The Welsh Summer Day!

 Whether it was the Saturday spent carrying bags around the shops or painting the hall, but just a week before Lundy at least this half of the SlopeRacer team was given a pass to race in the Ken Philips Trophy on the Wrecker.  So with just 6 days before heading to Lundy, ignoring the hill’s name, I headed off with my Wizard F3F’s shaking nervously in the back of the car.  Although I was telling myself that this was a day for setting up and having fun, it’s always good to pit yourself against some expensive plastic and fast thumbs.

  Remarkably the race coincided with this year’s Welsh day of Summer.  And so as the race was set-up at a leisurely pace there was time to see Simon Thornton seeing just how fast the Extreme could go on that world famous slope, the answer is - VERY!  Old Golden balls defiantly has the knack of turning all the available energy to speed and as the race got underway, the combination of Simon and the Extreme delivered good time after good time.

  As the sunshine warmed us, the day for many pilots was one of showing what they could do when the big air came through and then giving good photo opportunities the next round.  Although the long walk to the top of the Wrecker to land and only 14 pilots kept camera time and rest to a minimum it’s fair to say that Ron and Clayton’s Acacias showed their pedigree at times.

  Although, like me, only claiming to be setting up his new Strega, Wooden Balls Adam Richardson had obviously applied some polish as his new Strega consistently rounded the bases at ever increasing speeds.  The new stiffer wings had him on the way back from a corner apparently faster than he went in.  The only delay to Adam’s progress was whilst we bullied him into launching into apparently zero wind- straight into a thermal.  This consistency earned Adam 3^rd place overall, where he was joined on the ‘podium’ by Simon and Kevin, all ready to kick Zim’s butt at the nationals!

  My own day was great fun with the smooth handling Wizards, but the V and the cross tail version rewarded a smooth flying and even I was finding the line as the day rolled on- right until I found the forward marker post.  Commitment that!