and now its over!

The final day was challenging!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Only one competitor made it around in both classes. GNV.
Its 9pm and GZO retrieve crew are not yet back from their 3+ hour retrieve journey.

One pilot (GKM) gave up heading for turnpoint two and headed off downwind, ending up in Hamilton airspace where he got clearance to climb to 5,000ft in  survival mode. Unfortunately this was not enough to get home and he landed at the Pureora strip.

Last Landout on the last day, GKT at Kinloch.

Today was the ultimate Competition Directors dilemma.  Launch the fleet in to the air knowing that many would potentially land out OR  cancel the day and remove the chance for competitors to improve their placings.      I chose the former. :-)  The lovely lads who landed out didn't give me any grief, so alls well that ends well.

The competition dinner was well attended  and the prizes were awarded.
Some trophies were ...virtual awards as they were not physically present!!!

Club Class Nationals.

The Lyons Trophy for winner of the Club Class - Steve Wallace
The Mike Rix Trophy for the Highest placed pilot under 30. Not awarded as no pilot was under 30.
The Veterans Trophy for the highest placed pilot over 60. Not awarded as no pilot was over 60.
The Norge Cup - awarded to the highest placed pilot in their first Nationals.
              Doug  Henry - GLL
The Masterton Trophy - awarded for the highest placed Club owned glider
              Maurice Weaver - GKM


Matamata Soaring Centre Competition.
Open Class Champion - Patrick Driessen - GOP
Highest placed 15mtr Glider - Tony Van Dyk - GTD
Highest Placed Standard class Glider - Tony Van Dyk - GTD

The Trophy for the Volunteer who helped make the contest successful - David Hirst - Weatherman.

So once again I retire from running Nationals as a Competition Director.
This is most definitely my last gasp, the brain and the body aint what they used to be :-)
While I find it very rewarding working with a great team, its A BIT exhausting keeping "this ageing brain on constant alert" for 10 hours a day!!!

So its goodnight & goodbye from me.

Keep it up!

for the final scores checkout
Clubclass
http://www.soaringspot.com/nzclub2013/results/club/total/day11.html

Matamata Soaring Centre.
http://www.soaringspot.com/msc2013/results/open/total/day7.html