8Th FAI Sailplane Grand Prix World Final

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

8Th FAI Sailplane Grand Prix World Final FAI Sailplane Grand Prix World Final Vitacura Chile 13 - 20 January 2018 A new World Sailplane Grand Prix Champion will be declared after the exciting World Final on 20 January 2018. During 2017, nine National Sailplane Grand Prix (SGP) events took place at top soaring locations around the world. The winners of these highly competitive national events will now meet in January 2018 in Santiago, Chile to compete for the coveted title of World Champion at the World SGP Final The venue. This is the 8th FAI Sailplane Grand Prix final to take place since 2005 and the second FAI/SGP final to be held at Vitacura, a spectacular setting close to the city of Santiago, Chile in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. The beautiful mountainous terrain will test the competitors with challenging flying over the Andes and excellent conditions for racing in sailplanes. Sailplane racing in such conditions favour particular skills and techniques. To achieve a podium position pilots competing in this final will have to adapt quickly to the conditions and apply the correct tactics to stand any chance of a top result. In addition to the two local pilots there are several pilots with knowledge of the region gained from participating in the previous SGP final held in 2010. The Pilots. Twenty top pilots will grid on the first race day including three previous World Sailplane Grand Prix champions, Kawa, Hauss and Galetto. Such a talented group of pilots coming together to compete for the coveted title of Sailplane Grand Prix World Champion will ensure some close and competitive racing. Of course the rest of the competitors will be pushing hard to win their first title and will ensure the winner will be a very deserving pilot. The favourites Considering previous form the favourite has to be Sebastian Kawa from Poland, (Seb as he is known to his fellow competitors) has been crowned three times SGP World Champion and has won no less than 8 World Gliding Championships. With such a remarkable past one would expect him to be way ahead of the rest of the field but his most recent two SGP World Championships have been without a win. Serious contenders for top places must be Didier Hauss from France and Mario Kiessling from Germany. Didier was the SGP World Champion in France in 2014 on his own home ground but does not have much experience of the Andes region. Mario put in a top performance in the 2010 SGP final in Chile finishing in a very impressive 3rd place. The Local pilots Of the two local pilots from Chile Carlos Rocca has the better track record but he is not flying a particularly competitive machine which must reduce his chances of a top place. Rene Vidal who flies from Vitacura is often very highly placed in local races but does not have much International experience. He is flying a very competitive Ventus 3 and his preparation and focus for this event may well bridge the experience gap and help him into a top place. The outsiders There are several participants with experience from previous SGP finals who excelled in the 2017 National SGP finals and are certainly capable of a surprise result. Boštjan Pristavec from Slovenia, Tilo Holighaus from Germany and Werner Amann from Austria are all exceptional mountain pilots with competitive gliders who could offer up a surprise or two. SGP Final debutants, Jon Gatfield from the UK, Mark Tingey from New Zealand, Tom Kelley from the USA and Klaus Kalmbach from Germany will have to learn quickly how to compete in this terrain and step up their game to stay out of the zero points club if they are to stand any chance to make it to the podium. Following the races The SGP media team will publish on the www.sgp.aero event site interviews with the pilots and highlights of each days racing as well as photos and videos of the action around Santiago during the final. The first race is on Sunday 13th January 2018. To follow live race coverage results and pilot interviews go to the event web site at http://www.sgp.aero/finals2017 For the latest news of race broadcast times, race progress and results follow us:- On Twitter at https://twitter.com/faisgp On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/faisgp Competing Pilots their countries and sailplanes can be found at http://www.sgp.aero/finals2017/results-sgp/pilots .
