31st WGC - Reflections

These were the largest World Gliding Championships ever, in terms of participants. We had one terrible accident early in the game when an Australian competitor hit a truck on final glide, just before crossing the airport fence. Luckily the pilot was unhurt but the truck driver sustained terrible injuries when the wing sliced through the cab of the truck. From what we have heard he will never be able to work in his profession again. He is in his early thirties with a young family for which his income was the only support. Through OSTIV we have started a collection with the goal to help the family over the rough stuff until the insurance money kicks in.

For Canadians this tragic accident brings back painful memories. In the seventies Wolf Mix was killed at the World Championships in Yugoslavia, not all that far from Szeged, when he collided with a truck.

With over 140 gliders milling around in hazy conditions, weak thermals and cloud bases under 3000 ft, we were lucky not to have any mid-air collisions. This is probably largely due to the fact that most planes were equipped the FLARM collision warning system.

How many gliders do you count in the gaggle?

Oops - a little close. The rule of thumb is, if you can read the other guy's instruments, you are too close.

Photos by Maria Szemplinska

See you all back in Canada!

Awards Ceremony

Today we had the awards ceremony which was nice but didn't compare to the one in Luesse. For one, the winners on the podium were backlit in the hangar which made it next to impossible to take photos of them.

In each class they called pilots from 15th place individually to the front to receive a prize. As the numbers counted down, the applause became stronger. Jerzy with his 4th place received a huge applause which filled us all with pride. I have been told that the last time a Canadian achieved 4th place in a worlds was Wolf Mix in Marfa, TX in 1970. We definitely made history here. I strongly believe, with a bigger team, intense training in team flying and and sufficient financial support, Canada could have a world champion. The German team was so large, they needed to schedule an evening specifically for introductions.
Italy wins 1st and 3rd place in 15m

Poland takes 1st and 3rd place in 18m, South Africa gets Silver. Poland also won the Team Cup and leads the international ranking list.

Michael Sommer of Germay becomes World Champion in Open Class for the third time. Britain takes Silver and a two seater team from Belgium take Bronze.

After the ceremony we said our good-byes which is always a sad moment. Over the last three weeks we have spent most of our waking hours together, have sweated it out in the heat together, have explored back country lanes in Hungary and Serbia together to find our pilots and braved the mosquitoes while de-rigging gliders in fields. In all of this we have develped deep bonds and have become a tighly knit group. Then the end of the contest arrives and the group splits up and heads off in different directions.

For me it was a very rewarding experience to work with this wonderful group of people. I am always being asked "don't you miss flying, when you are out there around gliders every day?" Well, it was so exciting, I didn't miss flying for a moment.

I want to take this opportuntity to thank George Eckschmiedt from VSA who came on his own accord and expense to help us. George is not the youngest anymore and the heat clearly took its toll on him. But he was always there when we needed him, helping with translations, going on retrieves, finding local radio experts when we needed them and chauffeuring me around - thanks George!

Thanks also to the Burnay family who showed up just when we needed help the most because all of our pilots were in fields.

Off to the Closing Party

With the day canceled due to thunderstorms, we had almost enough time this morning to work on putting the glider back into the condition in which we received it.  After the rain stopped we went back to the airport and finished the job.  Papa Sierra is now packed away in its trailer and ready to roll after the closing ceremony tomorrow.

Tonight we are off to the closing party where we will have one last opportunity to socialize with our new friends and commiserate over lost opportunities during the contest.

With an overall result of 34/49 in the contest, I am not at all happy about my performance. I had some good days, but more bad days then I care to have in any one contest.  The weather was challenging, the tasks were challenging and fortunately the fields were big and flat!


Jerzy flew exceptionally well in the contest and I am very proud of his accomplishment.  He flew as an individual pilot, without the assistance of a team mate or wingman and was very close to beating those who flew with the added assistance - that says something!

Day canceled - it's over! Congratulations Jerzy - XG!

At 11:00 the day was canceled for all classes. After 8 competition days for Open Class and 7 competition days for 18m and 15m Class, the 31st World Gliding Championships for 15m/18m/Open Classes are over!Assuming there are no adjustments due to protests, yesterdays' results will be the final results.
After landing 27km short yesterday, Jerzy places 4th overall,well ahead of the defending 18m champion, Olivier Darroze who came 13th and a mere 11 points behind third.11 points difference is the equivalent of 54 seconds or two circles over a 300 km task on one of the seven days.

Landing in the Puszta: After hanging on to weak thermals longer than most, Jerzy makes it far enough to secure 3rd place for the day, which moved him up to 4th place overall - his final place in the 31st Worlds

Although it is a bit disappointing that Jerzy missed the podium literally by a hair, for a Canadian to place 4th in the World Championships in a class with over 50 competitors, each of them being the best in his country, is an amazing success. Maybe the history experts and record keepers can tell us by way of comment if and when a Canadian ever placed better in World Championships - according to my recollection certainly not in the last 30 years.When I took on the job as Team Manager, I did this with the goal to see a Canadian placing in the first ten in any class. It feels good and I am ecstatic to see that one of our pilots did in fact much better.The winners in 18m Class are:1st Place: Zbigniew Niradka, Poland
2nd Place: Uys Jonkers, South Africa
3rd Place: Karol Staryszak, Poland
15m Class:1st Place: Stefano Ghiorzo, Italy2nd Place: Leigh Wells, UK
3rd Place: Thomas Gostner, Italy
After after an unlucky outlanding early on, Dave didn't have a good contest and places 34th. He is ahead of a former German Champion.
Open Class:1st Place: Michael Sommer, Germany - defending champion from Luesse
2nd Place: Steve Jones, UK3rd Place: Pierre de Broqueville, Belgium
Willem didn't feel well early in the contest and gave up on some tasks. He never recovered from the point loss.

After the cancellation was announced, gliders were prepared for travel and started to disappear into trailers. Everyone was relieved but it was bittersweet as we took down the Canadian Flag and the "Canada Base" antenna. The end of a contest, once the winners have been announced, is always very anticlimactic.


P.S. Just posted Maria's pix from the International Night a few days ago - have a look!

Friday, Day 13 - Open Class Day 9, 15m&18m Class Day 8

Good Morning Canada

The preliminary scoring for yesterday is now completed. As some of the late scores came in, Jerzy slipped from 3rd overall to 4th. However, he is only 11 points away from 3rd and the podium.

Today it is incredibly hot and humid. Bad weather with thunderstorm and hail warnings is on our doorstep to the west. Nevertheless they set tasks for all classes with a grid time of 11:15 and first take off at 11:30.