>>Back to SSSA Lusse Forum

Later:

Just to clarify things – the Germans have misunderstood or taken the numbers around the wrong way for  the date!  It is not Attie’s birthday today.   Thanks however  for the greetings, WW – feel sure they are appreciated.

All of our guys are airborne and on track, whilst the task for the 15m. class has been cancelled.  The sky to the west is building up and getting darker but that was where the first TP was so they will then be heading to the east of the airfield and coming back into the weather for finishing.  As I write, Laurens is about to land as he still needs to sort out some instrument problems – he isn’t getting power to one of his Ipaq’s.  Quintin and Attie are about 50 km. from home, so they should be back before too long.

There was another fire in the same field behind the airfield this morning, but this time it was a lot less severe

There has been no sign of tracking units as yet – wonder if they will work come Sunday when the contest starts in earnest. 

So think I will close for the day and go to the runway – obviously our SSSA supporters can check results off the official website:  www.wgc2008.org

 

Friday 1st August

Greetings to one and all.  The morning temperatures feeling a little cooler today, though still blue skies and sunshine.  By all accounts we will be getting the UK front coming through this afternoon bringing some rain.  The party given by the Italian, Dutch & English teams last evening was a great success with a variety of refreshments available – beer, wine, cheeses, meat balls (bitterballs as they call them), pork pies, chips and the like.  It was a great success and the noise levels were quite high!!

From the flying point of view yesterday, Laurens flew the task and appears to have been 20th for the day, with the Germans showing the way with speeds of more than 140 kph.  There are no times for Attie, so will have to enquire as to what the problem is.  He was initially not planning to do the task, but then decided to continue to do it, but he had not crossed the start line at less than 1600 m. so no points.

Today the weather is not too promising as the frontal system associated with the low over the UK is going to influence the contest area, so they are expecting showers/thunderstorms during the afternoon as well as squalls and the possible chance of some hail.

18m. class are gridded first, followed by the Open and 15m. classes.  The 18m. class have a 225 km. task, and the other two classes a 2 hr. AAT of 203 km – 340 km.   Gliders to be gridded by 11 a.m. with a first possible take off at 11.30 a.m.

We hope to get all of the pilots airborne as there are still small factors that need to be veryified – like handing in both FR’s, ensuring that both are working.

This evening (6 p.m.) we have the first official Team Managers’  meeting and today is the final Practice Day.  Tomorrow morning they are having the Official Briefing at 11 a.m. for everyone.  Then the opening ceremony in the afternoon.  No doubt we will receive more details about it this evening.

Thanks to those guys who have been putting messages on the SSSA forum and/or the official website greetings – these are being passed onto the team and are appreciated.

>>Back to SSSA Lusse Forum