Recommended publications
  • 11Th European Women Gliding Championships Leszno (Polen) 1999
    11th European Women Gliding Championships Leszno (Polen) 1999 11 th European Women Gliding Championships Leszno (Polen) 1999 Is it really necessary to present Leszno? In the West of Poland, between two large towns Poznan und Wroclaw, some 300 km west of Warsaw. The airfield is ideally equipped with Parking possibilities, Camping, Club hotel, Offices etc etc No wonder Leszno was so often the organizing site of World- and European championships. We women do remember quite well the beginning of the FAI approved international women gliding competitions 1973 and 1975. In Leszno, of course. One could have logically expected, after 10 successful Women’s European gliding championships here and there in Europe to make the next one a World championship. But NO, the IGC still hadn’t taken this logical decision, so here we go for the 11 th Europeans. Leszno has often proved to be able to handle more than 100 participants and glid- ers and therefore was authorized to co-organize at the same time the 2 nd World championships of the World class. Not everybody was pleased with this simultane- ous organisation, but finally this meeting became a very friendly gathering. From 25 PW pilots from Europe and from overseas immediately both French competitors Julien Henry (son of former World champion) and Fréderic Hoyeau demonstrated their flying art, success of teamwork) but young Polish Sebastian Kawa showed all the qualities and had the absolute intention to make the competition for the medals very tough. The best glide of the glider PW 5 is 34 and we heard some of the “bigger” pilots here in Leszno whisper (because the “father” of the PW 5 Professor Piero Morelli functioned here as President of the Jury) irreverently “the PW 5 is a flying Sperm”.
    [Show full text]
  • Australia Welcomes the World to the FAI World Gliding Championships 2017
    PRESS RELEASE For immediate release Australia welcomes the world to the FAI World Gliding Championships 2017 Benalla, Australia, 6 January 2017 - The 34th FAI World Gliding Championships 2017 kicks-off in Australia on 9 January 2017, with two weeks of high profile, high calibre competition to follow. Some 116 pilots from 27 countries have converged on the small city of Benalla, Victoria to compete for the prestigious title of FAI Gliding World Champion in three separate classes. Among them are two current FAI Gliding World Champions, as well as a “raring-to-go” home nation team of highly experienced Australians. “This is the Olympics of gliding,” explained competition spokesman Sean Young. “Two reigning FAI Gliding World Champions are competing, alongside the best pilots from each country.” He added that Australia is fielding six pilots and are “confident” their home-turf advantage will see them on the podium at the end of the two-week competition. The FAI World Gliding Championships will be a test of stamina and mental fortitude as much as skill. With two weeks of competition pilots must fly at their best every day for four or five hours. With at least a dozen tasks ahead of them, pilots need to stay on top of their game for the whole competition to be in with a chance of winning. “After years of preparation, the 27 national teams are now raring to go,” Young said. “No further preparation is possible. Now they must race against each other and the elements to determine who the next FAI World Gliding Champions will be.” FAI World Gliding Championships are held every two years.
    [Show full text]
  • Feels Like Heaven Feels Like Heaven
    › SAILPLANE & GLIDING › FEATURE JUNE/JULY 20 HELLI LASCH CHALLENGE FEELS LIKE HEAVEN Katrin Senne reports from the 2020 Helli Lasch Challenge EAVEN on earth! This is how every is bringing the Oppenheimer’s ultimate glider pilot would describe the Helli ambition of “leaving the world better than we HLasch Challenge… found it” a little closer each day. Located in the Kalahari in the This prestigious gliding challenge was northwestern part of South Africa, three introduced in 2001 by Carol Clifford and the hours’ drive west of Vryburg and one hour’s Oppenheimer family as a living memorial drive south of the Botswana border, Tswalu is to Helli Lasch, Nicky Oppenheimer’s late the largest privately-owned nature reserve in father-in-law. The aim of the challenge is to South Africa, extending over 140,000 hectares. promote international gliding relations, and Tswalu is a labour of love for the South Africa as a glider destination, while Oppenheimer family, who took responsibility developing the capabilities of the South for this remarkable reserve in 1998, African gliding team. continuing the vision of the late Stephen This year was the ninth time the Boler, from Manchester in the United Oppenheimer family has invited some of Kingdom, whose dream it was to return this the best glider pilots in the world, with their previously farmed land to its natural state. partners, to this exclusive Kalahari lodge. Since then, their commitment to conservation Well-known names, such as Andy Davis, has seen indigenous species reintroduced Sebastian Kawa, Michael Sommer, Louis and real strides made towards the restoration Bouderlique and Wolfgang Janowitsch, to of the Kalahari, undoing of years of neglect.
