Today's final task was a 118km race to Tomingley, diverting around Parkes airspace. Thermal activity was good despite medium cloud cover. Thirty pilots made goal.
 Jon Durand Jnr Leading Australian after 5 rounds |
20th January 2001
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 Conrad Loten Day Winner |
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19th January 2001 - Day Results Round 4 - Class 1, Class 2 OfficialToday a 228 km task was set with a cross-tail wind. Getting out of the paddock was a challenge. Over 200 tows were required to get the field away. Along the course, conditions improved. Eighteen gliders made goal, and several landed within 30 km of goal. Results won't be available until all pilots return. |
18th January 2001 - Day Results Round 3 - Class 1, Class 2 OfficialEarly morning winds were strong from the east, but these lightened during the day and a task was called. Ground temperature was 34 deg C, slightly warmer than forecast. The window opened at 13:00 and by 14:30, 80 pilots were flying on course. The clouds developed nicely, but conditions fooled a few good pilots who outlanded. Previously 5th placed Tom Weissenberger and leading Australian Conrad Loten both failed to make goal. Bernd Weber in his Atos got low close to goal, but drifted 22 km past goal trying to regain altitude, before being last into goal. He was beaten by Junko Hikobe flying a Moyes XT, the only intermediate glider in the competition. Gordon Rigg was first to goal and won the day. In total, 55 pilots made goal. |
Winds today were 25 knots and strengthening from the West South West. All the competitors went out to the paddock, but by 13:30, after some strong cycles had rolled a few gliders on the ground, everyone decided that it was not going to be launchable and the day was cancelled.
Yesterday was the hottest day in 62 years in Forbes. Today was much cooler 38 deg C in the shade. Winds were from the south west. A 136 km cross wind task was set to the south east to Rye Park just west of Boorowa. The window opened at 13:15 and by 14:45, all 82 gliders were in the air. Conditions were very light to start with, but as the course moved into the higher country, altitudes of 2500 m were achieved.
The start gate was once again a 10 km radius cylinder around the tow paddock and this has proved very popular with the pilots.
17 pilots crossed the goal line with several landing less than 50 m short. The tail wind on the approach to goal changed to a strong head wind at lower altitudes and this made judging final glide very difficult.
Once again these results are provisional as 18 pilots have not yet returned to record their flights.
Temperature in the paddock 45 deg C (in the shade). Wind strength was 20 knots below 1500 m, and 30 knots above 1500 m. The gliders started setting up, but after some intense cycles, and with winds on the ground strengthening, the safety committee recommended to pull the pin on the day.
 Gerolf Heinrichs - Day 1 Winner |
 Tish The Flying Fish - Leading Australian |
Temperature in the paddock was over 40 deg C. The entire field of 82 pilots launched and were out of the paddock within 3 hours with the only reflies from pilots who had released at low altitudes. Five dragonflies and two trikes were used to aerotow the entire field.
Task was a 123 km dog leg. Most of the field made the turnpoint, but high cloud shut down the thermal activity and forced them to land on the second leg.
UPDATE: Gerolf landed 4.6 km short of goal but on the wrong side of a river. He swam across the river to make it to goal, but the goal had already packed up and he had to wait for his retrieve team. Bernd Weber made it to within 6.5 km of goal but had no radio and there was no mobile phone coverage. He made his way to Gerolf's glider (still set up) and went to sleep under it waiting for Gerolf to collect the glider. At 2 am Gerolf's team found the glider and Bernd, but had two flat tyres and they all had to spend the night in Condobolin before the tyres could be fixed.
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