Booker Rules Competition Day 1

Plenty of action at the launch point today (as there was yesterday with many pilots practising for the comp)  with eleven competitors taking to the sky for day one of the Booker Rules Handicap competition. A task of 160.7km (Stokenchurch, Didcot, Newbury, Bicester, Hambledon Church) was set under a promising sky with a 15kt easterly wind.

Early spread out around Booker prevented a few from starting but the more intrepid set off to better looking clouds on track. There were soon a few calls coming in from landouts, most pilots opting for the easier option of airfields with the chance of an aerotow retrieve (although not all the airfields were receptive to the idea of letting aircraft take off again!).

Honours for the day go to Bob Smith (the only finisher) with a creditable speed of 52.2kph, 2nd place to Nils Wedi (136km) and 3rd place to JimWhite/Jeremy Gilby (96km). Sunday's forecast isn't looking to good but the forecast for Monday is looking good again so there should be some good flying.

Jim and Jeremy at Chalgrove trying to agree who was
 in charge when the land out became an option

MM at Thame on one of its 2 aerotow retrieves

Nils at Thame just before his aerotow retrieve (it has just rained which caused his downfall)