Thursday 13 December 2012

Eastern Regionals 2013

The Eastern Regionals will be held at Tibenham from 25th May to 2nd June 2013. The entry form is now available on the competition website, and a discount is available to all pilots who sign up before 1st January.

Sunday 10 June 2012

Comp is now closed

Prize giving is over and the comp is closed. The Director and comp team would like to thank all the competitors for a safe and enjoyable week. After all it is the competitors that make the competition a success. Safe journey home to all.

Sponsors

We would like thank our sponsors for the week, Wild & Co, Tribal Riders and Argents.

Prize Giving

Prize giving is at 1800.

Prize Giving

Prize giving is at 1800.

Overalls


so overall:

Eastern Regionals Champion
768 Will Ellis 1712 pts
2nd GT Gywn Thomas 1691 pts
3rd AC Steve Codd 1607 pts.

we have results

on the day:
1st GT Gywn Thomas  71.4kph
2nd AC Steve Codd 67.4kph
3rd LS7 Dave Monroe 67.1kph

all accounted for

2W has land out just down the road at Attleborough so all are now accounted for.

overall lead

GT is in the overall lead but we are still waiting for 768's logger to see the final positions

loggers

loggers are being downloaded. it will be close on final scores we reckon

loggers

loggers are being downloaded

leader finishes

768 the overall leader going into today has just finished

2 left

2W and 768

another land back

403 has landed back non comp

more landouts

only 3 left racing now, 768,2W and 403

more landouts

only 3 left racing now, 768,2W and 403

LB

we have a few land backs. only 7 gliders still on task and racing

another

EKA finishes

finishers

GT, AC, 20 LS7

they are away

first glider rolling...........

start times


CPM   and 20 11:16
EKA, JNR, CJ, LS7 and AC at 11:17
EF and 999 at 11:18
then T5, 480, 2W, GW all go together at 11:22
768 (the current leader in the comp) at 11:31
AV8 just before him at 11:30
08 at 11:34
and then GT and W27 at 11:42

apologies

apologies a few technical hitches but we are back now

start height

Max start height 4500ft gate opens at 1113

they are away

first glider rolling...........

Sniffer reports

Sniffer has reported good climbs and has been stood down.

Sniffer

Sniffer launched 5mins ago. Reports soon

Tasks

Briefing is finished.
1st Launch scheduled for 1015
Task A  TIB-PIC-CRL-WEN-DIS-TSF  211.4km
There are also fall back tasks but we don't think we will need them.

Briefing

Briefing in 5mins

Briefing

Briefing in 5mins

weather

Weather is looking good already on track and into the task area. Lets go racing....

todays sponsors

Many thanks to our sponsors for today who are Argents Chartered Accountants of Norwich.

small cu

we have small cu just appearing. Gliders are being rigged and towed to the grid

Competitors

Grid before briefing briefing at 0930

Morning All

The sun is out and the sky is blue. The grid cones are on the runway. All will be decided with todays flying.

Saturday 9 June 2012

Briefing Tomorrow

Tomorrows briefing is at 0930. There will be an early announcement as to whether the competitors should be gridded before briefing or not.

Scrubbed

We have scrubbed. Unfortunately the wind is just not dying down enough for the convection that we have.

Task

Briefing is done and there is a task.
TIB-HTN-BSE-DIS-TSF  85km
A decision on to rig and grid or not will be made at 1400 dependent on the wind.

Sky

The sky is brightening up briefing is in 25 mins

Re-brief

there is a re-brief at 1300. We are waiting to see if the winds decrease as forecast.

Briefing

Briefing at 1000

Morning All

Morning everyone. There are no retrieves from the downwind hedge of tattered tents. Even the most sorry looking tent yesterday has survived the night.We are watching the satpics and wind closely. We update you all when we have news

Friday 8 June 2012

Thank goodness for iPads

People are watching films on iPads and playing cards in the club house. A few brave souls venture out with mutterings of  'I am going for a walk, I maybe some time'. Cars are parked blocking the wind from destroying people tents. What can we say the British weather has such a sense of humour........

out the window

The view out of the window is depressingly wet and windy. Many people are looking at traces from the OLC and dreaming of better weather.

weather

Scrubbed and everyone is just waiting for the low to go through with the hope that better weather is behind. We are hoping that the wind will reduce enough for tomorrow to give a window for a task.

Morning

Morning everyone. Briefing at 1000. As you will already know there are no task sheets on the tables. All the competitors gliders are safely in the boxes and copious amounts of tea and coffee are being consumed.

