Changes

The rules are simple: teams of 5 attempt to soar locally for up to 50 minutes, gaining one point per minute, climbing for 2 points per 100 ft, and then to land before the 50 minutes are up as there is then a deduction of 6 points per minute. Flights which receive no points for time are not allowed to claim height gains.

== Results ==

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| 1999 || ||

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| 1997 Aug || RAF Bicester || Oxford 80 Cambridge 40

# Each pilot can enter only one scoring flight for each day of the competition. A day should be declared void if it is not possible for at least three members of each team to fly.

# Teams must record on their own logs the takeoff and landing time for each scoring flight made by a member of their team. Failure to do so renders a flight invalid. An observer from each team shall be present at the launch point during all flights.

# Instructors may fly in scoring gliders and may verbally assist the competitor. They may not physically fly the glider at any time. The only exception to this is to maintain normal safety.

# All flights made during the days of the competitions are potentially valid scoring flights. At the end of each day, teams will submit the takeoff/landing times and trace for the best flight made by each team member.

The match was held from June 20th to 22nd, with the 21st being 'the day of the decade' with numerous 750km flights being conducted around the country.

Day 1 was weakly soarable, but we made the most of the day with both teams completing check flights and getting some practice in. Thursday and

well.

The conditions on the second day were perfectly

CUGC’s president Chris Barrott launched soon

after, completing what turned out to be the second

earning CUGC 280 points. He managed to make

the most of the strong conditions and achieved

over 10,000ft of height gain. The next Cambridge

pilot to launch was Tomasz Cebo, who completed

year before, he forgot about the 50-minute flight

time limit – however he managed to find thermals

earning him a score of 238. Next in line was

Cambridge’s captain Nat West. Launching in the

thermals, achieving a score of 147 during a 49-

minute flight. An hour later, Tomasz Cebo

day for Cambridge in the K21, achieving 209

points.

Oxford put up a strong performance on the first

scoring day. Artur Doshchyn achieved 323 points,

The conditions were mostly blue and provided a

more challenging day – a chance for a Cambridge

taking the first launch again. Cambridge pilot

Bonan Zhu launched right after in the ASW19b.

then climbed to 3000ft. Despite the sky being

blue, he found an energy line near the airfield and

to connect with thermals off the winch. Daniel

Morales Valdivia was the fifth pilot to attempt a

instructor Peter Warner at 1509 but had to land

shortly after. At this point the thermals had

For some, the events of that day started earlier than for others. The O*ford team had to leave the other place at 6:30am whereas most of the Cambridge team members decided to start off the day with an unhurried breakfast to gather strength and be prepared to face the gruesome challenges of competition day. All pilots met at the airfield at 9:00am. After every pilot had a chance to introduce himself, the aircraft were removed from the hangar and transported to the launch point. Andrew Watson, CUGC’s experienced instructor, did check flights with the O*ford pilots to make sure they were fit to fly solo. After all preparatory actions were taken, the match was ready to begin.

Next in line was Bonan Zhu, long-time CUGC member, who scored a respectable 82.6m in the Junior, despite the lack of wheel brakes. Bonan was followed by Nathanael West, CUGC’s captain, who, in light of his team mates’ successes, was determined to deliver a top score as well. He was able to compensate his lack in piloting skill by utilising his arm strength to pull back extra hard on the wheel brakes, thereby scoring 54.9m, less than a meter behind Polish weapon Tomasz.

This year we were blessed with some fantastic weather for the Annual varsity match. The Oxford team came to Gransden for 2 days, where a strong performance on the first day secured their ultimate victory, with the scores at '''525 to Oxford, and 478 to Cambridge'''.

* Joe Roberts