2004 World Championships Germany.
Thursday 2nd September 1 o'clock Berlin time..
Right, we're here sitting on the Paddock Beer Garden Patio in the sunshine linked into the Hovercraft WiFi hotspot. (it's a tough life sometimes.)
State of play:
This is the first day of sunshine, after several days of rain.
Yesterday we have had practice and the first time trials and for F25, F3 & FS the first few positions as follows:
Grid positions:
F25Ist Rob Trussler
2nd Terry Chapman
3rd Rachael Gifford
F3
1 st Scott Tilly
2 nd Lewis Webb
3 rd Nick Long
4 th John Bucknell
5 th Jamie Lewendon
6 th Barry Staples
7 th Trevor Tilly
FS
1 st Jamie Lewendon
2 nd Michel Thiry
3 rd Richard Wiles
5 th David Kemp
8 th John Bucknell
One red flag caused by recovery driver going on the course.
Today practice and later time trials for FJ, F2 & F1. The drivers are annoyed because they can't count their 9 laps for the time trials..
The most spectacular 'Wheely' without flipping; Lewis Webb down the straight that when past the 'Oooh! Look at that'' stage, before coming down.
The first swimming certificate goes to Jamie Lu followed by a diving demonstration that received full marks from the judges, when he flipped his 'craft into the lake a couple of times.
The organising team have been very helpful, and the beer tent is good.
The list damage and blown up machine is pretty long already:
Mark Allman is waiting for a new shaft to be machined.
Robin Brickles has blown his thrust engine on his new 'craft and Michaela has blown her lift engine, so it's looks like they will make a single 'craft using the old one as a basis. At the moment they were having a politeness competition to see whose driving- (You race, no please you.)
Jay and Russel are really happy with their week so far: They've blown their lift engine and Helena & Lorna have done blown a piston each.
Phil Lodge has lightly seized twice.
Friday 3rd September, 4.10 pm Berlin time.
Bad journey stories include Denise & Mark Talbott, they were singled out and stopped whilst in convoy with Conrad et al for not paying for petrol 40 miles away, so they had to go back.
Chris and Sandra Barlow's ferry had to stop and pick up a dead body! It took them three attempts to find a lifeboat that worked!
The time trials for the rest of the formulae went well, with the British ending up with every single pole in all formulae.
Friday has dawned bright and cloudless and we're promised 26 deg for the next few days.
The first set of races has just finished.
FJ Tom Long stormed it followed by two Swedes and an American.
FS (A heat) Jamie started with a good lead, but dropped out. Lewis Webb managed a 1 min 2 lap, which was faster then all the F2's.
FS (B heat) There were lots of European's in this heat, and it was a bit of scrum.
F2 (A) Chris Barlow had a good start from poll, but gradually got pasted by Harry, Anne-Christine and a couple of others, this was due to him losing his rudder linkage.
F2 (B) Tony Goldney Stormed it, and was up to half a lap in front of second place man Dennis Ragot.
If I don't drink too much Beer I may update this later with some proper results
Saturday 4th September 6.20 Berlin
First suspected broken bone:
Bronwyn Black, one finger on the bouncy castle. But the German nurses not understanding welsh were calling her Browny Black.Falling out: Alex Walmsley made his own ski jump on the lake.
Conrad discovered the straw bales were not randomly placed when he headed off with a sickly lift, and discovered a concrete block.
Least built hover:
John & Jamie turned up with a bag of bits.Rolled hovers:
Lorna & her 503.
Harry (swede) rolled on first corner but managed to only lose a few places.
Swimmers:
Russ Hudson, and twisted the frame so badly he had to use the 503 for the rest of the day.
Jake managed to test the new amphibious properties of the Primo.
Big blow up:
American whose prop went mid roll, by the time they put it on the trailer it was in the same state John and Jamie's were at the start of the week.
Dan Newton who was nudged by a landing Metzner on the first corner, which caused much damage. Which needed most of Team England to rebuild.
And Dan Newton has just this moment materialized at high speed through the hedge in front of us, landing on the horse track. He started lifted right up and then landed and spun round hitting the hedge. This immediately caused a red flag, as he could no longer be seen by the marshals.
Now four minutes later he is gridding up again.
In the last F1 one rerun Dan Newton stopped with blown blades, and we are now waiting to see who caused the second red flag, which ended the day.
Sunday 5th September 18:45 Berlin Time
After some totally amazing racing that had everyone on the edge of their seats, it's all over bar the drinking.
The results are as follows:
FJ
1st Tom Long (Great Britain)
2nd Marcus Westerberg (Sweden)
3rd Tommy ?-stermann (Sweden)
F25
1st Rob Trussler (Great Britain)
2nd Terry Chapman (USA)
3rd Chris Barczynski Jnr (Canada)
FS
1st Richard Wiles (Great Britain)
2nd Jamie Lewendon (Great Britain)
3rd Michel Thiry (Belgium)
F3
1st Scott Tilley (Great Britain)
2nd Jamie Lewendon (Great Britain)
3rd Lewis Webb (Great Britain)
F2
1st Anne-Christine Dupont (France)
2nd Tony Goldney (Great Britain)
3rd Michel Ricard (France)
F1
1st Michael Metzner (Germany)
2nd Conrad Beale (Great Britain)
3rd Michele Scanavino (Some other planet)
See you soon, with a full results list.