| CD's Report
What a sunny place Yorkshire is - at least it was for
this weekend, the sun-cream being requested by more than one lobster-like
judge on Saturday afternoon.... and with the wind dead onto runway 29 on
Friday for the Beginners and 180° about for Standard the next day we just
couldn't have asked for more. Friday's rather leisurely affair comprised a
threesome of hopeful pilots, Tony Glover stealing the usual priceless
chunk of marble from runner-up Kate Howe (in JP's Charlie Macaw) and Tom
Leader, whose valiant efforts in good old RAF-Charlie just couldn't quite
close the gap.
To be fair it did sort of drizzle a touch at around 0900
for Saturday's Standard brigade, almost as though a token was demanded....
but by the time pole-man Tom Richards had begged a 15 minute hiatus it was
all gone, and pretty soon the plot was in full flow. By and large the
standard of flying was quite impressive, the few BF's being the exception
rather than the rule. From Harry Mason's (two-up and unfortunately
therefore Hors de Concours) 9th slot upwards 70% was the minimum
requirement, our leader James Brown in BIPO clearing a hard-chasing Rob
Howarth in his S1S by over 2½% with Andy Kilvington just a few points
behind. The Slingers in SKYC all had Tom Cassells to thank for an
early-morning dash over with the spare key, this essential item having
mysteriously gone AWOL the previous evening, but their best man Roy
Nicholson was a full five and a bit per-cent behind the front line.
In the unknown sequence that immediately followed
efforts were re-doubled by all sorts of people to get a bit further up the
order, Roy N in particular closing the aggregate gap to the CAP to only a
slender margin whilst Alan Wood and Simon Abbott kept James B back in 4th
slot. In the end when it was all added together though it was still JB and
BIPO for the crown, with the Slingsby second and Alan in BOXH a worthy
third. All good stuff!
It then being just Chinese dentist time (2:30 OK?) an
extra unknown sequence was rapidly put into operation, with 16 pilots
electing to do it all again from a fresh start. This time Rob Howarth
stormed away from Dave Cavell and Alex Smith to win the prestigious soft
drink acquired with no expense spared by the BAeA, unfortunate Tom
Richards dropping out with his Slingers' two control columns being of
slightly independent mind....
Good fun, great company and excellent flying - just what
we want. Steve Green ran the unusually healthy judging line with Polly
Whitehead, Ann Willis, Deborah Brown, Peter Mackintosh, Brian Gleeve,
Toddy and Simon O'Neil in attendance, Jen B tinkled the keys and yours
truly ran the clipboard. Shan't be at Bodmin, but we will see you all
again at Conington. Byee!
Nick B
Contest Director
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