Countdown to the 37^th FAI World Gliding Championships, Narromine, NSW December 2023

The countdown to WGC 2023 is well and truly underway, with only a matter of weeks to go before teams arrive and competition starts.

Formal entries have been flowing in from across the globe, and official team registration is now open. We’re expecting a field of around 70 to 80 pilots across Club, Standard, and 15 Metre Classes, representing 20 plus nations. With such a strong field, and a hot, dry summer forecast for Eastern Australia, we can look forward to a spectacular competition!

On-site registration, scrutineering, and unofficial training all kick off in Narromine on 20^th November. The first Team Captains’ briefing will be held on 28^th November, and official training will be held from 29^th November to 1^st December, before the Opening Ceremony which will be held on Saturday 2^nd December. This should be a fantastic event, with all the national teams parading, VIPs including local, State, and Federal dignitaries as well as Ambassadors and embassy staff in attendance, and plenty of food and entertainment on hand!

Contest flying commences on Sunday 3^rd December, and runs through to Friday 15^th December, with the Closing Ceremony and Prize Giving on Saturday 16^th.

Arrangements for the competition are on track, with a highly committed and experienced team of close to 50 volunteers from across Australia and the Czech Republic, working hard to ensure an excellent event.

Competition Director Mike Durrant has been guiding the preparation for the contest, including the development of Local Procedures and other key documentation, liaison with the IGC and Team Captains, and working with organising team leaders to plan for the competition. Deputy Competition Director Beryl Hartley has been overseeing all airfield preparation, local arrangements, events, funding, and public relations, ably assisted by Jacob Bloom, Ross McLean, and Sean Young. Jenny Thompson is our very capable Operations Director, supported by Bill Bartlett as Tug Master, and Kerrie Claffey who will lead the marshalling and launch teams. Other key team positions include David Jansen as Task Setter; Neil Campbell as Chief Scorer; Rolf Buelter as Safety Officer; Ed Marel as Meteorologist; Jack Hart, who will lead Scrutineering and Daily Weighing; and Kathy Bell in the Competition Office.

Significant contributions have already been made by other team members, including Jarek Mosiejewski and Alf McMillan who have built a high quality online registration system for the competition; and David Pickles and Mick Webster, who have led the development of an Emergency Response Plan. We also have volunteers who have come forward to help with all the other roles we need to run the competition, ranging from flight line roles to administrative roles, and we appreciate each and every person’s contribution. The competition simply could not happen without this extraordinary level of volunteer commitment.

Several of our volunteers came together in Narromine in mid-September for a site visit, to inspect the airfield and its facilities, and to finalise aspects of operational planning. This was a very successful meeting, and we thank Beryl and Arnie Hartley for arranging the visit and for their great hospitality.

At this point, all our volunteer team roles are filled, but anyone wishing to be waitlisted for a role can contact us via the competition website below. There are still one or two overseas pilots looking for local crew, so if you or anyone you know may be interested in crewing at the competition, please contact us as soon as possible at registration@wgc2023.com.au.

Meanwhile we’d like to welcome you all to come and visit the airfield at Narromine during the competition, cheer along the competitors, and soak up the amazing atmosphere. If you can’t be there in person, you can follow the competition at:

Soaring Spot: https://www.soaringspot.com/en_gb/37th-fai-world-gliding-championships-narromine-2023/results
LiveGliding: https://tracking.livegliding.com.

The competition organisers would like to thank Destination NSW for providing funding support for to the competition, along with all other competition sponsors, whose support we greatly appreciate. We also thank the GFA and the IGC for their ongoing assistance and advice.

To find out more, visit the competition website at https://wgc2023.com.au.

We look forward to holding a fun, fair, and safe competition!