Youth Team European Championship

Only two "Non-European" entries were fielded: USA (1 pilot in each Class), and Japan (1 pilot in Club Class). IGC has paved the way for the next EJGC to double as a "World Junior Championships" if 4 Nations from outside Europe submit entries. So tell your friends in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. to plan for Freudenstadt, Germany, 1997!

The female contingent did well (Alena Netusilova in Standard, Joanna Biedermann & Lucy Withall in Club). Alena won the one formal practice task (USA's Sean Franke was #2). Joanna's final standing was right next in line after the formidable German Team. Too bad Britain's Karina Hodgson ('93 UK JR Champ) couldn't come to make it a race.

I guess it shows that soaring was invented in Germany. With their team 2-3-4-6 in Standard Class and 1-2-3 in Club Class, the hosts had to scramble for more German flags at the closing ceremonies.

The contest age limit was 25, with most pilots nearly that old. The youngest was USA's Joe Walter, who turned 18 at the end of June.

Despite the young age of the competitors, the equipment used was pretty fancy: In Standard Class, there were 14 Discus, 7 LS-4 or -7, 6 SZD-55, 3 ASW-24, 3 Std Jantar, 3 Crystal, 1 DG-303. In Club, 12 Std Jantar, 4 VSO-10, 2 Pegase, 2 DG-101, and 1 each ASW-19, ASW-15, Std Libelle, Astir, Junior, and ASK-21.

Special note to American Soaring Philanthropists: Two of the German Discuses were owned by a consortium that makes them available at no charge to "deserving" young pilots. The SSA Youth Committee and I await your offer to set up something similar here in the USA!

Sean's daily placings: 37, 11, 4, 1, 14, 8, 27, 15, 7

JOE WALTER, Club Class. 1986 SZD-51 Junior "ZG" (plus 17 kg of sand) Lo and behold, the USA's "Junior" was the lowest performing glider in Club Class, as Joe discovered in 50 hours of comparison flight testing. His handicap factor was 1.000, same as the ASK-21 and VSO-10c which outglided him, and the Pegase was only .943. At least, Joe was able to ouclimb everyone, and by the end of the contest, he progressed to good speeds. Perhaps, as we expected, he transitioned from a 1-26 mentality (his sole experience) to a "fiberglass" outlook.

He adapted with zero mistakes: perfect starts, TPs, and final glides.

Joe's daily placings: 24, 25, 23, 21, 23, 22, 19, 16, 13

P.S. The JUNIOR may not be a hot "Club Class" racer, but it is one terrific Club ship: easy to rig (auto connects), easy to fly, rugged (G103-size fixed gear!), low-maintenance, modern-looking, and cheap. And 34:1 ain't bad. SOLAIRE should be selling them like hotcakes!

The young pilots were all very skilled: soaring's future looks bright.

No accidents occurred during the contest, but a freak stall-spin crash sadly claimed the life of Lars Hansen of Denmark on the first practice day. The entire Danish team, including defending Standard Class Champion Lars Ternholt, was withdrawn by the Danish Soaring Federation in a mark of respect. In less grave circumstances, it should be noted that Poland's Sebastian Kawa also lost his chance to win the Standard Class Gold, when his turnpoint cameras were stolen after his Day 8 landout. He had been leading all contest long. He won day 9, too!

For spurring gifts via raffle prizes, many thanks to Sponsors STRONG, TRIMBLE, KING, and PETER MASAK. Go buy their products! Gliders were courtesy of SCHEMPP-HIRTH and CSS-LESZNO (Central Soaring School of of Poland). Thanks for small gifts & supplies to SSA, PAUL SCHWEIZER, BERMUDA HIGH, ESTRELLA, WAG-AERO, CSA. Special thanks to some special people: Ralf & Tilo Holighaus, Peter Selinger, Garrett Calhoun, Rudy Kunda, Meredith Stevenson, Eric & Rudy Mozer, Josef Boniak, Roman Grys ...and that lonesome Polish cowboy, Andre Volant. Let's do it in '97!