At briefing on Thursday the question was asked when randomweighing would start. 'Today' was the answer, and true to their word severalgliders were pulled aside and weighed in the hangar. One consequence of beingweighed in the hangar is that the 2% buffer for outdoor weighing does not applyso a ‘sudden death’ penalty applies. This was the case for the Finnish pilotflying CW who was found to be approx 18kg over and received a penalty of 333points. Pilots do have the option of a voluntary weigh each day and then areallowed to drop water down to the minimum weight without penalty.

I suspect that today a few may do this.

During the launch there was a call to the ratherunderpowered Scout tow plane “I have plenty of speed now so if you’d like toclimb that would be lovely”.

The tug pilots rate their success each day by the number oftimes they are asked for ‘5 more knots please”. Their score is rarely zero.

Yesterday the organisers delegated the opening of the startgate to Jo Pocklington. She did an excellent job - of course.

As I mentioned when David Wilson was asked yesterday whattime the sea breeze would arrive he predicted 7.50, he was wrong by one minute,it arrived at 7.49.

Simon Holding did not outland, as the scores originally suggested,but had an electrical failure during the flight. Various IT ‘experts’ have scrambledto assemble enough data to provide a complete trace.