2001 - ICL at Easterton

INTER CLUB LEAGUE REPORT 2001 EASTERTON

11^th – 13^th AUGUST

THE COMPETITORS:

Highland Gliding Club
Cairngorm Gliding Club
Deeside Gliding Club
Scottish Gliding Center
Borders Gliding Club

INTRODUCTION:

As with every other Inter Club League weekend I have been to we waited all week with baited breath to see what the weather would bring. As ever, even when it was not suitable to fly it still threatened to improve. Luckily however, it did allow us two competition days that provided some interesting and challenging conditions. We had a good turnout from all the clubs and were very grateful for the use of the tug from Feshie which proved invaluable.

SATURDAY:

The Saturday forecast was for a front to move steadily across the country with associated rain. This it did but in its usual patchy form with regular threats of breaking into wave and giving us a competition day. We waited and waited and eventually scrubbed flying and went to the alternative task. Ten pin bowling! Nearly everybody took part proving that you need to send an all round team if you want to win. We had three lanes split into Novice, Intermediate and Pundit class. Each club fielded a member per lane  with spare places given to those who were available from other clubs. As the results show, Highland members misspent youth paid off for once and we won the day! Luckily, we did not have to rely on these results to decide the competition.

The days booby prize went to Elizabeth Eddie for an outstandingly low score of  82. A presentation of a captured thermal (Helium Balloon) with Get Better Soon was awarded!

SUNDAY:

The prospect for Sunday had always been the best with light winds and thermals forecast and on this basis the tasks set initially were quite ambitious. By the time we gridded however, it became obvious that there was serious spreadout and the sniffers sent up were falling out. Eventually a POST task was set with Rothes as the mandatory first turning point and Dallas as the mandatory final TP. There were 8 other turning points taking us to the west and southwest as far as Loch Moy and Feshiebridge. After a while, conditions improved enough for us to launch. They only stayed good for about one hour though and we rapidly had seven out landings. Happily, there was no damage and no irate farmers. Most people did manage the first TP and one or two others. Only two gliders managed to turn the Dallas TP and not surprisingly these were the Duo Discus and the ASH 25. However, it was a competition day and Deeside narrowly took the lead over Highland by 1 point.

The days last place prized went to Cairngorms John Whyte. He also received a captured thermal but in keeping with the days weather it had condensed (Bottle of water). He gave us a splendid rendition of  How I done it.

MONDAY:

The MET for Monday had always been so bad that some of the furthest flung competitors left on Sunday to get a good run home. As ever at Easterton, NEVER write off a day with southwesterly winds because the wave in the morning was ripping the heather off the moors. There was much rigging of gliders and tasks were set. Ballater, Inverness and back for the Pundits, O/R to Loch Muick for the Intermediates and O/R to Loch Kinord for the Novices. We gridded up and just as we finished doing so the wave started to collapse forcing us to change the remote start point to Rothes. The grid was launched but with conditions rapidly deteriorating many were forced down onto the ridge. However, one or two did contact the wave, in particular the ASH 25 which proceeded to complete the pundit task in about 2 ½ hours. However, on landing the logger failed to work properly and after recharging batteries the ASH took off again, contacted the wave and set off round the pundit task for the second time. Ballater was reached and turned but at Tomintoul they were forced down and had to return to Easterton. However, no one else had gone much beyond Dufftown so Highland won the day. Special mention has to be made for the effort by Andy Henderson of Borders who spent 7 ½ hours on the ridge! Unfortunately, it was not an endurance task! Still, he did claim 7 points!

See below the results for the competition and for the first time ever Highland have won the Inter Club League. Lets hope that next year we get better weather.

Robert Tait
CFI
Highland Gliding Club