The first gliders back were three Australians in Standard Class – Lisa Trotter, Claire Scutter and Cath Conway – who arrived in a line together with Sarah Arnold from the USA. Lisa said that they had all left ahead of the rest of the field. ‘The first 70km was really hard and we only did 50 kph,’ she said. ‘But at the southern turnpoint, we reached the convergence line and went up to 14,000ft. On the way north, our speed was up to 125 kph. We had cloud pretty much all the way around. But when we reached the last CU, we just had final glide and went home. I don’t think there was much lift after that.’
The task for Standard Class was 459.26 km. The three Aussies achieved 124.02 kph to 124.13 kph and took joint 7th and 9th places, but they were beaten by Australian-based Akemi Ichikawa, Japan, who came in 6th at 124.39 kph. Serena Triebel from Germany and Anna Piotrowska from Poland took 5th and 4th positions, while two teammates from France, the reigning world champion Aude Grangeray and Aude Untersee, finished 3rd and 1st with Cornelia Schaich from Germany taking 2nd. Aude finished the course at 131.48 kph.
After two days of competition, Sarah Arnold, who took 10th position on the day, is leader of Standard Class, 124 points ahead of German Cornelia Schaich in 2nd place. Anna Piotrowska is in 3rd place followed closely by Australians Lisa Trotter and Cath Conway.
In Club Class, Jenny Ganderton built on her day win yesterday coming in 3rd in her Mosquito, finishing the 381.64 km task at 91.74 kph, Fellow Australian Jo Davis finished second, securing 955 points behind Celine Rault from France who took top position at 92.29 kph. Overall, Jo and Jenny have the two top spots in Club Class with Celine in 3rd position.
The 18m Class was won by previous World Champion Anne Decarouge from France. She flew her JS3 over the 465.07km course at 122.24 kph. She was followed by teammate Melanie Gadoulet and Marguerita Acquademi from Italy. Now holding the two top spots after two days, the French team were ‘en forme’ tonight at the outside bar in front of the Lake Keepit club house.
They, like everyone here, seem to be enjoying the conditions and competition at this very friendly gliding club. Lake Keepit is a magnificent site to fly from with plains hills and mountains making for very interesting flying conditions. Visitors and Aussies alike love to fly the big soaring days of the vast eastern Australian wheat belt. But at Lake Keepit with its varied landscapes and tricky weather patterns, this is flying ‘with hot sauce’.
As the evening progressed the sea breeze blew in bringing coastal clouds and a south easterly smoke filled flow. Bear in mind we are 200km from the coast. Task setter Bruce Taylor was confident that tomorrow the north westerly influence would push the smoke southwards again and Monday 6 January would be another great soaring day.
At briefing Bruce described the airmass we have as ‘old and tired’. This season with the overwhelming smoke produced by the bushfire crisis I have for the first time appreciated the reality that the airmass does not always just blow away eastwards to be followed by the next parcel of air. Time and again, we have had the smoke blow over us, this way and that, always returning on the incoming tide of air from the direction to which it had blown. Thankfully, so far at Lake Keepit the smoke haze has not been serious during this contest.
WINNERS DAY ONE
Lisa Turner and Alena Netusilova joint first place and Elizabeth Sparrow in third position in Standard Class Day One
Jenny Ganderton on the first place podium and Jo Davis in third position in Club Class Day One
Sarah Arnold USA, Lisa Trotter Australia and Aude Grangeray France on the podium in Standard Class Day One
Sean Young
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Results will be posted daily at soaringspot.com and wwgc2019.com
