MONDAY - DAY WUN

From a rainy day at the 10am briefing, and Lemmy forecasting a clearance while TV weather was putting out heavy rain forecasts, all went well.  So well in fact that the day was devalued for all classes as first gliders home completed the task in just under 2 hours.

A rebrief at 1pm gave a go/nogo time of 2:30 as the weather slowly improved. At 2:20 we started to grid with first launch at 15:40 . Our Australian friend was bemused. Where he flys in Queensland the "rule" is you better be on final glide at 4pm as the lift shuts down about then.  He reports a slow day for him  but now the "monkey" is off his back. ie his worries have dissipated and he can settle down to do some racing!!

The father and son battle (Gavin QQ verses George XG) proved age and experience beats youth and enthusiasm (well today anyway). 

WIth our Japanese friend broadcasting opps normals on the wrong frequency, we needed to have a friendly chat with Search and Rescue mission control after we hadn't heard from him in two hours.  Then we had a report from a non competition glider sighting him flying "on task". I think the local  SAR team will have a yen for a donation:-)  Actually  the donation bucket will be well used in the morning.

Interesting problem with the semantics of the english language. JN reports probably landing at Morven Hills.  Nothing more heard. We usually get a landed message relayed. Morven hills is in a dead spot for transmissions from Omarama as well as being a no cellphone coverage area. No phone calls from the residence as house is locked up(we tried phoning from Omarama) . I ask if would hitchhike back to base. I am advised no,  "he should be getting an aero tow".  An aero retrieve is organised. As towplane goes out of radio coverage, yep you guessed it..Pilot arrives having hitch hicked back.  Yet to talk to the towpilot who has just landed 30 minutes before dark having been away nearly 90 minutes.
So "probably" changed to "will" in the speakers mind.

Ah the joy of being the Fat Controller(oops I mean dedicated contest director)

and now to dinner(9:18pm)