WEATHER was a major player in this year's Skyrace GP in Leeton and not in a good way.
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Gliders converged on Leeton at the start of the new year for the event, which kicked off with a practice day on January 3.
However, only several full days of competition were able to go ahead after wild summer weather, including storms and heavy rain lashed the area.
The final day of competition was held on Monday, with first place honours going to Scott Lennon for the second consecutive year.
Andy Maddocks came in second, while international glider Christian Striefeneder took out third place.
One of the organisers of Skyrace GP, Nick Gilbert, said 19 pilots took part in this year's event.
"We had 40 enter, but COVID concerns stopped a lot of people from coming unfortunately," he said.
"It was a shame, but it is what it is.
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"The weather was also pretty bad. We flew the first day and the last two days, but we lost four due to the bad weather."
There was one day where all pilots "outlanded", which Mr Gilbert said had the countryside between Leeton and Ardlethan littered with gliders "all over the place".
"Thankfully, everyone was safe and nothing was damaged during the weekend," he said.
"It was still a success and we had a great night (on Monday) to wrap everything up."
Mr Gilbert said the camaraderie among all those who attended made the event special once again, with thoughts already turning to next year's event.
Organisers are hopeful by that stage COVID won't have as big an impact on numbers, as well as having their fingers crossed for better weather conditions.
"We're definitely coming back ... that's the plan," Mr Gilbert said.
"We'll be back bigger and better."
The gliding competition is based at the Brobenah Aerodrome each year, with the organisers also thanked the Leeton Aero Club for their continued hospitality.
To keep up-to-date with the event and planning for next year, visit https://www.facebook.com/skyraceGP.
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