Thursday 7 June 2012

Its a wrap

well everyone seems to be just chilling out and doing all those admin tasks that always need doing. We will be back tomorrow morning, see you here.

A race

we have a race....the yellow digger and blue tractor have been spotted racing down the runway. Unfortunately we doubt either will pass Y....

Scrubbed

As you will all have guessed the day was scrubbed at briefing. Next briefing at 1000 tomorrow. I f anything exciting happens during the day we will let you know.

Briefing

Briefing in ten minutes

Day prizes

Day Prizes will be awarded at briefing for yesterdays top three. They have been kindly donated by our Day Sponsor Tribal Riders Snowboard and Surf shop of Norwich.

A Day

We have scored all the loggers and yes we have a scoring day for yesterday.  More news when we have it

bye the way

Morning by the way. Hope we are managing to keep you all updated via this blog and our Twitter feed. Any news we have we will pass to you all ASAP

weather

mmmmmm not a nice satpic today

Wednesday 6 June 2012

latest

still waiting for GT's logger but we think we may have a day.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow......Briefing at 1000

waiting

We are waiting on 3 loggers. The most important one is GT. Did he make it past Y or not ?

latest

No competitors still flying. It all depends on the loggers now......

loggers

loggers are starting to come in. Y is the question on everyone lips......

more L/Os

more land outs unfortunately

tactics

LS7 has just taken a competition launch. Is this tactics ? who knows ? But it looks like he has started a trend as another comp pilot launches

news

it looks like Six Mile Bottom TP was showered out. So the question is has anyone passed Y. Will keep you updated.

landouts

5 landouts, but no other news apart from that

sky

sky is looking nice over the club. Cloud base has raised significantly. Lots of sunshine and no sign of showers near Tibenham. Hopefully the task area is doing the same.

Quiet

no more start calls, the radio is quiet, 15 starters so far

2 more

CJ - 1317
403 - 22

leader away

768 and 08 at 1315
GT - 16
AV8 - 18

more

999, 20,EKA all at - 1314
T5 - 1256

starts

EF - 1256
CPM - 57
GW - 58
AC - 58
N56 and JNR - 1300

Time

Start gate opens at 1255 max start height 4000 ft

grid launched

45mins to launch the grid. Awaiting max start height and time

Wind

the wind will definitely be a factor today. The first leg is into wind, any streeting will be very helpful to the pilots

weather

looking out the window up the first track the sky looks free of showers and plenty of sun.

First

First glider is launched. Rain radar is showing some minor shower activity. Hopefully this will not develop to much.

announced !

First launch 1200 Task A

shower

the shower has passed through. waiting for wings to be dried and area to recycle. hopefully more news soon

radar

Rain radar shows the shower just to our south but the task area behind looks clear. If we do get shower when they are on task then the enhanced sections give the competitors options

Sniffer

the sniffer has been sent way up the first leg and is giving good reports. There is an isolated shower just passing west to east across the first track so hopefully after it has passed we will be go.

Tasks

Task A TIB-SMB-MEN-RAT-DIS-TSF      176.4km
Task B  TIB-PIK-LIT-WEN-DIS-TSF          163.4km
Task C  TIB-BSE-MEN-RAT-DIS-TSF       118.8km

news

the grid is formed and we are waiting. It is definitely thermic but cloud base is to low at the moment with the wind strength we have. I will update you with the Task info shortly

internet

sorry to those trying to follow us today, but it seems that the webcam traffic was being seen as swamping the internet here. We are working on it and hope to up again soon

Briefing

Briefing in 10mins

good morning

Gliders are gridding. Briefing at 0930. The rain has stopped and the satpic clearly shows the clearance. More info as soon as we have it.

It appears some had dropped their manuscript for the "Poems and Pints" night. I've included only a brief excerpt to keep your powder dry. Please contact me if you recognise it as yours to arrange its return ...

"Half a knot, half a knot,
  Half a KM onward,
In the valley of Waveney
  Dove the DG six hundred.
'Forward, the Regional Brigade!
Charge for the spuds' he said:
Into the valley of Waveney
  Dove the DG six hundred."

