Hard as nails

Yesterday in Issoudun

Hard as nails, that is the only way in which to describe the contests scene in Europe.

Pociunai

Take the results from Pociunai where the EGC Standard, Club, 20m and PW5 contest was held. In the club class, perhaps as was to expected, was Sebastian Kawa in first place (he is after all ranked first in the world, and has occupied that position for quite a while now). Second was Roman Mracek (ranked 53rd) and third was Tomas Suchanek (ranked 52). In the standard class, however, the first three places were occupied by Frederick Hoyeau (83), Olivier Darroze (9th) and Peter Szabo (87), and my friend Mariusz Poszniak in fourth place (ranked 40th), whilts pilots like Reinhard Schramme 7th, ranked (56th), Thomas Gostner 12th, ranked (59th).

Issoudun at the halfway stage

Midway through the EGC 15, 18 and open classes at Issoudun (with only 4 of 8 days being flown) the situation is even more competitive.

In the 15m class Leigh Wells (ranked 5th) is leading, building on his first class win in the standard class in Sweden. Second is Manfred Hahn (385th) and third is Jean-Luc Colson (219th). Languishing in 6th place is Janusz Centka (2nd), in 10th is Giorgio Galetto (19th) and 16th is Steven Raimond (18th) and Erwin Sommer (155th) is all the way down in 29th spot.

In the 18 m class Ronald Termaat (64th) is leading, with my next door neighbour from Sweden Hadriaan van Nes (95th) in second place (he must be very happy with his LS10) and Werner Aman is in 3rd place. World champion Phil JOnes (8th) is only in seven place and ex-world champ Wolfgang Janowitsch (7th) is in 5th place with Ricardo Brigliadori (33rd) wedged between them.Mak (23rd) flying HC, is only 9th (compared to his performance at Lusse). Peter Hartman (58th) fresh from his win in the standard class pre-worlds in Rieti is in 9th place and Peter Krejcirik (21st) is in 14th place.

In the open class Peter Harvey (10th) is leading Uli Schwenk (34th) and Laurent Aboulin (48th), with for instance Steve Jones (41st) in 11th place and Antti Lehto (197) in 16th place.

Europe is a really tough place to fly contests in.Let us see what the next few days in Issoudun brings, and meanwhile the CIM is getting underway in Rieti (oh, i wish).
regards

Sven