    [Show full text]
  • Report from World Soaring Championships Trophies Manager to the IGC 2012 Plenary
    January 2012 Report from World Soaring Championships Trophies Manager to the IGC 2012 Plenary Author: Marina Vigorito The document has been updated with the names of the 2011 Champions. Unfortunately we ignore the history of the Club Class Trophy. I didn’t find anybody that remembers anything about it. I’m still working on the Team Cup for the Juniors WGC and I am very much confident that the Polish Organisers will meet my expectation. Once again, I’m very much sorry to notify that some trophies were delivered without the names of the winners engraved, despite my recommendations. It’s going to be a very frequent practice, which is far from our traditions and from the spirit of the trophies. We should consider adding in the Annex A a paragraph about this requirement. In order to avoid any misunderstanding and disappointments, I would like to make clear that the 32nd World Championship is one, held in two different locations to accommodate six classes. The World Soaring Cup will be consequently awarded in Argentina, not in Uvalde, taking into account the cumulative scores of the two events. In 2012 we will have the last World Class world championships and after the two years in the hand of the winner, I propose to retain the Trophy in the FAI head office of Lausanne, as enduring remembrance for all the people that devoted so much of their time and effort to this project. In 2014 we will have our first 20m Class world championship. The Finnish NAC has generously offered a trophy for this class, dedicated to Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • World Gliding Championships
    World Gliding Championships 回 年度 開催国 滑空場 競技クラス チャンピオン 国籍 機体 日本選手 戦績 1 1937 Germany Wasserkuppe Heini Dittmar Germany DFS São Paulo 2 1948 Switzerland Samedan Per-Axel Persson Sweden DFS 108 Weihe 3 1950 Sweden Orebro Billy Nilsson, Sweden DFS 108 Weihe Open Philip Wills UK Slingsby Sky 4 1952 Spain Madeid Two-seater Luis Juez & Ara Spain DFS Kranich Camphill Open Gerard Pierre France Breguet 901 5 1954 UK Farm Two-seater Z Rain & B Komac Yugoslavia Ikarus Kosava Open Paul MacCready USA Breguet 901 小田 勇 31 6 1956 France Saint Yan Nick Goodhart & Two-seater UK Slingsby Eagle Frank Foster Open Ernst Haase West Germany HKS-3 小田 勇 36 7 1958 Poland Leszno Standard : Adam Witek Poland SZD-22 Mucha Standard West Cologne/ Open Rodolfo Hossiger Argentina Slingsby Skylark 3 8 1960 Germany Koeln Standard Heinz Huth Federal Rep. of Germany Schleicher Ka 6 小田 勇 27 Open Edward Makula Poland SZD-19 Zefir 2 9 1963 Algentina Junin 小田 勇 30 Standard Heinz Huth West Germany Schleicher Ka 6 島森 彰 38 South Open Jan Wroblewski Poland SZD-24 Foka 4 10 1965 UK Cerney Standard Francois Henry France Siren Edelweiss Open Haro Wodl Austria Schempp-Hirth Cirrus 11 1968 Poland Leszno Standard Andrew J Smith USA Elfe S-3 藤倉 三郎 53 Marfa Open George Moffat USA Schempp-Hirth Nimbus 藤倉 三郎 38 12 1970 USA Texas Standard Helmut Reichmann West Germany Rolladen-Schneider LS 1 Open Goeran Ax Sweden Schempp-Hirth Nimbus 2 藤倉 三郎 38 13 1972 Yugoslavia Vrsac Standard Jan Wroblewski Poland SZD-43 Orion Open George Moffat USA Schempp-Hirth Nimbus 2 藤倉 三郎 27 14 1974 Australia Waikerie Standard Helmut Reichmann Federal Rep.