Tuesday 5 June 2012

signing off

Well it is time to sign off for the evening. The rain radar clearly shows the front not far down the road. The rain looks like it will pass through in the night with better weather behind, lets certainly hope so. Catch up tomorrow from 0700 for the next installment.

prelims

loggers have been scored and last launch time has expired. There was a period in the afternoon where club aircraft were soaring over the site but no competitors, that had landed, back felt like a re-light.
768 scored 50.6 km and returned to land back. Y was 60km so unfortunately the day is a non scoring day. Close but not not close enough unfortunately.

tomorrow

Briefing tomorrow (6th June 2012) at 0930. Grid before briefing.

loggers

loggers are being handed in so it will be awhile to see if we have any past Y

all of them...

we have accounted for all competitors. It all now depends on if anybody has managed to get past Y.

land backs

competitors have made the first TP and come back to the airfield after the HTN leg looked iffy. GT is still airborne so who knows ? but at the moment we don't believe anyone has got past Y unfortunately.

land back

I have just seen 999 land back after calling a start earlier at 1244.

latest news

some land backs and and couple of L/Os at the first TP.

another starter

20 has called a start at 1315

more.....

N56 at 1313 and 480 at 1314.
although the sky doesn't look to good they seem to able to reach a start height and set off on track

another

403 at 1304

2 more on the way

Y11 at 1250
FDW at 1258

a competitor taking a re-light so they must think it is on.

situation

The satpic is showing areas of top cover but it seems that the air is unstable enough for it to be soarable underneath. Lets hope the top cover thins rather gets to thick for the sun to be totally cut off.

More

999 and 768 at 1244

Starters

W27 at 1248
T5 at 1242
GT at 1250
EKA at 1249
CJ at 1242
EF at 1251
AV8 at 1244

looks like the tactic is to go early

Line Open

start line is open but conditions are looking soggy.

Start announced

max start height 4500 ft above site. Gate will open at 1241 on Task B

Grid Launch

The last glider of the grid has launched. One land back but we don't know why. Competitors are high in the start sector. Looks like they will go asap after the line opens.

GT away

GT Gwyn Thomas - the first launch today.He will be rapidly followed by the rest of the grid.

Task

first launch 1140. Task B
TIB-BUN-HTN-DIS-TSF   99km
A short task to try and get something in the available weather window. A finisher today will almost certainly devalue the points.

First Launch

First launched is announced 1140.

Sniffer

Sniffer reports 3500 ft cloud base, very unstable. We may be able to get them away in the short window before the bad weather gets here. More news as soon as it is available.

Satpic

The satpic is showing a clear picture over the task area but the big question is how quickly the front and the associated grot is approaching.

Sniffer

Sniffer is rolling

Gridding

The competitors are gridding and there are signs of thermic activity. The sniffer will launch shortly.

Prizes

Prizes have been award for Contest Day 1. Many thanks to our Day Sponsor Wild & Co of Norwich.

1st Will Ellis
2nd George Green
3rd Norman Clowes

Briefing

Briefing at 10 task sheets are being put on the tables.

Pictures

For anyone who would like to view yesterday there are pictures here

Morning

Good morning to everyone. The camp site is starting to stir after a cool clear night. The team are getting to work and we will update as soon as we have any information of interest.

Monday 4 June 2012

Signing off

The comp team are signing off now for the evening. Follow us tomorrow to see what develops at the Eastern Regionals from Tibenham. Well done to all the competitors for today, lets hope for more racing as the week goes on.

scores

The last of the loggers have been upload and we have some scores. Looks like Will Ellis in 768 has the day with 847pts. George Green in T5 2nd with 777pts and Norman Clowes 3rd in 20 with 761pts. All very prelim of course but a good challenging day and a racing task.

Sunny

The club K21 is still soaring over the site at 20 to 8 in the evening. Who would of thought it at 7 this morning.

Loggers

Still awaiting 6 loggers so hopefully we should have a high scoring day

More news

All  competitors accounted for. 480 has landed about 9km away. A sterling effort, well done

just one left

just 1 un-accounted for 480. Sky still looks good over the site.

another home safe

EF has just finished so only 4 left un-accounted for.

a few left

We have 5 still in the air. The sky still looks good and the wind has changed to have more of West component now. Hopefully this will help any stragglers get home.

Land Back

Y11 has landed back

Loggers

Loggers are being handed in and downloaded

another back

AC finish at 1614

Speeds

only rough calculations of course but we are looking at speeds of approx 70kph working from called start and finish times.

good finish....

AV8 1603 followed very closely by 999 at 1604

another on the way

AV8 has just called

four so far

Four finishers so far more on the way

more

GT and T5 finished

And another

20 Norman Clowes has just finished

First Finisher

768 Will Ellis has just called 10km

Details

L/Os
08
LS7
N56
GW

Landouts

it seems a few are struggling with the odd shower and the wind, some crews have been called to control. I will post more details shortly.

