FAI European Gliding Championships 2009 - 15m, 18m, Open Class
June 27 - July 11 2009 NITRA, SLOVAKIA

Competition - 1st Jul 2009

2009-07-01 11:12:20

Yesterday was Contest day 3, which means that, despite the daily dose of showers and thunder, pilots have now had 3 straight days and look like having at least another 5.

Everyone felt the lack of practice time on Day 1 but by yesterday, things had settled down.

After a brief visit to town, I came back at half an hour before the time we expected first finishers and found almost everyone was already back.

All classes raced in together and soon, we were looking for just 3 stragglers, one of whom was flying an unfamiliar 18m class machine when his own was not back in time from the repairers, so he is learning by doing.

The reduced day points to each winner, only 766 in 15m, 894 in Open and 925 in 18m reflect the unforecast speeds that were achieved.

2009-07-01 01:43:55

The word that summarises Day 2 is tricky. Hard to keep cool and to keep your cool! Hard to decide when to go, if to go. Hard to tell, while the tower at the airfield was being battered by storms, how many gliders might struggle home but then, most did. Only 4 actual landouts and not too many virtual ones. Congratulations to the pilots and the task setter.

As usual at gliding events, we hear that the conditions are most unusual, the airfield is never this green at this time of year but it does seem that such a long run of days with thunderstorms endlessly recycling is unusual.

Let's hope that Task A can be flown today and give the pilots a chance to really race without having to recompute their plans all the time.