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Here you could follow WGC flights in real time! Some six pilots in each class carried a GNSS flightrecorder, each equipped with transmitter wich gives regular position reports shown here. The flightpaths are still available.

The 26th World Gliding Championships are history

15m Class: Giorgio Galetto is new World Champion. Stefano Ghiorzo (second,left) and Steven Raimond (NL).

Sunday, 15th August, 1200: The 26th World Gliding Championships in Bayreuth came to an end this morning. The chairman of the International Gliding Commission IGC, Tor Johannessen from Norway, handed over the FAI flag to Dick Bradley from South Africa where the next world championships will be held at the End of December of the year 2000 in the town of Mafikeng.
The world champions are confirmed with the titles going to France, Italy and Germany. To Holger Karow in the Open Class, Giorgio Galetto

in the Racing Class and to title defender Jean-Marc Caillard. None of the nations was dominating. In the medal ranks are also New Zealand, the Netherlands and Denmark.
Competition director Peter Ryder is especially pleased that not one pilot or aircraft dropped out during the seven scoring days. At the finally neutralised last flying day, 122 pilots from 24 nations were ready to go, just like the WGC started (Ecuador had pulled out of the championships just prior to the WGC).
After a remarkable start, Holger Karow reaching

Open Class: New World Champion Holger Karow. Second Jan W. Andresen (left) in front of Bruno Gantenbrink

Standard Class: For second time World Champion Jean-Marc Caillard. Second and third John Coutts (NZL, left) and Laurent Aboulin

an average speed of 152 km/h over the 635 kilometer route in the Open Class, the weather did not play along for several days. At the conclusion of the championships it held challenging conditions for the pilots. With these last two flights this year’s World Gliding Championships were decided.
The best performances of this year’s championships were rewarded with several special awards: The Kees Musters Prize for the fastest flight went to Bill Bartell from the USA for an average speed of 130 km/h. The airline Deutsche

BA sponsored the prize for the fastest average speed in the Open Class. The prize, a watch, stayed in the company: Holger Karow received as reward for his 152 km/h average over a 635-kilometre polygon. Jan Walter Andersen from Denmark won the Robert-Kronfeld-Cup for flying the longest route in the Open Class.

The nation’s cup trophy went to the eight pilots of the German national team.

pokal_ger_15.jpg (28671 Byte)
The German Team wins the Nations Cup

World Soaring Cup
Nationenwertung

Rk Nat.
Members
Points

1 GER
8
901

2 FRA
8
894

3 NED
7
894

4 GBR
6
887

5 POL
5
879

6 USA
5
877

7 IRL
2
876

8 ITA
7
870

9 NZL
3
866

10 JPN
2
864

11 SWE
7
844

12 DEN
6
840

13 HUN
5
832

14 AUT
7
832

15 SUI
6
830

16 AUS
6
821

17 CZE
7
805

18 NOR
1
785

19 CAN
3
765

20 RSA
6
757

21 BEL
5
751

22 FIN
5
735

23 SLO
2
734

24 RUS
3
545

Government plans to tax airsport

With a press conference on Sunday morning, 8 August, at the airfield Bayreuth, the German Aero Club (DAeC) for the first time commented on the plans of the German government to introduce a tax for airsport. (report under Site: "tax on airsport")

Bavaria-Glide Daily News

What was going on at the airfield Bayreuth Bindlacher Berg? The participants of 26th World Gliding Championships were informed by the newsletter "Bayer Flyer" which was edited by Janet Hider Smith.
You can download the editorial pages of "Bayer Flyer" as pdf-files for Adobe Acrobat Reader (Look at left navigation column).

National teams

Do you know all the pilots who will compete in the 26th World Gliding Championships? Under "Village" they are introduced with a photo and their carrier in gliding.