Report and pictures by Ian Mason
Champion of Champions closes winter season in style
The end of the winter F3F season may not be time to put away the winter thermals – since 2009 it’s been the time for the two-day Champion of Champions race.
This year’s race was held in the stunning setting of the North Yorkshire Moors, and as I drove up on the Friday I knew that I would be in for some special fish and chips as well as F3F.
Potential champions all
Multiday races are about the time to reconnect with good friends as well as the racing. Arriving the day before to enjoy some relaxed flying before the race reminds me of how I should be flying when the race starts the next day. It was great to meet up with almost half the field on a windblown Levisham.
Day 1 (Saturday)
Saturday saw everyone reassemble at Levisham, with the sun shining and the wind coming straight on. Those that took the opportunity to test fly certainly enjoyed the conditions.
A Motley crew stay warm on the edge before the start.
Perhaps the flight that turned the most heads was Greg Dakin, who was having only his second day with his new Saker and Wyvern models. Greg managed to scream his Wyvern around the slope EM style that had most pilots impressed and me worried he was going to rip the wings off it!
The Saker and Wyvern prowling
The wind being pulled around by the thermal activity did lead to some variation in the conditions. Mark Treble made the most of the conditions and landed a string of round wins – it was impressive to see him drag every ounce of speed out of the air.
Scotish raider Pete Gunning’s Freestylers at the ready
Flying his ‘well-loved’ Pitbull 1 Mark showed that the more you practise the luckier you become. By the end of the day Mark, Pete Gunning and Greg were starting to establish themselves at the top of the leaderboard as we headed for some refreshment.
Day 2 (Sunday)
Sunday proved to be one last blast of winter as the wind picked up steadily from 20 to 40mph throughout the morning.
Pete Gunning, flying his trusty Freestyler was on a charge. No more so than when he put in a blistering 31 second run to deliver what became the fastest time of the day among a raft of sub 40 times.
Hats off to Les, he didn’t get the chance to race the Mamba
Among the pilots and models that stood out was Andy Burgoyne and his Mamba. On the ground the Mamba’s quality is undoubted, while in the air it gives the impression of an agile and responsive model.
One pilot who deserves a special mention is Les Wood. Les’ broken wrist stopped him from flying his Mamba, but he ran the course on both days.
As the forecast rain came in, we beat a path for our cars with Mark holding on to first place by just 47 points with his 11,458 score.
Happy podium, Pete, Mark and Greg
A fantastic weekend’s flying organised by the North Yorkshire club, thirteen rounds of racing in a stunning location in excellent company.