Day 3 Update

Another very difficult day for the organizers to call.

18m and Open Class were launched, 15m never got off the ground. The 18m task was canceled just before their gate opened but Open Class went on task. Some of them are still flying and we are following the progress on screens in the airfield restaurant. The people from "Yellow Brick" arrived yesterday and installed some live trackers in the gliders of the top pilots. The can be viewed here:

15 meter Class:
http://gliding.adventuretracking.com/GliderCompetition/WGC2010-15m

18 meter Class:
http://gliding.adventuretracking.com/GliderCompetition/WGC2010-18m

Open Class:
http://gliding.adventuretracking.com/GliderCompetition/WGC2010-open

I am sure the organizers' rationale for sending the Open Class on task was that the majority of them have engines and can come back without landing out if they get rained down. Unfortunately Willem, our Open Class pilot, is flying a pure glider and didn't have that option. Looking at a dense line of rain showers on course and a pretty certain off field landing, Willem decided to call it a day and to return to the field. He is also flying an 18m plane in Open Class which is o.k. in strong conditions. But in conditions like today, the big Open Class ships with up to 28m wingspan and glide ratios of over 60:1 have the legs to go through large dead areas behind showers and connect again on the other side.

Maria captured the situation today in a tremendous photo - I will add it later.