Sweden - WWGC2011 - Saturday 25 June 2011

At briefing this morning, the Director apologised for the shambles that was yesterday….

The Director set a further briefing at 12:00 because the weather was poor – of course, he was in such a difficult position after the bad decision he made yesterday, that I believe he felt that he had to send us today, even if the weather was worse than yesterday.

A task of 137.4km was set for the Club Class (Start Echo – Spannarboda – Sura – Gunnilbo – Tuna – Arboga).  All gliders were on the grid and the first launch set for 14:00.  Sure enough, they launched us first and by the time it came to my launch, it was raining heavily – I had no choice but to pull off the grid.  It continued to rain as they launched the Standard Class. 

I couldn’t get a launch until after the Standard Class had gone, and it wasn’t long after I’d launched that I started.  Ahead of us to the North were multiple bands of rain – my worst enemy.  I flew to the west with a handful of other gliders, then alongside a huge rain shower.  Somewhere at the other end of the rain shower was the first turning point, but it was under a lowering cloud base and heavy rain.  After several attempts, I made my way into the turning point and my FLARM kept going off indicating imminent collision as gliders were descending through cloud (which is forbidden) it was very frightening indeed).  I managed to work my way round the turning point and back out to the North where I climbed up again and considered my next move.  The next turning point was back through the rain shower and I knew I didn’t have enough height to get through the rain and to the better looking weather.  I could see other gliders making a run for it, so in I went, but as predicted, there was no lift just incredible sink.  I saw a suitable landing field, popped out of the rain and headed on track – but all I could see ahead were forests and lakes. 

I turned back towards my chosen field, which was a cut hay field that ran down to the huge lake and was surrounded on two sides by forest.  I called GB Team up on my radio to inform them of my position prior to landing.   I started the downwind leg in torrential rain and then noticed that the wind had changed through 180 degrees.  Do I continue to land with a tailwind up the slope or do I land into wind where at the end of the field, it slopes towards the lake.  I had a split second to decide and I chose to land towards the lake – bad decision.

I approached at the right speed low over the boundary and landed in the field rolled up a slope and unable to get the brakes to work at all, I rolled over the top of the hill and down towards the lake.  I was going to end up in the lake, no question about it.  Experience took over and I ground looped the glider to the right, trying to get the starboard wing to strike a boulder and stop me from going into the lake.  I just missed the boulder, but the starboard wing went through a wood and barbed wire fence and the main wheel ended up in a ditch with the nose against the barbed wire.  I was OK, but there was an almighty crunch as I rolled into the ditch.

Shortly after I'd landed, the Russian pilot Nina, also landed in the same field and she walked down the field to find out if I was OK. 

Steve and Michael found their way to the field with the trailer and they also brought an extra helper, Tom. 

To be able to de-rig the glider we had to cut the barbed wire as we couldn't remove the wooden posts until this was done.  I took off the tailplane and we removed each wing in turn and laid them on the ground.  This then enabled us to lift the glider fuselage together out of the ditch.  Remarkably, there appeared to be little damage - the undercarriage looked OK, there was some damage to the surface where the barbed wire had cut into the wing during the de-rig, and the starboard flap edgehad been scraped in one place along with two deeper scrapes on the underside of the wing.  It looks as though I have got away very lightly indeed.

Upon our return to the gliding club, we learnt that everyone had landed out in the Club Class and that it would not be a competition day.

So unfortunately, all they day's efforts were in vain, and that was the end of the competition.