Tábor, Czech Republic

June 7 – 21, 2025

#USTeamCzech2025

MEET THE TEAM

Jared GranzowMeira Leonard2025-06-13T16:28:05-06:00

Jared Granzow

15 Meter Class

Mike SorensonSoaring Society of America2025-06-13T16:17:55-06:00

Mike Sorenson

15 Meter Class

Tony CondonSoaring Society of America2025-06-13T17:54:25-06:00

Tony Condon

Club Class

Sylvia GrandstaffSoaring Society of America2025-06-13T16:41:19-06:00

Sylvia Grandstaff

Club Class

John GoodSoaring Society of America2025-06-13T16:07:53-06:00

John Good

US Team Captain

CONTEST NEWS

20Jun, 2025

Team USA Report – WGC Day 14 – Final Report

Weather was good today – perhaps a bit better than forecast. Tasks were – as [...]

19Jun, 2025

Team USA Report – WGC Day 13

A difficult day with long tasks, more than half of which were not completed. The [...]

18Jun, 2025

Team USA Report – WGC Day 12

WGC2025 enjoyed its best weather of the contest thus far – though you could be [...]

17Jun, 2025

Team USA Report – WGC Day 11

A decidedly better forecast today. The front that brought rain has wandered off well to [...]

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Jun 14

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Friday the 13th's WGC report from John Good. (Today, Sat. is a rest day)
Friday the 13th at WGC2025 was a day much like 12th: often weak thermal lift to moderate altitudes in a cloudless sky. Today featured Area tasks, perhaps with the hope that these would reduce the tendency of gliders to concentrate, as Racing Tasks with their small turnpoints tend to do. But the short minimum times attached to each task – ranging from 2:30 down to 2 hours – gave pilots little option beyond touching each turn area, then promptly proceeding to the next.
We continue to be a bit puzzled at tasks short enough to be done in less than 3 hours (generally regarded as a minimum, weather permitting). Among other effects, it pretty well guarantees a long period of “start gate roulette” in which pilots mill around near their start line in one of a few (typically crowded) gaggles, waiting for others to start so as to have “marker” gliders out on course - very important on days when climbs are not marked by clouds. This is apparent when noticing how long after task-opening time the class winners started: in Club class, an hour and 22 minutes; in 15-Meter class, an hour and 48 minutes.
US Team pilots played the game about as others did. All started late enough to have some gliders ahead, and all got slowed at the end, as the day started to die a bit earlier than forecasts projected. Mike Sorenson needed one more good climb than could be found for a really good score; as it was, he finished 11th.
Tony Condon came up a trifle short, just outside the 5kn radius finish cylinder. He actually landed at an airport – though not on its runway. It turns out Tabor has two: the huge grass one hosting the contest, and another with a 6500’ paved runway located about 7 km northwest. This airport has quite obviously been decommissioned: the runway is covered with piles of wood and dirt, making it completely unusable. Fortunately, an adjacent field is in fine condition, allowing Tony a trouble-free landing and a fast retrieve.... (entire report on our FB page)#USTeamCzech2025

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Jun 13

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4th official contest day in Tabor from Club Class pilot Sylvia Grandstaff's cockpit.
And a message from the organizers on the official WGC site:
"Today’s flying at the World Gliding Championship took place once again under blue skies, with no cumulus clouds to mark the lift. Short Assigned Area Tasks (AATs) were set in all directions around Tábor to disperse all the gliders and decrease the amount of gaggles. Thankfully, the weather proved useable, with thermals reaching up to 1100 meters AGL and climb rates between 1 and 2 m/s—just enough for a solid competition day.
The thoughtful task setting and careful flying paid off, as all classes completed their flights successfully. More importantly, today marked a key milestone: with four valid tasks now flown, the championship is officially valid. That is thanks to the determination and skill of all the pilots who have worked hard through challenging and often smoky skies.
With that in mind, tomorrow will be a well-deserved rest day for competitors and crews alike—a chance to recharge, reflect, and prepare for the next phase of the contest.
Congratulations to our daily winners today and see you all on Sunday’s briefing!"
Rest well Team USA 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 #USTeamCzech2025

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Jun 13

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Today (6/13) from Tony Condon 's perspective :
2.5 hr task on a 6 hr soaring day, but minimum distance far enough that there wasn't much distance to be taken in the areas. So basically a racing task after waiting 2 hrs to start. Spent most that wait time thermalling off a hill with a castle on it.
I was fairly happy with how the day was going until the last leg where it all fell apart. I seemed stuck in perpetual sink and failed while trying to climb back to final glide and preferably a lil extra.
The approach from the NW is over higher ground, a forest and town and I was low enough to not feel brave enough to push across it. So I landed in a nice field and came up 2 km short of the finish.
Tomorrow is forecast a lil warmer with about the same blue lift as the last two days.
Tomorrow has been declared a rest day by the organizers.
https://www.weglide.org/flight/607695 #USTeamCzech2025

