Saturday 28 May. Report by Craig Morgan
The Big Guns: Mark Hayman does the tourist thing in Soce, Slovenia
THE BIG GUNS.
Friday night, as predicted, was full of loud noise and worrying developments. The cold front was here with a vengeance and it was all thunder and lightning – very very frightening. Hard rain did fall and at times it was almost enough to drown out the wind escaping from both of my roomies’ orifices.
So Saturday was a chill day with no flying likely.
Much moochment led to coffee and talent-spotting. The smug gits amongst us did little to conceal their amusement at the two favourites’ misfortune of having lost their brand spanking new Ozone R11s. Neil Roberts and Wagga Watts had made the schoolboy error of arriving through the hub airport of Munich, and with typical German efficiency the gliders were lost, forgotten or mis-directed. Ho ho ho, did Chris Harland and I chuckle as we had opted against that flight for those very reasons. They were gutted but in true comradeship Chris rang round and helped identify the gliders’ whereabouts. I offered words of support instead!
Neil and Wagga are the only Brit pilots flying the hot new R11s at this comp due to the honour of being likely British team members for the forthcoming Worlds in Piedrahita – a great honour indeed. This surely must make them favourites for this comp, but shite, if your wing gets lost !!!!!
More big guns drifted in throughout the day and Kobarid took on the air of talent show hub itself.
Hymmie and I took in the museum of remembrance to the First World War battle between the Austro/Hungarian forces and Italian troops in the mountains surrounding the Soča river valley. All very sobering, with hardship and inhumanity being the prevailing emotion.
In our world, however, the front quickly cleared and bright conditions cheered the mood. Neil and Wagga skipped around like Spring chooks gayly reunited with their new wings.
Rego was a time to catch up with foreign friends and swap tales of what’s hot and what’s not. The one notable defection being the Prof. Adie Thomas’s allegiance now being committed to Gin, with a brand new Boom 8 being his weapon of choice. Word on the street is Advance, in classic Swiss pursuit of perfection, are not prepared to release their two-line comp glider until it’s the finished article. Allegedly the ‘safety’ is there but not the performance – yet ….
It was then on to watch United get outclassed by a technically immaculate Barcelona outfit. (Football, for those who don’t do the beautiful game; I’m a rugby man myself ).
An earlyish night was preceded with final instrument checks in preparation for what could be a stonking day in post cold frontal conditions.
Stay tooned ………
Craig Morgan
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