody ran into a massive line of thunderstorms about 80 - 100km on track.
I tracked along the front of these storms for a short way with dark rain and lightening on my left until I saw a lighter area which I thought might be a way through. I headed in for a couple of km but a large bolt of lightening dead in front about 1km ahead made me decide this was a bad idea so I turned around and headed out. This was as close as I got to the turn point.
Brett however, with a much closer turn point headed in to have a go. His last radio call was "I'm surrounded by thunderstorms with no way out". So he landed out somewhere near his turnpoint, which meant a long retrieve for Barbara, Matt and Geoff.
John with much more experience when it comes to storms managed to weave his way around and get the first and second turnpoint before finally running out of options and being forced down by rain.
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| John's paddock |
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| The Vengabus |
John's retrieve car 'The Vengabus' is pretty special. Neither of the front windows work, the aircon doesn't work, 1st gear selects only sometimes and reverse selects rarely.
Saturday, 2 August 2014
Day 5 (Steve)
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| Sebastian Kawa waits on the grid for a launch |
A pretty crappy day weather wise but flyable, just. As you can see from the photo above things were pretty blue and weak come launch time. So a small 1.5 hour AAT was set.
As it turned out it was a great day for team kiwi in the 18m class with John Coutts coming in a clear 1st for the day and Brett Hunter coming in 22nd. Pity the day was so short and devalued. Today's win means John keeps his record intact regards having had a day win in every worlds he has ever attended, this being his 7th. Not so good for me in the 15m class at around 36th (some scores still to come in).
Here's hoping for better weather tomorrow. A 1,000 point day would be nice as we have managed only one so far.
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| The sun shines on John Coutts winner for the day |
Friday, 1 August 2014
No Fly Day 2 (Steve)
Brett has killed his computer so can now only post when he borrows mine in the mornings.
Another no fly day today due to continued high overcast killing thermal development. The day was called nice an early so everyone had time to go and explore the local area and get over the after affects of 'International Night'.
We all meet in the town square for a nice dinner, including Tyskie and ice-cream of course.
Another no fly day today due to continued high overcast killing thermal development. The day was called nice an early so everyone had time to go and explore the local area and get over the after affects of 'International Night'.
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| Adam looking like Nigel felt the next day |
Sleep in tomorrow as the gliders are already watered, prepped and ready to go so it will be just a case of hook 'em on at 9.00, then weighed and gridded before briefing at 10.15. Fingers crossed for the weather tomorrow.
Thursday, 31 July 2014
Rest Day 1 (Steve)
No fly day today due to stink weather. The Open Class were actually tasked and launched but were all back on the ground within 20 mins.
For some great photos of the comp check out the below website link:
http://mm-foto.eu/2014/07/szybowcowe-mistrzostwa-swiata-leszno/
Went for lunch today in a local village called Smigiel 20km north of Leszno. Not sure what the translation is but a local shop made for an irresistible photo opportunity.
Tonight was International Night in the hangar. Every team had a table on which they provide a taste of their home country food and drink wise. It seems most European countries have a favourite food that requires a drink that is at least 50% alcohol to wash it down. Things got interesting when the drunken mob decided to lift Sebastian Kawa's glider above their heads to much cheering and flag waving.
For some great photos of the comp check out the below website link:
http://mm-foto.eu/2014/07/szybowcowe-mistrzostwa-swiata-leszno/
Went for lunch today in a local village called Smigiel 20km north of Leszno. Not sure what the translation is but a local shop made for an irresistible photo opportunity.
Tonight was International Night in the hangar. Every team had a table on which they provide a taste of their home country food and drink wise. It seems most European countries have a favourite food that requires a drink that is at least 50% alcohol to wash it down. Things got interesting when the drunken mob decided to lift Sebastian Kawa's glider above their heads to much cheering and flag waving.
The girls did a great a job of preparing a dessert that included slices of NZ kiwi fruit that they found in the local Tesco.
Except for John who was off fraternizing with the enemy we almost got a photo of the whole team. Tom Claffey from Australia however did a great job of standing in with an expert piece of photo bombing.
Wednesday, 30 July 2014
Day 4 - Geoff and Matt have arrived! (Steve)
Another weather forecast predicting afternoon thunderstorms so another short 2 hour AAT for 15m & 18m. To emphasize the weather the task setters set a "raining finish" which means the finish circle which is normally 3km was extended out to 10km, presumably to give more options for finishing and getting home. As it turned out their was rain about but nothing too dramatic for the final glides.
A better day for me and an OK day for Brett and John.
After a cross Europe marathon Geoff and Matt have arrived. So to celebrate we all went out for dinner at the pretty little lakeside village of Osieczna where Nigel is staying.
A better day for me and an OK day for Brett and John.
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| The 'raining finish' |
After a cross Europe marathon Geoff and Matt have arrived. So to celebrate we all went out for dinner at the pretty little lakeside village of Osieczna where Nigel is staying.
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| The perfect after dinner treat - beer and icecream |
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