NOVEMBER 2006 CLUB 40 RACE REPORT
What do the numbers 34 and 37 have in common?
They are both records for the Club 40 Race Program! Once
again, a new record of 34 pilots registered to race on a
37-degree record cold morning. The venue this time was
at the Gainesville Flying Gators’ field on Saturday,
November 18th. On hand were members of nine clubs; the
Can-Am Flyers, OTOW, the Marion County Cloud Climbers,
the OFMC, Jacksonville’s Gateway club, Nature Coast,
Tri-County, the Southern Eagles, and the host ‘Gators!
The matrix was set up with 8 heats per round
after two registered pilots elected not to fly. The
first round had 4 pilots in every heat, with that Ghost
Guy showing up only in subsequent rounds after some
early attrition. Starter John Lake had the first race in
the air shortly after 9:30.
Flying in round two was halted briefly when
the food from Sonny’s BBQ showed up to allow everyone a
break. So that no one starved beforehand, Robin Lake had
brownies and Christmas cookies available. She also had
made some yummy desert goodies! Thanks, Robin.
When round three had ended we had flown 24
heats, consumed almost four gallons of fuel, and three
gents had perfect 12 point scores. To fill the fourth
open slot in the Gold Race, a five-lap fly off was held
between Tom Craig, Ed Smith, and Pat Lanfri, all of whom
were tied with 11 points each.
Tom won this one and advanced to the Gold Race to fly
against Doug Bebensee, Kevin Wilson, and Glen Angle.
Kevin Wilson was charged with a jump-start penalty, and
Doug got too anxious and cut three times, throwing him
out of contention. What looked like a two-man race
between Tom and Glen for the win suddenly was thrown the
ever lurking fickle-finger of pylon racing called a mid
air! This happened between the pylon number two and the
finish line, thus allowing Kevin to cruise to a win. A
coin was tossed to determine who received the second and
third place awards. In retrospect, the team from the
NTSB that went on the field to retrieve aircraft parts
could have determined second place by whose aircraft
parts had advanced closet to the finish line! Might we
point out that this was Kevin’s first Club 40 race? Well
done to all!
One of the UF Aeronautical Engineers who also is a
Flying Gator and a semi-professional photographer
volunteered his services; when he sorts them all out in
a few days, you will be given a link to his collection.
Mujahid has already given any of you club Web Masters or
News Letter Editors permission to use the photos.
All in all, the racing in 2006 has gone very well and
most folks are quite happy, but we still have a few
minor issues to work out over the winter. Soon, separate
mailings will solicit ideas and suggestions on how to
improve and perhaps speed up race procedures, so be
thinking of how you would like to improve things. The
aircraft/engine rules will not change.
A huge hats-off to all of you racers, callers, and
workers - both on and off the course – for making this
an accident-free and vary safe race year! WELL DONE!
See y’all February in Lady Lakes. (Does anybody have a
good map to the Southern Eagles field that you could
send me?)
Submitted by Russell & Lyman
