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30.7.2013 Tuesday – Will this be first flying day?

3rd competition day

The sky was grey in the morning and flags were straight out from the poles as the wind was so strong. I can see the flags from my hotel window, and noticed that one blue flag (the FAI flag) was missing. Let’s see who will return it – remember, if the flag is stolen outside of the “allowed period”, the flag should be returned with formal apologies and crate of beer. That is written in Annex Z (10.2.4.5)

The briefing was postponed until 11.00, and grid was opened only for Standard class. Day for Club class was cancelled in the briefing. Towings were supposed start 13.15, and had to be postponed only for 15 minutes. The sky looked pretty good, but the wind was really strong, so quite many hats were hunted around the grid. Boyd (USA) said that it was good decision to keep Club class in the ground. Club class gliders are not that “slippery” as Standard class gliders are, and we were laughing that in this wind the club class gliders might be flying backwards. First a glide, then thermalling, and then you might find yourself at the same point where you started the glide.

Towings were quite efficient I must say, with 11 tow planes (didn’t count actually) the whole thing took only 30 minutes, and start line was opened at 14.20. Those who are in the grid are not allowed to leave the grid before the towings are over, so after that last tow left, we waited like formula drivers for the green light and had a race back to the hangars.

Task was only 1,5 h AAT task, so there wasn’t much time for doing anything else but wait.

I sat with some of the British team at the bar. Today Charlie Jordan was 4th and he told that the day was actually quite good, as he didn’t have to turn that much, just flying straight. His face was quite happy. I am really glad for him, as I am for the daily winner Roman (SUI), he flew really well, with average speed 120 km/h. Even some of the adults can’t reach that on a day like today.

Enrique Levin (GER) was with happy face as well, but laughing because German team had made almost all the possible mistakes, flying in wrong direction etc. Hopefully Uli (Gmelin) isn’t too hard on them on the debriefing.

Well, as the task was so short, it will be devalued day, meaning that the winner won’t get 1000 points. So the winner got only 191 points more than the last one.

The evening continued quite late, and in the future I have to write down all the brilliant ideas we will have, as now I can’t remember any of those. Except that I did forgive the French Team, as they were speaking English Smile

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