Daily Reports from the World Sailplane Grand Prix!

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Gidday Everybody:

Team EY - now team TM for the Grand prix - is on the ground and ready
to get racing in New Zealand. Unfortunately, we are all waiting on
weather. Today (Monday Dec 17), the first practice day has been
cancelled without anyone even gridding up.

We have 18 of the best pilots in the world (17 if you count me...) on-
site now. All the gliders are prepped and the broadcast operation is
almost set to begin the live internet broadcasts. You can feel the
anticpation in the air. Its definitely time to get racing!

Watch my blog reports for all the latest news and an American's unique
spin on this new type of sailplane racing here in Omarama at www.echoyankee.com

Thanks go out to our new lead sponsor Southern Soaring here in
Omarama. This operation is truly first class operation, in gliding
heaven, and in a english speaking country. EchoYankee is proud to be
hosted by this operation during my time in New Zealand. Give them a
look and come on down for a moluntain soaring course - you won't
regret it.

Thanks for everyone's support, Tim McAllister "EY"

P.S. Please tell your gliding friends and your non-gliding friends who
are interested in the crazy sport you do about my blog. Everyone
should look forward to a view of our racing sport that has never been
seen before.

[Mike the Strike]

I second everything Tim has said. I dropped in to Omarama for a
couple of days last week and couldn't have met a friendlier bunch. I
even got a flight in what might have been the only two-hour soarable
window in the last week. The site really is as spectacular as
everyone says it is and the soaring can be challenging.

Tim is being modest and is one of the best qualified from the USA to
fly in these mountain conditions, but he does have some stiff
competition.

New Zealand weather is a new one for me, but it looks as if the
present bunch of moisture should clear to give them a few days
racing. I'll be checking the Internet as well as looking for any
local TV coverage and I encourage everyone else to follow along.

Mike

[Philip Plane]

Mike the Strike wrote:

> I second everything Tim has said. I dropped in to Omarama for a
> couple of days last week and couldn't have met a friendlier bunch. I
> even got a flight in what might have been the only two-hour soarable
> window in the last week. The site really is as spectacular as
> everyone says it is and the soaring can be challenging.

It's looking particularly challenging at the moment. Second practise day
and the ground is wet and the cloud is barely above the trees.

The forecast is cheerful though. It's supposed to clear and turn
into a nice thermal day.

> Tim is being modest and is one of the best qualified from the USA to
> fly in these mountain conditions, but he does have some stiff
> competition.

Yeah, Sebastian in the Diana looks like a good bet to win. He's flown
here before and done well. The Diana has a healthy performance advantage
over the other 15m gliders. Although the retrieve performance will
be interesting. They tried out a few trailers yesterday, and will
need two trailers if they have to get a road retrieve. I suspect
the Diana won't be getting any aerotow retrieves out of narrow
rough strips. Sebastian will just have to keep it aloft and fly it home.

He did a good job of that a couple of days ago when Ben Flewett went
towards the West Coast with Sebastion. Ben ended up on the main road
near Haast Pass and Sebastion flew home.

> New Zealand weather is a new one for me, but it looks as if the
> present bunch of moisture should clear to give them a few days
> racing. I'll be checking the Internet as well as looking for any
> local TV coverage and I encourage everyone else to follow along.

It'll be interesting to see what they manage to get on the Internet.
The Animation Research guys have been drilling holes in gliders and
putting in tracking systems. They should get their first full test
today.

--
Philip Plane _____
|
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Glider pilots have no visible means of support

[Mike the Strike]

Today, the weather on the South Island is improving, with a dry
southerly flow of cooler air. Here on the southern coast we had a lot
of rain overnight, but I expect it was drier in Omarama in the rain
shadow of the mountains. High pressure is building and we are
expecting a run of a few nicer days that should bring better soaring
weather to the interior.

Here in Dunedin we had a nice little earthquake last night (4.2).
Just enough to shake the house and get the windows rattling. A little
reminder that New Zealand is seismically active.

Mike