Lone glider

Over Innsbruck.
On Monday the sun shines! A ridge of high pressure is mentioned. By midweek things should be cooking!
I take the cable car up to launch at Seegrube. The car slows to an agonizing crawl as it nears the top and to take my mind of this I watch a couple of free fliers effortlessly lope off the ramp into the cool three-dimensional playground above Innsbruck. There is the usual competition commotion on top. Amid a sea of gliders and officials the French team manager is busy arguing over the start list. Gordon Rigg first on the list, clipped in and standing before the start box, is looking hassled. Inevitably he is 'pushed' and a steady stream of pilots begin to enter the aerial arena for the task. The main drama of the day takes place at the secondary take off to the west of the main ramp. Felix Rühle, designer of the Atos, has crashed on take off, seriously smashing his knee on the rocks. Down in Innsbruck the rotor blades of the yellow emergency helicopter once again sweep into life and Felix is hoisted off the mountain. Christof Kratzner was among those caught in the ramp queue whilst this was happening and he was first off when the launches re-opened with a 45 minute extension to the window. The wind is a strong northerly, which on a high southerly-facing ridge means difficult conditions and turbulence.