    [Show full text]
  • FAI Challenge Cups
    IGC – FAI Challenge Cups Author : Gisela Weinreich FAI Challenge Cups 1.1 Rules The FAI Challenge Cups are awarded to the world champions of FAI World Gliding Championships in following classes Open Class, 20 m Multi Seat Class, 18 m Class, 15 m Class, Standard Class, Club Class and 13,5 m Class Women’s Standard Class, 15 m or 18 m Class, Club Class Junior’s Standard Class , Club Class Robert-Kronfeld-Challenge Cup . The Cup will be presented to a pilot flying at the World Championships that is competed in the Open Class, 18 m Class and 20 m Multi Seat Class so far. Criteria see History of the Robert Kronfeld Challenge Cup. The FAI Challenge Team Cups will be presented to the Team Champion in FAI Women’s World Gliding Championships and Junior World Gliding Championships to the team scoring the highest number of points according to the IGC Annex A Team Cup rules. 1.1.2 Administration Since 2008 World Gliding Championships have been divided into two events within the same calendar year at different places due to 6 classes in competition. 6 World Gliding Champions will be awarded in 2 events. In the subsequent calendar year the 13,5 m class WGC, the Women’s WGC and the Junior’s WGC will take place, 6 World Gliding Champions will be awarded in this respective Calendar year so far. The FAI Challenge Cups and FAI Challenge Team Cups shall be kept by the winners until the next World Gliding Championships take place and shall be returned to the organisers of the WGC before the start of the following championships.
    [Show full text]
  • Ventus-3 15M Rocks with Derren Francis Behind the Scenes with Ventus-3M Moriarty, New Mexico with Renny Rozzoni Minimoa No
    Magazine for Pilots & Fans of Schempp-Hirth Sailplanes - June 2018 / No.2 Ventus-3 15m Rocks with Derren Francis Behind the Scenes with Ventus-3M Moriarty, New Mexico with Renny Rozzoni Minimoa No. 2 02 Ralf Holighaus 08 > Logbook: USA 12 > Behind the Scenes ERRATUM. On page 14 of Minimoa No. 1, picture from “Russia credits Sebastian Kawa” was instead from Romania credits Norbert-Alin Scarlat, sorry for this mistake. CONTRIBUTORS. Luka Znidarsic, Joachim Krauter, Wolfgang Janowitsch, Bernd Mangold, Andreas Lutz, Benjamin Neglais, Ralf Holighaus, Tilo Holighaus Editor: Ralf Holighaus [email protected] Design: Benjamin Neglais, Ralf Holighaus Pictures: Milan, Chris Wilson, Renny Rozzoni, Conny Geiger, Mike Abernathy, Aude Untersee, Erlend Sorbye, Milan Janicina, Norbert-Alin Scarlat, Conal Edwards, An - dreas Lutz, Ralf Holighaus, Benjamin Neglais Cover page: Duo-Discus Omarama New-Zealand by Milan > Ventus-3 15m rocks! 04 Editorial We live our Logo. Welcome to this second issue of Minimoa, our new Introducing innovative wing shapes and layouts when magazine for our customers and friends. they promise better performance and handling has be - come our trademark ever since. While in 1984, the Dis - The Minimoa isn’t just the centrepiece of our logo, it is cus with its swept-back leading edge may have initially deeply rooted within our genes. Minimoa stands for shocked people, pilots all over the World soon started to everything we have been striving for in the past 80+ love it. years: To create gliders with maximum performance that are also beautiful to handle and that people love to fly. The successors Duo Discus, Discus-2, Discus-2c and Arcus are all just as recognisable by their distinctive wing The Gö 3 „Minimoa“ was very innovative at its time - shapes - and are known for their beautiful flying char - and not just with it’s trademark wing shape: It also fea - acteristics and handling.
