The outcome of the US Open and 18-m Nationals was very positive for JS pilots.
Jim Lee claimed the championship title for a second time this season! The first was during the Senior Championships with a JS3 and now in the Open class with his JS1C! Jim broke 161 kph over 653 km! In Jim’s own words: “The JS1 is the best glider ever built and I love “1C”!” The second and third podium position were taken by David Mockler and Dave Goggins, both also flying JS1C. Well done to these gentlemen for doing some great flying!
In the 18m class John Seaborn came back strong after the first few days and walked away with a fantastic well deserved win. John also did over 159 kph in his JS3 on a 635 km task!
It seems like John loves his new ship and shares his experience:
“My new JS3 was delivered just in time for the 18-Meter National Championships in Hobbs, New Mexico, USA. A few last minute challenges were handled through exemplary direct factory support. When my fabulous wife and crew and I arrived in Hobbs after the 990km drive from Colorado, I had a total of six hours in the JS3 and had never flown the glider with water ballast. The learning curve had a bit of an angle.
We loaded the glider to the 600-kilo maximum, and I launched into a cu filled New Mexico sky. My initial concern about the JS3’s high wing loading when wet proved to be unfounded as the glider handles beautifully heavy and seemed to climb remarkably well. This first impression was proven out over the next eight contest days.
Hobbs is a wonderful contest venue for several reasons including the storied history of the site hosting the 1983 World Gliding Championships, a massive concrete ramp and the ability to serve up a wide variety of weather. This year’s weather was no exception. We had everything from low and slow to high and fast. The best day was Day 3 with my JS3 completing the Area Task at 99.20mph (159.64kph) over 396.7mi (638.42km) only slightly behind the Open class winner in a JS1-C. That was a good day.
The JS3 compared very favorably to the other 18-meter gliders in the field even when relatively weak climbs were required when fully loaded. The run is where the JS3 shines, especially at the higher speeds dictated by the strong climbs when the weather was on. In all, I enjoyed flying the JS3 and it was good to be at the top of the score sheet after the last day.”
