Lasham Regionals - Monday 4 June 2012

Yet another rainy night ensued, but at least mobile phones were safely stored.  This was the view on my morning walk with Django:-

mmm…not particularly hopeful, but at least the weather forecast was giving some hope that it might brighten up during the day.  Surely it can’t be as bad a yesterday can it?  I felt sorry for the Queen as she sat aboard her boat gently cruising down the Thames yesterday for her Diamond Jubilee celebrations in all the rain. Anyhow, it didn’t seem to bother Django too much this morning as we walked around the Peri-Track.  He refuses to walk through puddles and rarely will go out in the rain, so it can be a battle to get him to walk in the rain at all!  However, this morning it had ceased to rain as we walked and it gave me the rare opportunity to take a photograph of him on the ‘piano keys’ on the Lasham runway 27.

Briefing was delayed until 11:00 and all gliders were requested to grid in preparation for a possible launch.  With a temperature now around 10 degrees Celsius due to the Northerly wind, we were all feeling the cold.

At briefing, two tasks were set for the B Class Regionals:- Task A - 156km Marlborough, Kingston Bagpuize, Lasham West, Lasham (Start LA4-MAR-KSB-LA5-LAS). Task B – 106km Four Marks, Andover SW, Hungerford, Lasham West, Lasham (Start LA4-FMA-AND-HUN-LA5-LAS).  We then proceeded to Grid-Squat.

Whenever we can take him to the launch point Django comes with us, and he’s pretty well behaved.  I have noticed that he is perfectly happy wandering around the gliders looking for scraps of food… (I keep a wary eye on him to make sure he doesn’t tiddle up the fin of an expensive glider), but he is reluctant to sit on the runway as I presume it makes his delicate bottom too cold!  He’s the same at home and won’t sit on the kitchen floor and prefers to sit on the Dining Room carpet watching me prepare the meals.

13:00 went by, 14:00 went by and then we were called to the front of the grid at 15:00 for a re-brief.  All the tasks were changed.  The Regionals B Class now had the minimum permissible, an 80km task from Lasham to Newbury south, Yattenden, Lasham West and back to Lasham (LA4-NES-YTT-LA5-LAS).  The map was duly re-marked and instruments re-programmed just as a huge darkening cloud approached and proceeded to dump a load of rain on us all.

As we were wiping off the wings, the Director scrubbed the 15m Class Nationals for the day.  Curiously, they then decided to move the A Class Regionals onto the grass to launch.  20 minutes later they scrubbed the Open Class Nationals and we were still sitting on the runway awaiting our fate as they started to launch the A Class – it was now 17:00!!!  Sure enough, the B Class Regionals was eventually scrubbed for the day.

Believe it or not, some of the A Class Regionals completed their 108km task – well done to them all – a real achievement.  Results can be seen at this link:- http://www.soaringspot.com/lasreg12/