Some more

Some more starts that were missing from the previous post

999     1323
CJ       1313
GW    1322
AV8   1315
768    1321

Looks like CJ is not the superstitious kind..............

Start Times

We have some start times for you, sorry they are bit late but here they are:
20      1307
EF      1309
CPM  1309
W27   1310
T5      1310
EKA  1313
FDW 1315
480    1322
GT    1323
AC    1324
403    1324
2W    1327
N56  1327

Start Line Open

Start line open at 1305. Looks like they want to get started early will as there are a few showers about. The cloud base is forecast to rise so hopefully there will not be to much vertical development causing big showers.

First Launch

First launch ! grid is being thrown into a good looking sky.

First Launch Announced

First launch has been announced. 1215

Sniffer Report

Sniffer has reported 3000 ft cloud base and looking good. Ray has stood the sniffer down.

Cumulus Oversite

We have Cu and the sniffer is launched. Lets hope there are good reports soon.

Gridding

The pilots are towing out to the grid and now we just wait for a window of importunity. 

Briefing Done

Briefing is over. Looking out the window we can see gaps in the cloud and bits of blue. The satpic shows the clearance rapidly approaching.
Tasks are:
Task A TIB-MRM-WIS-WEN-DIS-TSF   169.9km
Task B TIB-MRM-SCL-DIS-TSF              110km
Task C TIB-WYM-REE-DIS-TSF              91.1km

Enhanced sectors being utilized.

Briefing

Briefing at 1000 hrs.

mmmmm anyone for water polo

What can we say, it is wet. We are looking at a slim possibility this aftenoon

Sunday 3 June 2012

Cloud Base

We have a cloud base at Tibenham of 186ft. Unfortunately 186ft is also the field elevation.

Cream Teas and Teach In

Competitiors are enjoying a charity Cream Tea sale in the club bar area and there is a Seeyou/Oudie teach in going on in the briefing room for those interested in learning more about equipment and programs available to glider pilots.

I am sure you have guessed

As you will all of guess we are scrubbed today. Of course the Met man is studying hard for some weather for the forth coming days.

wet wet wet

And we don't mean the Scottish pop group from the 80's !!! We have woken up this morning to the forecast rain, no surprises as the weather is as our Met man forecast. Some of the comp team are on there third coffee of the day already..........

Saturday 2 June 2012

Srubbed

Unfortunately the Stratus Crapus has beaten us today. Very close but no cigar, so we are Scrubbed for today. Keep checking in and if we have anything of interest we will let you know what is going on. Briefing tomorrow at 1000.

Cloud Cover

The cloud cover has slipped North so is now over the site. We are on hold at the moment with a good sky down the first track and a cloud base of 3500ft. So tantalizingly close but we are unable to launch the grid without it being possible to achieve climbs over the site. We are watching the satpics and the sky in hope.

No First Launch Yet

No launch before 1230. Ray is waiting for the cover to breakup and for the climbs to be higher. Don't forget you can follow us on Twitter here.

Sniffer reports

The sniffer has reported lift in the drop zone. 2kts average but only to 2300ft. Sky looks better down the first leg but will the cloud layer break enough to get them away ???

Not before !

First launch not before 1200.

Sniffer launches

The sniffer has just launched. we stuck right on the edge of the top cover. Cu visible to the North West (down first leg) but top cover to the South. The satpic shows signs of the top cover breaking a little but nothing certain yet.

Flyby

The Red Arrows have completed a flyby of the club house in Arrow Head formation. Fantastic sight ! the Eastern Regionals 2012 grid is formed and Cu are forming over the site. Pictures and video on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube

Briefing is done

Briefing is over and Tasks are set. Task A TIB-PIK-MEN-TSF 111.7km  Task B TIB-BUN-GRF-TSF 86.7km. The sun is shining and we are hoping the top cover recedes enough for it to thermic over the whole task area. 

Briefing

Briefing at 0930. Cones are being set out on the runway. There maybe a small window of something, a slim chance, but fingers crossed.

Morning

Morning all. Information will appear as things develop during the day.

Friday 1 June 2012

Welcome to all

A Harty welcome to all competitors, crews and retinue.  The weather is, unfortunately looking a bit iffy at the moment, but we live in hope.  Watch this space..............

Registration Now Closed

Registration is now closed for this evening. Great to see loads of competitors in the club house and gliders rigged. Don't forget you can follow the Eastern Regionals 2012 on Twitter

Sunday 27 May 2012

Eastern Regionals 2012

Welcome to the blog for the Eastern Regionals 2012. More information will appear here once the competition is underway on Saturday.