Dates: 28th -31st May
Duration: 4 days
Cost: £ 70 (Newcomers £60)
Max Pilots: 100
Location: Tibbie Shiels Inn, St Marys Loch, Selkirkshire, TD7 5LH
Tel: 01750 42231
FAI Category: 2

About 35 registered pilots and late entrants braved the Scottish weather to attend this years first round, and Scottish Cup, in the Scottish Borders

The Tibbie Shiels Inn, where once again the competition was based, is sandwiched between two lochs in one of Scotlands most beautiful locations. Earlier in the month no less a respected paper than 'The Times' listed the Inn as one of the top 50 locations to eat in the countryside. The acolade may well be deserved - though you can be reasonably confident the reviewer never experienced the campsite portaloos.

The Friday saw us at Broughton Heights under a buoyant sky. A race to goal to around Galashiels was set and no sooner was the window opened than the wind moved more northerly forcing several pilots down in the bowl left of takeoff. A gaggle got away but soon we could see showers upwind and the conditions changed to the wrong side of marginal. Meet Director Gareth Aston wisely decided to can the day. That evening we were entertained by Tommy's band and later Cris Miles solo on vocals and guitar.

Saturday was forecast to be wet and windy, but in fact it started off lovely with rain North and South but not around the Borders. After a rebrief we headed to CacraBank in the Ettrick Valley where local heros Tommy and gang eased the walk up by carrying the gliders in their ATV's. The weather didn't play ball and some avoided the long walk down by flying in the rain. Later back at the campsite Adam Bednall towed a rope across the loch for pub landlord Alistair to winch Marra on his Kiteboard back across the water.

Sunday it poured down from early on and the day was canned.

For those who stayed, their patience was rewarded on Bank Holiday Monday when we woke up to a beautiful day with clear skies and excellent visibility. We headed up to Megget, a long walk but a site well suited to the range of directions forecast for the day. An elapsed time task was set to the Tinto Hotel, via the Devils Beef Tub and Abington. Leaving early was the best decision as the clouds spreadout and everything went into shadow for miles around. Thermals were still to be had before everything shut down. Ed Cleasby and Mark Riches made the best distances on a difficult day, but Ed missed the turnpoint at the Devils Beef Tub. Any opportunity for anyone else still at takeoff to do better was stopped when Martin Sandwith suffered a collapse near take-off which dropped him hard on his back. This incident forced Gareth to close the window and ask pilots in the vicinity to land to let the helicopter in. The helicopter arrived and the paramedics decided on account of Marra's obesity, they'd need a much larger helicopter to winch him off the hill. By the time the requested Sea King arrived and took him to hospital the wind had completely switched, making take-off impossible.

Fortunately at the hospital an X-ray revealed he had only suffered bruising and he was back at the pub in a few hours.

Results.

Photos:
Ed Cleasby.
Barbara St Aubyn.