Friday 2000-8-18
    For fear of an even stronger wind than yesterday's and that in a western direction, an entire motorcade of racers headed out to the Baranovo Zadky starting ground above Basnska Bystrica. The wind on the runway was truly westerly and at times almost non-existent. Temperature on the big sunny meadow at an elevation of 980 m climbed to unpleasantly high and everyone did their best to build their wings so as to have somewhere to duck out of the noonday sun.




    In contrast, Vlastik Hlousek, in expectation of a stronger wind on the course began, regardless of the heat and the sweat on his brow, with help of tools, to work on a precise tuning of today's form on his brand new wing aptly called "Haminar".




    The possibility of storms on the course gave rise to a more careful variation of today's event. The goal flight to the village of Sumiac was refused and the high chimney in the village of Polomka became the only turning point. The goal line was then prepared at a small airfield, Rohozna, - southeast of Brezno. A total of 68 kilometers then.




    Even if the opening of the Start window was set at 12:00, to the no small surprise of all, the lead racer, Dan Vyhnalik, by 11:50 still had not built his wing and was casually conversing with girls in the pleasant shade of a nearby tree.





    And because the first kick-off flyers after the opening of the Start window used themselves up quickly, no one among the racers wanted to go up at the moment. A period of dead waiting ensued at Baranovo.





    Even if an occasional thermic breeze for a while cooled the over-heated starting ground, the temperature remained unpleasantly high and no clouds formed above Baranovo.





    Either Juzo Kunik anticipated a very long flight today or he at least wanted to shorten the long while, anyhow, standing up he ate a big schnitzel with two pieces of bread and began planning today's flight tactics. And as was later seen, he didn't come up with a bad set of tactics at all.

    By 12:30 nothing remained but for the flight director, Misa Oravec, to start summoning thermics with the aid of a flute. It was by no means an ordinary flute, because a local glider pilot, evidently confused by the music, took off and soon was turning at an altitude of 500 meters above the runway.



    Not even the successful rising of the paraglider moved the racers to action and the endless waiting continued. The only variation came around 13:00 in the form of a telephoned report from the Kralovska Hola, saying that a southern wind is blowing on the crest of 59 km/h, which, brother, is more than 16m/s. Almost hard to believe such a report.



    The main wave of take offs came at 14:20. Gusts of wind at times already reached 8m/s and it was necessary to withstand strong turbulence right above the runway.



    Taking off took place from two runways and the favorite pilots came up to Start just after 14:30. The relatively low over elevation of Baranovo as opposed to the starting ground of Karlova Hola somewhat lowered the probability of successful catching and there was visible tacticizing at the Start.



    15 racers, who heavily petered out at the base of the hill, gradually demonstrated that catching was not being given out for free today. Following a strenuous battle, even Bohous Kolesar and Mira Cap joined their ranks. The affect on their placing in the overall positioning was later felt as dreadful.

    Even though very promising cumulous clouds formed on the course, their base altitude of 2600 m above sea level gradually rose to 3000 m above sea level and it was necessary in the strong western streaming to take even the very slight rising and the ballooning method was effective. But even 3000 m above sea level above the turning point at Polomka was insufficient for a glide in against the strong wind to a mere 14 km distant from the goal. The strong headwind meant a premature landing barely several kilometers from the goal for 26 racers, including the favorites. The only one to successfully fight with the wind element was Juraj Sladky and at 16:42 he flew over the goal line. The point gain for reaching the goal was relatively high. Juraj thus replaced Dan Vyhnalik in the Podbrezove Cup Placement and created a jump ahead of him of 143 points. Landing barely 4 km before the goal then meant for Petr "Pedro" Nedoma his continued hold on the great Third position in the overall placing.



    Thanks to the fall of Bohumir Koesara from 4th position all the way to unbelievable 34th position, the placement of other racers moved as well. Radek Dykast move to the Fourth rung and Fero Nizner held his yesterday's placing at 5th position. Endre Kovacs, once again put up a great fight, and whose landing 6 km from the goal moved him to 7th place in the overall placing of the Podbrezova Cup 2000, just following Radek Bares. The effective incisions with a file into the frame of his new wing showed through in his flying about 10 kilometers from the turning point against a strong headwind and the point gain helped him to 10th position in the overall placing of the race.

    Vlada Koretz was evidently serious about packing it in yesterday and didn't fly today, just like another favorite, Petr Tucek, whose health problems necessitated his return to Prague. Both Czech giants thus began to fall unstoppably in the overall placing of the Czech Republic Championship.

    Slovak pilot Jiri Helesic, who landed in Brezno directly in the sports stadium, provided a variation in today's windy event. He evidently didn't want to upset the game taking place and so landed his ZK-15 considerately directly on the grandstand.