SAFA Skysailor Magazine

14 SKY SAILOR May | June 2021 by Bruce Wynne Manilla, NSW, 20 to 27 February 2021: Since 1992, the NSW hang gliding championships have been held at Manilla every year in February or March. Although this is a ‘NSW’ competition, all comers are welcome. It is a congenial and fun competition attended by new and old pilots, although we could use a few more new pilots (SAFA please note). Twenty-six pilots attended, four from Queensland. Attendance was down due to Covid-19. The region is beautiful sweeping agricultural land with a few bits disfigured by mines. Dorothea Mackellar lived in this area when she wrote her famous poem ‘My Country’. A big acknowledgement to Godfrey Wenness for keeping this site available over many years and keeping it main- tained. With so many sites at risk of loss this remains a jewel in the crown. Also to the local Manilla community who still seem to like and support us. The comp was organised and run by Karl Kindle who put an enormous amount of energy into preparing and running the competition on behalf of the Newcastle HG club. Scoring was efficiently conducted by William ‘Billo’ Olive. Saturday 20th – Practice Day Our practice day had southerly winds and take off was from the SE launch. Many pilots were happy to dust off their gear and fly locally, landing at Godfrey’s. Approaching storms forced others into a hasty pack-up and a drive back down the hill. Rick Martin, Steve Docherty and Guy Hubbard flew head- wind to Lake Keepit Gliding club. Dick Heffer flew with them part way, then took a more tailwind vector, landing at Boggabri. Dick was promptly collected by Andrew Sutton and delivered to the Gloat Bar at the Royal Hotel Manilla where all gloating and smugness was duly counselled by Tom the publican. Sunday 21st – Task 1: Race to Yetman Task one was a straight line to Yetman, 197km. Wind was SW, with launch from the west Borah launch. It was a bit scratchy at first with many only making a few kilo- metres, however, several pilots got up and away and six made goal. Trent Brown was the fastest with two hours, 57 minutes. NSW State Hang Gliding Championships 2021 This page from top: Practice day – Steve Docherty heading to Lake Keepit Gliding club Storms coming on practice day – Jon Durand packing up quickly Photos: Bruce Wynne I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, of droughts and flooding rains. I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea, Her beauty and her terror – the wide brown land for me!