    [Show full text]
  • Rcsd-2016-07
    SoaringDigestRadio C ntrolled July 2016 Vol. 33, No. 7 July 2016 Vol. 33, No. 7 Front cover: Sverrir Gunnlaugsson's photo of one of the racers at Sloping Denmark 2016, Hanstholm, Denmark. Coverage of the event starts on page 40 of this issue. Canon EOS 70D, ISO200, 1/1600 sec., f5.6, 135mm CONTENTS Sloping Denmark 2016 Contest Eurotour 2016, FAI World Cup 2016 40 5 RC Soaring's Greatest Threat Coverage by Sverrir Gunnlaugsson, Iceland, An opinion piece by Jim Deck, former President of the event participant. League of Silent Flight. Sailplane Calc "Addendum" 56 9 8th Vintage Glider Model Meeting Curtis Suter explains the many advances incorporated This event, held in Müswangen, Switzerland, is the into his Sailplane Calc spreadsheet since it was showplace for extraordinary scale sailplane models. introduced within the pages of RCSD in April of 2008. Coverage by Vincenzo Pedrielli. The Soaring Scene #2 57 29 Wilbur Wright Aerotow "Back issue" of Rex Ashwell's newsletter, originally The second year of this event put on by the Henry published in February 2016. County Wright Flyers. Loads of scale sailplanes photographed by Stephane Ruelle. 2 R/C Soaring Digest Tom's Tips - Quick covers 81 Cushioned wing and tailplane covers made easy. 64 The Soaring Scene #4 The latest issue of Rex Ashwell's newsletter, June 2016. Tom's Tips - Bench cover addendum 85 Tom recovers his workbench. 73 SD Creations Switchblade Stephane Duponsel introduces his newest design, a Workshop Practice for building and repairing swept wing tailless for RC-HLG. wooden gliders and sailplanes 86 77 DLR tests confirm Otto Lilienthal The English translation of the German classic, as the first ancestor of all aviators Werkstattpraxis für den Bau von Gleit-und The initial results of studies presented by the German Segelflugzeugen, by Hans Jacobs and Herbert Lück, will Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und soon be available from the Vintage Sailplane Association.
    [Show full text]
  • Bulletin N°3
    36th FAI World Gliding Championships Club, Standard, 15m Classes 8th – 20th August 2021 Montluçon-Guéret, France www.wgc2021.fr Bulletin n°3 Third Information for all FAI members concerning the 36th FAI WGC 36th WGC, Montluçon-Guéret, France Bulletin N°3 Page 1 sur 9 Dear Gliding friends, Spring is coming here in France and sailing season has just begun, and we hope Covid 19 will not be an obstacle for our great competition. We remind Pilots and Team Captains that the final entries will be due on April 30, 2021. So far, we have received 112 preliminary entries from 24 countries. This number looks good for the time being, but we are sure that the registrations will increase. We are working hard with the organization of WGC 2021 in Montluçon-Guéret to be ready on time with these pandemic constraints. At the present we are preparing the airfield, and we are working on the Local Procedures to be published by April 30 or middle of May at the latest. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any question or proposal. We are looking forward to welcome you at the World Gliding Championships 2021 in Montluçon-Guéret! Kind regards, Thierry PARIS, Competition Director 36th WGC, Montluçon-Guéret, France Bulletin N°3 Page 2 sur 9 Time Schedule The time schedule is unchanged. Please, check the time schedule on www.wgc2021.fr Final entry procedure The procedure for final entries is as follows: Final entries shall be submitted not later than April 30, 2021. Entry Forms for pilots and team captains are available on the competition website https://www.wgc2021.fr/?page_id=1469
    [Show full text]
  • The 34 FAI World Gliding Championships in Australia Ends
    PRESS RELEASE For immediate release The 34th FAI World Gliding Championships in Australia ends on a high Benalla, Australia, 23 January 2017 - Hard two-week battle in Australian skies sees three new FAI Gliding World Champions win gold. Three new FAI Gliding World Champions were crowned in Australia on Sunday 22 January 2017 – bringing to a close a hard-fought two-week long competition in Australia. Russell Cheetham from Great Britain took gold in the Open Class, scraping ahead of defending FAI World Champion Michael Sommer (GER) by a mere 13 points out of a total of 6,562. Cheetham’s teammate, Andrew Davis (GBR), took home the bronze in third position. France’s Killian Walbrou took gold in the hotly contested 18 Metre Class. The class refers to the wingspan. The young pilot beat Germany’s Mario Kiessling and Great Britain’s Mike Young into silver and bronze positions respectively. And finally, gliding legend Sebastian Kawa from Poland secured yet another FAI Gliding World Championship gold medal, with a comprehensive win in the 15 Metre Class. He beat Japan’s Makoto Ishikawa and Poland’s Lukas Grabowski into second and third. Posting on social media after his win Kawa said: “Woohoo! We made it. Gold for me in 15m. I'm so happy.” Kawa now has eight FAI World Championship gold medals across different classes and is the most successful competition glider pilot in history. Open Class winner Russell Cheetham said: “It’s my first FAI World Championship medal of any colour, so I am unbelievably pleased.” Cheetham was flying alongside teammate Andrew Davis, who finished third in Open Class.
