The Husbands Bosworth Challenge Cup 2023 is taking place from 12th August to 20th August at The Gliding Centre.
This is one of the biggest Regional Gliding Competitions in the country, with 58 competitors taking part this year. The competitors are split into three individual racing groups/classes based on the gliders’ handicaps, to give a fairer competition.
You can follow this event by checking its own blog at https://husbos.robocontrol.uk/web/Challenge-Cup-2023 where daily updates and progress during the day will be announced.
For those not familiar with glider competitions, each class is set a series of turning points to reach in its own race, using flight recorders to prove how far they got. It is a time trial event, where part of the skill is choosing when to start after being launched so that you fly in the best weather, if possible. The best pilots calculate how long they expect to take and try to fit that time interval into the best time period of the weather. Slower pilots often start early on as they need longer to complete the race. Computer analysis of each pilot’s flight recorder data is used, with points awarded for speed (if they complete the race) and distance flown. so even those who land in a farmer’s field get points. Cumulative points over the course of the competition decides the final results. Races can be as short as 100-150km but 200 – 300km is the normal sort of distance in good weather, and even 500km+ races can occur. Not bad for a glider with no engine, just exploiting the energy nature provides.