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Jun 13

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Friday 6/13 report from Jared: WGC Day 5.
Today was forecast to be another blue day. The question was how strong was it going to be? They called a pretty large area task with only 2hr 15min. We suspected we would only have to touch all the cylinders, and we were right.
Mike and I started towards end of the main group and as everyone left the thermals were weakening and we didn't get a great start at top of lift. It was late already and we had to leave to stay with the gaggle. The first run was terrible, and I soon found myself scratching at low altitude. I few people didn't make it past this first glide. I did find a weak climb though, and once I got back up, I got connected with a small gaggle and soon after that I was back with Mike too. The second leg was really fun and fast for a few thermals and we caught up to the main gaggle. Then the thermals started to weaken on the way to the 3rd turn point and it was a lot of slow climbs to get home but Mike and I both made it. Not everyone did. I finished about 2/3 down but could have been a lot higher if I had a better start. No pictures today as I was too busy flying with the gaggles but here's a cool picture of the local clubs' winch. They were using it on one of our practice days. Tomorrow's weather doesn't look great, and they have already called a rest day. Jared Granzow #USTeamCzech2025

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Jun 15

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Happy Father's Day and back to competition at the WGC Hot and humid today with possible T storms tonight. Area tasks for all. Launch times AND durations have been pushed back.
Club Class
Task 6, 15 Jun 2025
Task distance: 124.90 km / 402.27 km (263.10 km)
Task duration: 2:00:00
Sylvia Grandstaff FP Tony Condon S5
Tracking Club Class: https://glideandseek.com/?compDataUrl=https://gist.githubusercontent.com/matsmats418/3e0f93bffe82247857e0e7d5969cd5de/raw/afdfd0e1c5b2e2e503da7b886941827f47b96f28/wgc2025-club.json&viewport=49.24629,14.52530,9
15 meter Class
Task 6, 15 Jun 2025
Task distance: 125.53 km / 444.60 km (284.84 km)
Task duration: 1:45:00
Mike Sorenson AF Jared Granzow 73
Tracking 15M: https://glideandseek.com/?compDataUrl=https://gist.githubusercontent.com/matsmats418/24a6cfd6e6673355bbb4004962dbb945/raw/733c5f8a2a87034b865ee01e12eb0097fab0bac9/wgc2025-15m.json&viewport=49.45741,14.16550,9
#USTeamCzech2025

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Jun 16

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From June 15's Task 6~US Team Capt. John Good's report:
Today was a strange one. Forecasts agreed that an approaching front would at last sweep away the awkward airmass that has been troubling us for the past several days. As it approached, lift would improve, briefly reaching excellent altitudes (over 8000 ft) before rain invaded the task area.
The front took its time, leading to multiple launch delays (by 15-minutes steps) from a very optimistic 11:30 to 13:15. The Assigned Area tasks were short, and later shortened further: 2:00 for Club class, 1:45 for 15-Meter, just 1:30 for Standard class. The predicted excellent altitudes were eventually achieved – mostly under a certain few cumulus clouds – but good lift was sporadic, hard to center and very hard to find when low.
Most pilots again chose to delay their starts long after their task-opening time: indeed, only a few started within the first available hour. This makes sense when task times are short and conditions are improving, but of course means lots of time spent in crowded pre-start gaggles. I think there’s considerable sentiment here that more time on task and less spent milling around near home would be preferable.
The key to the day was to start high and make long glides to the few strong climbs (assuming you could know where to find them). US Team pilots didn’t really make this work. Tony and Sylvia found a couple of good climbs, but also had to work a number of weak ones. Mike never connected with the best conditions in the first turn area, but had a fairly good run into the second one and then home, yielding a respectable score and 16th place for the day. Jared did find one really good climb – and then not much at all. He was overtaken by shadow from tall clouds associated with the encroaching front, and had to start his engine not far north of Tabor.
The 100-point penalty applied to Tom Arscott’s flight on Day 4 was (unsurprisingly) the subject of a formal protest by the British team. We now hear that the protest has been adjudicated by the Jury, with the effect that the penalty has been removed (restoring Tom to first place in 15M class). . Full report on our FB page #USTeamCzech2025

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Jun 16

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Monday Funday at the WGC after Day was cancelled: Here are some behind the scenes photos of Team USA after the day was cancelled for all classes. More photos to come of International Night later today. Jared "won" the day by predicting that the day would be scrubbed and deciding not to rig in the rain.
-Leah #USTeamCzech2025

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Jun 17

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Club Class Nationals

Truckee Region 11 Championships

Tehachapi SSA Cross-Country Development Camp

Club Class Nationals

Truckee Region 11 Championships

Tehachapi SSA Cross-Country Development Camp

2023 SSA Calendar

90 Year Long Sleeve Polo

90 Year Soaring Mug

SSA Puffer Jacket

SSA Member Lapel Pin

15″ Laptop Backpack

Cloudstreet Blu-Ray DVD

SSA Camo Hat

Vintage Denim Blue Hoodie

SSA Logo Soft Shell Jacket

Tábor, Czech Republic

June 7 – 21, 2025

#USTeamCzech2025

MEET THE TEAM

Jared Granzow

Mike Sorenson

Tony Condon

Sylvia Grandstaff

John Good

CONTEST NEWS

Team USA Report – WGC Day 14 – Final Report

Team USA Report – WGC Day 13

Team USA Report – WGC Day 12

Team USA Report – WGC Day 11

FUND THE TEAM

Subscribe to SSA News

Lists*

Club Class Nationals

Truckee Region 11 Championships

Tehachapi SSA Cross-Country Development Camp

Title

39th FAI World Gliding Championships

Tábor, Czech Republic

June 7 – 21, 2025

#USTeamCzech2025

MEET THE TEAM

CONTEST NEWS

FUND THE TEAM

Subscribe to SSA News

Lists*

Title