and the weather is looking very good. There is talk in the cafeteria/caravans/tents/loos of a big task.
There is a real buzz about Lasham during a competition. The place is packed with people and gliders, there are 10 tow planes getting ready, activity everywhere. Wonderful.
Friday, 24 May 2013
Club Class
The UK National Club class competition starts tomorrow!
Expecting this competition to be very tough. Looking at the entry list there are more than 10 pilots who are in contention to win the comp, so I think this will go to the wire.
The thing about gliding competition is that, at the top level, everyone has similar technical ability. You can't win a competition by climbing better or gliding better than everyone because everyone can climb and glide as well. So obviously you need to perform consistently from the technical perspective over the 9 days but that will only get you to the point where you are in contention for the top spot. To actually win, i.e. come first out of 50 over 9 days, a lot of things need to come together for you, including luck.
An example from car racing, in the 2nd race this season, Alonso who is clearly one of the top 3 drivers in Formula One, was hit from behind by another car and had to retire. So luck is always an element.
My objective is to see how far I've come this year, to make fewer mistakes, to stay in contention towards the end of the competition and hopefully to improve on my result last year.
Expecting this competition to be very tough. Looking at the entry list there are more than 10 pilots who are in contention to win the comp, so I think this will go to the wire.
The thing about gliding competition is that, at the top level, everyone has similar technical ability. You can't win a competition by climbing better or gliding better than everyone because everyone can climb and glide as well. So obviously you need to perform consistently from the technical perspective over the 9 days but that will only get you to the point where you are in contention for the top spot. To actually win, i.e. come first out of 50 over 9 days, a lot of things need to come together for you, including luck.
An example from car racing, in the 2nd race this season, Alonso who is clearly one of the top 3 drivers in Formula One, was hit from behind by another car and had to retire. So luck is always an element.
My objective is to see how far I've come this year, to make fewer mistakes, to stay in contention towards the end of the competition and hopefully to improve on my result last year.
Sunday, 19 May 2013
Nitra - The Return (or Chasing The Weather Gods)
Well, the first few weeks of my gliding sabbatical have been hectic. It's late April and i drive to Calais with the trailer, and about to board the ferry to France, only to receive an urgent email from Issoudun saying "dont come, the weather has gone horribly wrong...". Thankfully P&O are really nice about it and let me get off the queue and amend my booking.
So a few days later i am back in Calais, this time i do board the ferry and travel to Issoudun. I meet up with Helen and Cloudy, my club class team mates and the French cottage we rented is lovely. We fly one day and then the weather turns again, but this time with no hope and sight. The weather in the UK though, is looking magnificent.... typical. I decide to cut my loses and head back home...what can you do??
This time this is the right decision though and i manage to fly 12 consecutive days, woohoo!!!
My luck runs out eventually so i decide to head off back to Nitra where i hire a Pegas for 5 days.
So here I am, at Nitra, it's now day 3. On Friday I managed 4 hours getting to know the Nitra ridge really well, with some weak wave as well. Yesterday, late start, then twice round 124k at reasonable speed with conditions booming towards the end of the day.
Today blue and windy but should be good on the hills.
So a few days later i am back in Calais, this time i do board the ferry and travel to Issoudun. I meet up with Helen and Cloudy, my club class team mates and the French cottage we rented is lovely. We fly one day and then the weather turns again, but this time with no hope and sight. The weather in the UK though, is looking magnificent.... typical. I decide to cut my loses and head back home...what can you do??
This time this is the right decision though and i manage to fly 12 consecutive days, woohoo!!!
My luck runs out eventually so i decide to head off back to Nitra where i hire a Pegas for 5 days.
So here I am, at Nitra, it's now day 3. On Friday I managed 4 hours getting to know the Nitra ridge really well, with some weak wave as well. Yesterday, late start, then twice round 124k at reasonable speed with conditions booming towards the end of the day.
Today blue and windy but should be good on the hills.
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