Thrusday, September 12th, 2002

Everybody first waited for the strong wind to decrease as it seems that no task will be possible. DJ Fred played some music on the system brought by the Erzincan municipality. Soon the wind started to decrease as thermals were beginning.

For a change, the first turnpoint is 12 km to the west. All pilots enjoy good thermals and a cloudbase at 3200m with a beautiful view over the Erzincan region. As the next turnpoint is in the flatlands 27 km to the east, pilots have been choosing different options. Hans Bollinger, winner of the two previous tasks, went staight through the flats thinking it would work, specially over the city. But it wasn't. Alex choosed the opposite option. But visiting the high mountains proove to be slower than flying over the first hills, the choice of most pilots.

The conditions in the mountains were most of the time good and just sometimes quite strong with thermals up to 6 to 8 meters/seconds. A big gaggle joined before going to the flatlands and gained as much high as they could to cloudbase. Flatlands were not looking promising, and the convergence hoped for was not present. Anyway, Franck Brown, Christian Maurer and Gin Oh Kim, took the lead to the last turnpoint. Almost everybody got it and started a final glide in the direction of goal, 11 km away. Still there was no thermals and pilots got lower and lower. Only Masataka Kawachi (51.8), David Licini (50.5) and Norman Lausch (50.0) made the validation distance of 50 km, set with cunning precision, and landed 4 km short of goal. Behind the three leaders, not less than 36 pilots are landing inbetween 45 and 49.9 km ! The task will not count for the World Cup overall, but it is validated on 150 points for the Turkish World Cup event. Elizabeth Rauchenberger is leading the female ranking with 46.8 km in front of Petra Krausova (46.4 km) and Eliane Ueltschi (45.9 km).

Kawachi, the japanese, as he broke his lines performing aerobatics on the first day, was using a "turkish" glider borrowed from Semih Sayir the organizer !

Ze World Worst Team won the day with Kawachi first and Helmut Eichholzer in sixth position, but unfortunately it will not counts as the task is not 1000 points. This rule will probably be changed next year !

Tonight, Grego Lasek is showing his movies of Turkey and Morzine at the Internet Cafe.

 

Today's picture (shot by Scotty Marion) :

Louise Crandal (Yellow/Red Boomerang) Jean-Marc Caron (Blue/White Boomerang)

(click on any picture to download a hi-resolution version)