Darling Downs Easter Regatta
By Peter Stephenson
By Peter Stephenson
I belong to the Caboolture Gliding Club (CGC) and have been a member since the club first began in 1990. CGC members have gone regularly out to Darling Downs Soaring Club (DDSC), often to attend the Club's week-long course called Caboolture Week in September/October each year. I first attended in 2001 when I was coached by the late great Alan Latemore, and attended again multiple times, culminating in some 300km flights.
I soon heard of the Easter Regatta, a fun type of competition that was held inland from Brisbane – but I was never in a position to attend. I believe our Club even hosted the Regatta one year at Dalby. I have recently changed my work schedule to three weeks on and one week off. Well, this year, that one week off coincided with the Regatta. More importantly, it also coincided with my brother in law’s 70th birthday in the UK where my wife was to be a surprise guest!
I did not want to actually enter the Regatta, as I had not flown cross country for many years, so I volunteered as ground crew. I owed Sarah Thompson a retrieve, as she had retrieved me and the Ventus on her first ever solo retrieve and I knew that she would be at the Regatta. Outlanding is an integral part of gliding, and retrieving is all part of the fun. I am an L2 gliding instructor at CGC, a non cross country club, but I still prepare my students to be cross country pilots. I am always very pleased to see our members spread their wings and go cross country.
Every day of the Regatta started with morning briefing at 9:30 am. They were full of humour and camaraderie. Following on, we pulled out the gliders, and I helped with the DIs. Then Contest Director Jenny Thompson quickly put me to work as the Launch Controller. I had only expected to be hooking on and running the wings and retrieving!
Soon after the fleet had launched, we retired to a covered area beside the runway to watch the real-time maggot race (flight traces) on the pureglide app. Watching the flights was riveting, as I experienced empathy with the pilots, remembering my challenging flights of yesteryear.
We had our first outlanding on Easter Saturday. I wanted to go but everyone took off, leaving me behind. Those that went out had a party in the paddock - with photos to prove it! The next day we had another outlanding and guess who was the pilot in command – Sarah T. But this time, I made sure I was in the car pulling the trailer and, as the day before, everyone again attended and helped de-rig the K21b2 in the same party atmosphere.
There was only one other outlanding at the end of the competition. It was a PW5 with tiny wings that was so easy to de-rig. The local farmers helped, and I just held the torch! When we returned, the final dinner was all set up in a magical atmosphere with the delicious smells of a BBQ in the air. Before the dinner, the presentation ceremony was held, all in the same atmosphere of mateship that started each day of the Regatta.
So it is true. The Easter Regatta is an event not to be missed, whether you are a competitor or a volunteer on the ground.
Darling Downs Easter Regatta
3 - 11 April 2026
1 Geoff Brown Temora GC JS1 TJ 18m 5,182
2 Jo Davis DDSC ASW 20 4,126
3 Mike Codling DDSC ASW 20 3,645
Full results at soaringspot.com tinyurl.com/4vcxpvdx
HORSHAM WEEK
Horsham Week 2026: Six Tasks Over
the Victorian Mallee
Horsham Week ran across eight days in the first half of February, drawing pilots from gliding clubs spread across Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia to the flat, sun-scorched plains of the Wimmera district. The competition was split into two classes — Club and Open — and ultimately produced six scored tasks apiece, with two days lost to weather mid-week.
STRONG START
Flying began on Saturday 7 February and the first four days delivered four consecutive tasks before conditions put competition on hold on 11 and 12 February. Racing resumed on the 13th and closed out on 14 February, which proved to be the final scoring day for both classes.
Tasks were set over the broad, flat country north and west of Horsham, using turnpoints at places like Wooroonook, Watchupga, and Jeparit. Opening task distances for the Open Class reached well over 300 kilometres on the declared leg total on day one, with pilots given 2 hours 45 minutes to work the course. The final task on 14 February was a more compact 240 km for the Open class, while Club pilots flew a variable-distance task with a declared band of roughly 114 to 250 km, nominally 180 km, over two hours.
Jack Hart Takes the Club Class Title
Jack Hart of Temora Gliding Club flew a Pegase 101 throughout the week to finish in 1st place overall in Club Class with 4,462 points. He scored maximum points on Day 2 and topped the standings on Days 1 and 4 as well, giving him a lead that held even after a more difficult final two days. His consistency across the week, rather than any single dominant performance, was what ultimately separated him from the field.
Craig Vinall and Mike Durrant Fight it Out in Open Class
Craig Vinall of Waikerie Gliding Club won Open Class with 4,441 points, flying an AS33Es in 18m configuration. Craig's week was built on reliable high placements rather than a string of daily wins. He took maximum points on Day 2, finished 2nd or 3rd on most other days, and did not drop to lower than 6th place across the six tasks. That steadiness proved to be enough.
Max Hedt Award
Aside from the crowning of our champions in Open and Club Class, two other awards were announced at the final night's Presentation Dinner.
A notable and relatively new award, the Max Hedt Award, is named after one of the founding members of Wimmera Soaring Club/Horsham Flying Club. Max passed away in late 2025. Aside from being a founder of the club, Max instigated the Horsham Week competition as we know it today.
The award is presented to a person attending Horsham Week as a pilot, crew member, organiser or volunteer. The awardee is recognised for their contribution to the event as a whole, being friendly and welcoming, willing to get stuck in and lend a hand and bringing enthusiasm to their fellow pilots, crew, organisers and volunteers.
After consultation with his fellow operations team and senior members of the Horsham Flying Club, our Competition Director Craig Dilks handed the Max Hedt award to Leonie Furze from Temora Gliding Club.
Horsham Week
7 - 14 February 2026
CLUB
1 Jack Hart Temora Gliding Club Pegase 4,462
2 Steve Jinks Bendigo Gliding Club Mosquito 4,168
3 George Schuit Outback Soaring Cirrus 3,582
OPEN
1 Craig Vinall Waikerie GC AS33Es/18 4,441
2 Mike Durrant Bendigo GC Jantar 19m 4,232
3 Richard Traill Melbourne GC ASG 29 E 18m 4,076
Full results at soaringspot.com tinyurl.com/horsham26
WAGA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS BEVERLEY
Ashley Boyle Takes WAGA Title in Beverley
The Western Australian Gliding Association's 2026 State Championship wrapped up at Beverley on 14 February after ten days of competition that ultimately delivered five valid tasks over the Wheatbelt. When the scores were tallied, Ashley Boyle of Narrogin Gliding Club had claimed the title with 4,470 points. His consistent flying across five all five tasks effectively held off Karsten Bojesen of the Beverley Soaring Society on 4,396 and Greg Beecroft, also from Beverley, in third on 4,346.
What made Ashley's win noteworthy was the aircraft he flew to it, the Jantar 2b — a Polish design from the late 1970s with a handicap of just 1.005. Karsten flew a JS3 TJ (handicap 1.11), Greg an ASG 29 18m (handicap 1.1), and several others brought similarly competitive recent gliders. Ashley's result reflects a combination of solid thermal selection, disciplined pacing and an ability to extract the best from a glider that gives away a significant handicap advantage to its rivals.
WAGA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
BEVERLEY
5 - 14 February 2026
1 Ashley Boyle Narrogin GC Jantar 2b 4,470
2 Karsten Bojesen Beverley SC JS3 TJ 18m 4,396
3 Greg Beecroft Beverley SC ASG 29 18m 4,346
Full results at soaringspot.com tinyurl.com/wagastate
