End of play?

Saturday was a scrub. The weather never cleared through so I played 18 holes of golf instead. After the briefing we had a "pilot forum" which was an opportunity to beat up the Competitions Committee and, in particular, Russell Cheetham its chair.

The main issue was the decision to ban cloud flying in UK competitions from 2015. This decision seemed to have been taken without consultation and like previous rules was slipped into the rule book as a fait accompli. The pilots took exception to this junta like approach and asked for the decision to be rescinded. Russell explained that the decision was taken for 'sporting reasons' claiming that few gliders, even in this comp, were allowed to fly in cloud according to their flight manuals.

I do not think this is true. The gliders in this competition are ASG29s, ASW27s, Ventus 2s, Ventus 2cx's, an ASW20, and some LS8s. I believe all of these are capable of flight in cloud. This decision has a smell about it and the suspicion is that the rule is designed to favour those who have decided to fly self launchers and other types with these restrictions. I wonder who this might be?

Conspiracy theories abound in gliding and no more than in the making of competition rules. In my opinion there needs to be a new start, with total transparency, and proper representation and consultation if pilots are to have faith in the system.

Looks like today could be scrubbed too, Well done Watty for coming 1st, Matt in 2nd, and Derren just 45 points behind in 3rd. I ended up just off the bottom as a result of blobbing the first three days. The highlight, of course, was my 2nd place on day 7, the best day placing I have ever achieved in a Nationals competition.

On to Bicester.......