Press Release 6 Jan 1999
Press Release 6 Jan 1999For the final task 48 of the pilots made the goal, including Matt Worth in an intermediate glider. The change in rules that occurs on the final day of any competition (no cameras or start gates), meant a different strategy in the tow paddock. Tomas and Oleg were both towing up behind different dragonflies. Tomas wanted a later start time, so released and flew back for another tow. Oleg was quick to follow and got back to the paddock first. They then both towed up at the same time. The tug drivers attempted to avoid another confrontation by towing Oleg and Tomas to opposite ends of the paddock. Tomas released first but still Oleg managed to get into goal thirteen seconds earlier, giving him the final trophy, but at a cost of $15 for that extra tow.
The day was won by the Aussies however, with Joel Rebbechi from Sydney winning the day for the second time this competition. He had the fast time of 54.6 km/h. Rohan Holtkamp from Beaufort, Victoria came in second, also faster than 50 km/h. By comparison, Joel's father Brian Rebbechi of Melbourne, who learnt to fly at the same time as Joel, completed the course with a respectable, if not competitive, speed of 20.2 km/h.
During the week, photos have been taken by pilots and these are displayed
on our photo gallery page.
| Results
Total Scores after Day 8 Women's Results Racer Class Results
Day 1 Score - Official
|
Winner - Oleg Bondarchuk (Ukraine) |
 |
 |
 |
Tomas Suchanek won the day in just over two hours, with an average speed over 64 km/h putting him in second position overall. Oleg Bondarchuk came in second with a speed also over 64 km/h, and retaining his overall lead in the competition. Third place went to the top placed Australian, Rohan Holtkamp, with a speed only 1 km/h slower than Tomas Suchanek. Joel Rebbechi maintained his overall fourth position with a fourth place finish today.
Goal was a happy place for 24 competitors today, who were all pleased to achieve a 150+ km flight. Tomorrow will be the last flying day, and plans are for another straight line task.
Today Tove Heaney from Canberra was unlucky enough to land after 138 km and although she missed the goal by less than 5 km she was ineligible for the record. However, Tascha McLelland from New Zealand did manage to complete the task after more than five and a half hours of flying. This will give Tascha the new World Distance Record for an Out and Return Declared Task in the Feminine Category.
Today's task was very challenging, and several pilots spent more than seven hours flying trying to make goal. Australian Joel Rebbechi won the day, scoring a rare maximum possible score of 1000 points. This can only be achieved by scoring the trifecta of first to start, first to finish and fastest on the day. The first five pilots all finished the three and three quarter hour race with less than 55 seconds between first and fifth, indicating the closeness of this competition. Overall the first four places remain unchanged.
One of the astute readers, Michael "Hollywood" Champlin, has written in to say we may be operating off old requirements for the start of world records, being 3,000 feet agl as stated on our copy of the FAI World Record Claim form. We are frantically researching our documentation for evidence that this has been changed. The FAI Section 7 manual certainly makes reference to a height requirement of 2% of the total task distance, or 6,560 feet agl for a 100 km task.
In the Feminine Category, no record had yet been set, so Tove Heaney from Canberra broke the Australian and World Records for her flight today, completing the course with a speed of 27.59 km/h.
In the overall scores, first place is now held by Oleg Bondarchuk of Ukraine. Previous leader, Gerolf Heinrichs, had planned to start the day early, but zipper problems on his undersurface forced him to fly back to the tow paddock to fix the problem and then launch again. He only lost 30 minutes doing this, but it meant he was no longer flying in the optimum time of the day. Oleg needed to beat Gerolf, and his match racing tactics paid off, only coming fourth on the day but taking over the overall lead.
Further to yesterday's news on World Record attempts for average speed around a 100 km triangle, it looks like Rohan Holtkamp and Tove Heaney have failed to satisfy all the stringent criteria involved in claiming a world record including taking a start photo from under 3,000 feet agl. However Tascha McLelland from New Zealand has recalculated her speed using a start time to the nearest minute from when her altitude was below 3,000 feet, and this gives a speed of 30.9 km/h. Hence Tish the Flying Fish will be eligible for both the Feminine Category and General Category World Records after FAI Official Observers have checked all her datalogging equipment for proper calibration and operation.
Meanwhile, Tomas Suchanek, who also flew the course with the required
FAI Record equipment and declarations, although later than Tascha, will
be claiming a record of about 35 km/h. If they are both successful
then Tascha will be awarded, and then lose her General Category record
after only 1 hour and 13 minutes. However, she will retain the Feminine
Category record.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For these pilots to claim the world records they will need to prove to the FAI observers a starting altitude of less than 3,000 feet agl and have the dataloggers analysed from their flight. We wish them all the best!
In this flat country, gliders are launched by towing up behind cars
or ultralight aircraft. They achieve altitudes of up to 2,000 feet on the
tow line, and after catching thermals can climb to altitudes of 10,000
feet ASL. After launch they will race a course of up to 160 km to a nominated
goal paddock. The goal paddock is announced at 12:30 pm and flying will
commence from 13:00 pm onwards. The public are welcome to watch the launching
action at Mahlo's Paddock, on the Gordon Duff Road, off the Henry Lawson
Way 10 km south of Forbes. The public are also welcome to visit the goal
line to watch the top pilots arrive.
This page provided by the Canungra Hang Gliding Club
This page maintained by: D Tim Cummings