Success of the first U.S. Club Class contest!

[Berry[_2_]]

I just wanted to publicly express my appreciation to all those involved
in making the recent 1st U.S. Club Class race a success. Sam Giltner
deserves immense thanks for driving the club class issue and
establishing this first race. SSA deserves thanks as well for
sanctioning the race and meeting with the contestants to see what the
club class is all about. Special thanks to Ken Sorenson and John
Cochrane for giving us your time and attention.

Thanks to MGSA and all the organizers, including Pat and Hartley
Falbaum, for finding a place for Club Class while also putting on the
15M Nationals.

It was a real privilege to fly with all who showed up to race. The
narrow range of glider performance insured that this was real
competitive racing too and all the more fun because of it. The sense of
comraderie seemed heightened as well since we were all flying ships of
similar performance. It was great to have Andy McQuigg in the air,
racing again (as opposed to flogging us as CD). Huge congratulations to
the winner: Ryszard Krolikowski. It is especially fitting that Ryszard
won in a Jantar Standard since that is a quintessential club class ship
(nominal handicap of 1.00).

We need to do this again REAL SOON!


WB

[[email protected]]

On May 18, 10:20*am, Berry > wrote:
> I just wanted to publicly express my appreciation to all those involved
> in making the recent 1st U.S. Club Class race a success. Sam Giltner
> deserves immense thanks for driving the club class issue and
> establishing this first race. SSA deserves thanks as well for
> sanctioning the race and meeting with the contestants to see what the
> club class is all about. Special thanks to Ken Sorenson and John
> Cochrane for giving us your time and attention.
>
> Thanks to MGSA and all the organizers, including Pat and Hartley
> Falbaum, for finding a place for Club Class while also putting on the
> 15M Nationals.
>
> It was a real privilege to fly with all who showed up to race. The
> narrow range of glider performance insured that this was real
> competitive racing too and all the more fun because of it. The sense of
> comraderie seemed heightened as well since we were all flying ships of
> similar performance. It was great to have Andy McQuigg in the air,
> racing again (as opposed to flogging us as CD). Huge congratulations to
> the winner: Ryszard Krolikowski. It is especially fitting that Ryszard
> won in a Jantar Standard since that is a quintessential club class ship
> (nominal handicap of 1.00).
>
> We need to do this again REAL SOON!
>
> WB

I second all that (it was really disappointing to have to leave
early). There
is definitely a real interest in the class in the US. It makes for
much
tighter competition. I heard one potential contest manager express
an interest in hosting a contest, but we need to expand beyond
region 5. There's lots of pilots from the Northeast and Midwest
that would love to come to something closer to home, and I'd
be willing to travel. I'd hope for a contest out west, too, but
lately they seem to have a hard time getting people out for ANY
contest (except for Parowan).

Flying Assigned Tasks was really a blast --
I tried to snap a picture of a gaggle I was approaching
on course Wednesday, but it didn't come out. Still, it was really
great coming up to gaggles of 5 or 7 gliders (out of a field of 17) on
course.
I had company the entire way around the course.

-- Matt

[AK]

On May 18, 10:20*am, Berry > wrote:
> I just wanted to publicly express my appreciation to all those involved
> in making the recent 1st U.S. Club Class race a success. Sam Giltner
> deserves immense thanks for driving the club class issue and
> establishing this first race. SSA deserves thanks as well for
> sanctioning the race and meeting with the contestants to see what the
> club class is all about. Special thanks to Ken Sorenson and John
> Cochrane for giving us your time and attention.
>
> Thanks to MGSA and all the organizers, including Pat and Hartley
> Falbaum, for finding a place for Club Class while also putting on the
> 15M Nationals.
>
> It was a real privilege to fly with all who showed up to race. The
> narrow range of glider performance insured that this was real
> competitive racing too and all the more fun because of it. The sense of
> comraderie seemed heightened as well since we were all flying ships of
> similar performance. It was great to have Andy McQuigg in the air,
> racing again (as opposed to flogging us as CD). Huge congratulations to
> the winner: Ryszard Krolikowski. It is especially fitting that Ryszard
> won in a Jantar Standard since that is a quintessential club class ship
> (nominal handicap of 1.00).
>
> We need to do this again REAL SOON!
>
> WB

I traveled quite a bit for this contest and I have to say I was not
disappointed at all. The contest was very well organized and flying
only AST and AAT (with small turn areas) tasks was a lot of fun. We
definitely celebrated NO MAT tasks. Flying gliders with close
performance range assured we could see some other gliders on a task.

This contest was a lot of fun, the question remains what happens next
with the Club Class in the U.S. It would be nice to have another
contest somewhere in the North so other people could experience the
fun without driving 23 hours one way.

AK