    [Show full text]
  • BGA-Newsletter-Septe
    Newsletter September 2017 Safety Positive Control Checks. A recent report that identified that a control was found disconnected is a good reminder of the need for positive control checks and highlights that the presence of safety pins in l’Hotellier connections does not mean that the connections have been correctly made and are secure. Further guidance is available on page 5 at https://members.gliding.co.uk/library/safety-briefings/is-your-glider-fit-for-flight/ Managing Flying Risk. The BGA publication ‘Managing Flying Risk’ captures much of the hard won good practice guidance that has previously appeared in other BGA publications and is a must read for all pilots at BGA clubs. The BGA office can supply hard copies and of course the publication is available on the member’s website at https://members.gliding.co.uk/library/general-safety-publications/managing-flying-risk-guidance/ Skyway Code. The CAA guide to GA rules, regulations and best practice has been updated and can be downloaded from www.caa.co.uk/skywaycode. Hard copy versions are now also available and can be purchased from AFE - http://www.afeonline.com/shop/ Airspace RT Training. There are places available on the RT course being held at London Gliding Club on the 28th October. Anyone BGA club member interested in attending should contact the course trainer at [email protected] Leeds Bradford ACP. Leeds Bradford Airport are consulting on proposed changes to airspace that will impact on gliding and other GA. Details are available at http://www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk/about-the-airport/airspace-change-proposal-consultation The consultation closes on Friday 6th October 2017.
    [Show full text]
  • WGC2017 Benalla Program Is Part of Gliding Australia, the Magazine of Design & Publishing Services the Gliding Federation of Australia Inc
    34th WORLD GLIDING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 BENALLA 8 - 22 JANUARY 2017 wgc2017.com PROGRAM COMPETITOR LISTING Nano3 - IGC Flight Recorder - 3 axis accelerometer FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE GFA - 3 axis gyroscope Dear Friends ALL GLIDER AVIONICS - 25 hour battery life - Vario As President of the Gliding Federation of Australia, I welcome you all to the skies of Benalla for the 34th World - All in one system backup Gliding Championships of 2017. I look forward to sharing our skies with pilots from around the world. We have an PowerFlarm Flarm Mouse excellent team of experienced and dedicated volunteers who have been working for months to prepare facilities and For the competitive pilot, equipment for your arrival. I am sure that you will enjoy our great Australian hospitality and welcome when you LXNav’s Flarm Mouse is arrive in Benalla, and of course our excellent soaring conditions. the sleekest IGC approved My wish is that you will fly safely and take home great memories of your time in our beautiful country. option on the market MANDY TEMPLE The Soaring Engine GFA PRESIDENT by G Dale AUSTRALIAN TEAM CAPTAIN A gliding handbook for beginners and CHAMPIONSHIP DIRECTOR seasoned pilot’s alike. When it comes to seeing With everyday On behalf of the organisers of the 2017 World Gliding Championships WELCOME TO every craft in the sky, Aeolus Sense language and clear at Benalla, I welcome all participants and their supporters to our town GLIDING CLUB OF VICTORIA PowerFlarm has no rival. The most affordable standalone diagrams, G’s 30+ and what we believe will be a great and memorable competition.
    [Show full text]