TERVETULOA!!!!

11.30 AM on Sunday June 21 2009;

Hello to everybody in the world and welcome in the Ritz Corner, this time from Rayskala in Finland. I will be your editor for the 6th Junior World Gliding Championships and I will try to inform you about whatever is interesting for you about this competition, so all family and friends from the pilots, crews and tc's and all who are interested, will be updated as much and quick as possible, about what's going on here.

Today is an unofficial practise day, the one and only and the normal Rayskala procedures will be used. Tomorrow the 3 official practise days will start. On Thursday the 24th the "real thing" will happen!!

Briefing was at 10 AM and though they set no task, pilots can fly between 11 AM and 6 PM.
Runway 26 left is in use and SUPER meteo-man Heikki "promised" nice weather for today, though showers will be part of it later in the day.
There will be no grid and no finish line, but...pilots have to send by email, or bring by memory stick today's flight to the office.

Safety issues were introduced by Silva, the competition director and domestic rules by Mari, the deputy director and the "boss" of this airfield.

Registration has started, as well as the technical inspection from the gliders.
While writing this , the gliders are launched as I hear the "noise" of the engines from the tugs.
I am sitting in a container with the members of the jury and stewards and cannot see the field from here, but I do see lots of activities and nice clouds.

As the weather was not too good over the last 2 days, all pilots are eager to go!!! I heard after my arrival here yesterday evening, that the early visitors here at Rayskala airport had some very cold days and nights and with a friendly sun this morning all faces were sunny too. But...the pilots also had a few great days with long distance flights and what's more....the weather for the next couple of days looks promising

Will we have a repetition of 2005, when the EGC here in Rayskala started with a 1000 km task for open class on day 1. We had rain and cold days with arrival and when the competition started it was just super -weather.

I will go out to the field now to check what's going on, as that's the place where it all happens. See you later!

2 .30 PM;

Did you notice the tracking system is up and working? Please click on Google earth or Google map and you can see where some of the JWGC pilots are. Every day some pilots will have the "box" in their glider.

At 1.15 we had ONE big dark cloud over the field and for a short while we had a shower with big drops of rain, while pilots were still starting.

Launching procedures are smooth and even today , on this unofficial practise day , there were enough tugs to be in the air quickly.With 82 pilots from 21 different countries it is great to see this is working very well.

Of course not all pilots have started straight away at 11. I saw several still fiddling around with their glider and start a bit later.Some do the inspection first to get it over with.

The camping site is pretty crowdy and full of flags showing which part/territory is from what country. I noticed the Dutch team is not a little town, but a BIG city, full of orange and red, white and blue flags, the team- tent being the heart of this centre.You cannot go wrong if you need the Dutch team!!
In my hotel, where it is nice warm , even floor heating in the bathroom, I met this morning the crew/TC from the Australian team and had a little word with them.My neighbours on one site , are from Germany.

Marina Vigorito Galetto, one of the stewards and Patrick Pauwels , one of the members from the jury have been presented this morning as FAI official. The president of the jury Tor Johannessen will arrive today and Axel Reich ,chief steward and Lasse Virtanen ,[jury] on Tuesday.

Will be back later!
 

6 PM;

Today was a very nice flying day. I just spoke with a young Canadian ,Chris Cough, who got lost finding the scores and found only me in the yellow container. I helped him to find the way and even in his hurry to bring his flight-recorder-file, he said with a huge smile on his face:"Today was a great day".
He flew in his LS 4 a distance of 314 km. with a speed of 83 km/h.

And indeed the skies looked absolutely fantastic. So I went out to find more news. The Australian team [2 pilots] was back and in the trailer at 5. That is...Andrew was back and had a good day, but as I heard he is someone who always wants to go faster, so not too easy for himself.

Nathan went to Helsinki to pick up his parents who arrived today.But..he went for a flight just before 5, so he has one hour left to fly ...if it not rains!!!

The Australian TC rushed to the cafe at 5 as he expected that rain and he was correct , he made it in time , as just after 5 it rained, just a shower, but the temperature dropped quickly.
Several pilots and their crew had to de-rig in the rain.

The Dutch team had a real practise day. The standard class boys, Patrick, Andy and Peter were not too enthusiastic with the by themselves set AAT, as they were back too early, expecting the forecasted rain. Anyway they flew over 300 km.

But don't they say; A bad rehearsal gives a good competition!
Results will be there later. So have a look at them.

At 8 the Finnish evening/Welcome Party hosted by the organization will be in hangar 1, so more time to meet new young pilots and their crew.
I heard a lot have met already on the boat travelling to Finland and new friendships have started and that's what this competition is all about!!!!Skills , friendship and young talent which keeps gliding going in the future!!

I try to start before the briefing with a "round-up" of the day before, then the news from the briefing and some updates during the day with the finishes and if possible some results to close the day. All results will be every day on the task and results site.
CU tomorrow!

Ritz