This was one for the discerning few, an exclusive event for the privileged XI (the weather would have been good for cricket).

Paul Conran  was the only pilot to enter at Unlimited, so was not required to defend his title as Unlimited Champion and kindly agreed to join the judging line. Our friend Hannah Raiha from Finland came over as Chief Judge, with her frisbee-expert daughter Anna as scribe. Ian Scott and Chris Cain completed the bench, Chris juggling the numbers on the computer too.

The Advanced and Intermediate classes had two entries each, but Sports a healthy six (I mean the number, not necessarily the pilots). Two entered at Club, including Glutton-for-Punishment Jonathan Welch, who had recently qualified to fly Sports, but opted to retain his free primary-level (NEVER “Beg******”, J!) entry, and flew both classes

The Buckminster GC really pampered us this year...not just an efficient launch-point,   I must thank Roger Hamilton here) but great and constant food from the “Dagenham” kitchen (most were Fords)....and the bar never ran dry. Jon Heanen put in a lot of effort to make sure we had everything we needed.

Weather? Light north-easterly wind, mostly dry, mild days and cold nights (I can assure...I was camping!) At Saltby this means lovely clear sky at early briefing and annoying low damp cloud by the time the gliders are out. Bad news on day one for most, but good for the Club pilots. Ben had his site-check to find cloud-base (2000') did a nice Club sequence so went up again solo to repeat the performance and...bingo!..his flight assessment confirmed by four judges and several advanced aerobatic instructors.

Then Ben and Jonathan flew their Club first programs and each scored over 70%, which has to be good. Cloud base soon reached 2500' so everyone else flew split sequences.

This is the reality of trying to do glider aerobatics in our temperate maritime climate. Cloud bases in excess of 4000' are not usual, so we put up with splits. That makes the competition a bit more laborious, but no less exciting. Most of the time the clouds were too low or too many, but we had a complete competition in all but Advanced. Ramon and George agreed they wanted to fly whole sequences, so stopped at two. George has nothing to prove. Ramon flew again anyway and really very well...up to international standard.

In Intermediate both Rod Herve and Dave Gethin managed the K21 (aka every roll a super-slow), showing their skill and experience. Rod was unlucky with the conditions (sink?) and Dave flew very nicely to win.

The Sports level competition was brilliant this year. Won by Michael Corcoran, for the third time, showing consistency and a high score (so that is the move to intermediate confirmed for next year?). The others really fought it out over the three sequences, Trevor Dale finally just pipping Fran McLaughlin to the silver medal, both over 70%. In fourth place was very promising junior talent, still 14 years old , Joel Halliwell, who scored very nearly 70% in his first competition in the Pilatus B4. (Blimey....I wasn't allowed to solo until I was 16!)

Jonathan Welch, as well as winning the Club Plaque, scored a very creditable 63%.

Jan Wozny was a bit behind, but it was a remarkable achievement for him to have been competing at all....and in the Fox! Cleared solo only a week or two before, in Poland (where the syllabus is a bit different), he flew nicely, safely...and clearly enjoyed himself. The Fox does rather too much for Sports, I think!

All done by Saturday so we could enjoy the Bulging Buckminster Buffet and Bar in the evening and relax on Sunday morning before the Duke of Rutland (David to his gliding friends) came to present the medals and trophies. We are privileged that he is happy to give his time for us. Many thanks for that, and may I unashamedly publicise the news that his book, three years in the writing, about an eighteenth-century naval Captain ancestor, comes out next May!

Thanks everybody, I think it went well.