Thirty-nine gliders are in the Wimmera for the annual competition, with excellent conditions across Saturday and Sunday producing some impressive speeds.

Horsham Flying Club president Arnold said the weekend saw some of the highest speeds in some gliders’ careers.

“People were saying they were flying the fastest they had ever flown,” he said.

“The highest average speed on Sunday was 148km/h. It’s not the fastest that’s ever been flown at Horsham but for some of the others, especially in the club class, it’s the fastest some of them have ever flown.”

Mr Niewand said while some results had been tallied from the weekend, it was too early to predict who might be the week’s winner.

Haidyn Dunn averaged 114km/h on Saturday to win the open class, while John Orton, 110km/h, and Phillip Ritchie, 106km/h, took out the standard 15-metre and club classes respectively.

During Sunday’s flying session, Peter Buskins sizzled with an average speed of 148km/h to win the open class.

Andy Smith, 142km/h, won the standard 15-metre class and Steve Jinks, 118km/h, claimed the win in the club class.

Mr Niewand said while speeds were high, pilots did not feel as though they were flying quickly until they came in to land.

“The realisation of speed is recognised more when you come in to land. That realisation of speed can be quite dramatic,” he said.

Despite the excitement across the weekend’s competition, Monday and Tuesday’s weather was not up to ideal flying standards.

“The weather wasn’t hot enough to produce thermals that go high enough,” Mr Niewand said.

“There were two gliders that flew around on Tuesday and one made it to Warracknabeal and back but it was quite hard work.

“But Sunday was a very good day for them to do cross country distances of up to 450 kilometres.”

Mr Niewand hopes for better weather later this week.

“We expect to fly on Wednesday, but we’re not sure about Thursday. Friday and Saturday are too far out ro predict,” he said.