Olympus Cup in Estonia, Wednesday August 20 2008
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Wednesday August 20

Gintaras Šurkus,  my old friend, has invented the competition format that we have always used in Estonia, last time in Rakvere and Keila in 2005. We use neither observers nor GPS loggers for recording what happens during the flights and for determining how close to goal the competitors have succeeded to fly. We use limited scoring areas around the goals and teams for measuring the results. It is quite challenging to pilots and to competition director. The former must reach areas with 200 - 600 meter diameter -- otherwise they get no result -- and the latter must find launch fields and goals that make it possible for at least the best to succeed. The rules are simple and no committee is needed for changing them. If I invent a new trick, I can add it to the rules.

Equipped with competition map, GPS and notebook we head North East and East from Võru. We are after goals sites. They fall in three categories: intersections of  small roads with no forest or crop around, intersections where at least the roads (and perhaps a narrow strip along them) could be used as scoring areas, and large fields where we could set a big cross made of canvas. Naturally there can be no crop on the field. No cattle and power lines near any of the three types.

We find several sites of type two and three. I mark them on map, make a scetch in notebook and write down the coordinates. Valdur talks with farmers and gets permissions.

ON ONE OF THE BIG FIELD HARVESTING WAS HALTED BECAUSE ONE OF THE TWO HARVESTERS HAD BROKEN DOWN, NOT THE ONE IN THIS PHOTO. WE GOT PERMISSION TO USE THE AREA THAT WAS ALREADY HARVESTED.

Deividas called that they had reached a sign declaring the limit of Võru. We meet them there and tell them what to do: 1) establish themselves at Väimela, 2) go find launch fields in West and South West, 3) meet us at two a'clock at Spordikeskus, which would be then open (it was a National Holiday, you remember).


WE MET DDD&D AT THE COMMUNITY LIMITS. DEIVIDAS, DAINA, DARIUS SENIOR AND JUNIOR WERE A LITTLE TIRED AFTER SITTING IN BUSS FROM VILNIUS TO TALLINN AND THEN IN CAR TO VõRU.

Valdur and I headed to Estonian Road Museum in Põlva. There we find out that it really is a national holiday: the museum was closed. Some of the exhibited things, a buss stop, a Beetle, road consruction machines and a buss are in the open air. Through a door window we can peek into an exhibition hall, but the main building remains out of bounds. -- The museum is regarded one of the best in Estonia.

PEEPING TOMS IN ESTONIAN ROAD MUSEUM: A VIEW THROUGH A DOOR WINDOW. BIGGER IMAGE, DIFFERENT.

COMPETITION HEADQUARTERS. We establish ourselves at Võru Sports Center. Official Competition Maps are posted at Official Notice Board in the lobby, where competitors register themselves and receive maps and various competition papers. Competition Office is upstairs. Tarmo Rande makes sure that our combined printer and photo copier works, and the Internet connection. I tape the staff's timetable on the wall. I make sure that we can get in at late and early hours and that the door to Lauri Semevsky's, the director's, room remains open over night. The forecasts from EMHI come through his fax at 14:00, 21:00 and 5:00.

Darius and Deividas arrive. They have found a launch field in Sõmerpalu, in West, and another in Tsirgupalu, in South West. Both are about 10 km from town. They had been helped by Karl Ruuda, a newspaper man from newspaper Võrumaa Teataja, in getting permissions from landowners. D&D do not speak Estonian, they speak Lithuanian, Russian and English. Most Estonians  understand enough Russian to answer Da or Njet to a question posed in that language, but it is much better to speak Estonian when asking for favours. I speak English with DD&D and Finnish with Valdur. Valdur and the Ds communicate in Russian. I give all competition information to pilots in English, without translation. -- I can read Estonian, but my vocabulary is very small.

OPENING.  The opening ceremony, with accompanied food,  will take place in our briefing room. That is why we decide to have a 10 minute General Breafing right before the opening. It is time enough for having a Roll Call and pointing out the most immediate things to do. All other things are already given to pilots in form of General Briefing Notes.

The speeches of  Võru mayor Kersti Kõosaar, Keila mayor Tanel Mõistus and Olümpus Eesti OÜ director Arvo Viilup are right to the point. Valdur declares the event opened. Everybody attacks the food that is good to look at and tastes accordingly.

BALLOON GLOW AT TAMULA BEACH.  It rains when we drive to lake Tamula under convoy, a police car in front and policemen stopping traffic from side streets. Big crowd is already waiting us. Valdur gives an interview over the public address and Ilkka Korhonen prepares his balloon. I leave for headquarters before he  has Olympus standing.

TIMO KORHONEN AND OLYMPUS BALLOON AT THE BEACH OF LAKE TAMULA. RAIN OR NOT RAIN, PEOPLE OF  VõRU CAME TO SEE THE GLOW. PHOTO JAAKKO VIRTANEN.

TASKS FOR THE MORNING.  Forecast for the morning promises winds from 230 degrees at 1000 feet and below to 260 degrees at 5500 feet, and brisk speed. Scattered clouds with base at 600-1000 feet. We have a good sheltered launch field in South West, the one that D&D scouted today. I prepare five tasks. The first goal is at Karellioja at NE edge of the town.

With Valdur I visit a pub to have a beer and few words with Olympus people and Rafaelle Verdura, our Italian competitor who has come a long way with a big team.