Welsh Open F3F 2026

The 2026 Welsh Open F3F will be held on 11, 12 & 13 September.

Entry will open on 1 March at 10:00 UK time. 

Find out more here.

Welsh Open 2022 photos

See all the photos here

Welsh Open 2023 - prizes

 For at least the 12th year on the trot the event will be sponsored by https://mks-servo.com/ and https://www.t9hobbysport.com/ 

Thanks guys!

Welsh Open 2023

Entry opens on Sunday 5 March 2023 at 10:00 UK time.

https://kevin-newton.blogspot.com/p/welsh-open.html

See you there 😊

Welsh Open 2021

 My write up of the 2021 Welsh Open is here.

Welsh Open F3F 2022

Note we’ve agreed to change the Welsh Open F3F date for 2022.

The final, agreed dates are confirmed as 9, 10 and 11 September. 

More information is here on how to enter.

The Welsh Open is once again proud to be sponsored by T9HobbySport and MKS. Thanks guys! 

Hopefully I’ll see you there! 

Samba Pike WR history

The original Samba Pike was a great plane but we thought lower drag, thinner tips could get more out of it for F3F. 

Samba built the most amazing set of foam tip panels to test the theory.

At that point it didn’t have a name, but during an F3F event in Wales I broke the world record with it and hence the Pike WR was born!

The original prototype is on its way back to Samba for safe keeping and hopefully display.

Welsh Open 2020

Well we did it!

For the 26th year on the trot the gods have smiled upon us and we got the race in.

We had to restrict the field due to local restrictions, and wider travel restrictions made attendance difficult too.

Ironically we had some great weather and fast times, so with the reduced headcount we flew 23 rounds! It was a great event, and good fun, and safe, but my over-riding memory will be the absent friends and competitors who would have made it an even richer competition.

As it turned out Peter Gunning was brilliant and kicked all our asses, he was untouchable! 

You can see my snaps here photos.

 

Welsh Open 2020 entry details

The 2020 Welsh Open F3F will be held on 11, 12 & 13 September

Entry will open at 12:00 on Saturday, 14 March and close at 12:00 on 9 August. The entry page will appear here at 12:00 on 14 March.

Entry is limited to 55 pilots. We will hold a reserve list if we have more than 55 pilots.
We need to cover the expenses of land usage, trophies and so on; the entry fee is €45.  Due to the uncertainty created by Covid 19 we are not setting a deadline for payment just yet.

Full details are here.

Jeti snapflap

Quick video to help Jeti users set up snapflap so that you can adjust it in flight.

Welsh Open 2019

Results

1 F Moro 3790.50 1000.00
2 P Gunning 3790.44 999.98
3 R Bago 3758.61 991.58
4 P Lanes 3718.84 981.09
5 J Wake Stensen 3691.55 973.89
6 S Bertschi 3660.00 965.57
7 D Rumble 3652.46 963.58
8 F Holtz 3624.03 956.08
9 I Elizondo 3615.42 953.81
10 M Treble 3567.77 941.23
11 M Evans 3564.06 940.26
12 E Maxwell 3562.53 939.85
13 B Tore Hagen 3553.91 937.58
14 A Burgoyne 3526.75 930.41
15 J Edison 3494.40 921.88
16 A Silgado 3492.49 921.37
17 P Stubley 3488.95 920.44
18 M Shellim 3453.62 911.12
19 S Lanes 3436.23 906.53
20 M Abbotts 3410.21 899.67
21 L Martinez Nieto 3409.43 899.46
22 J Phillips 3405.66 898.47
23 A Elliot 3400.45 897.09
24 B Andersen 3374.75 890.31
25 D Woods 3368.98 888.79
26 W Jul Ringkjob 3363.50 887.34
27 E Heijne 3350.61 883.94
28 G Dakin 3346.19 882.78
29 J West 3334.64 879.73
30 T Livingstone 3334.63 879.73
31 K Johansen 3325.44 877.30
32 K Newton 3306.47 872.30
33 D Skoglund 3299.49 870.46
34 A Ingles Elias 3298.11 870.09
35 K Wood 3296.28 869.61
36 H Riniker 3289.03 867.70
37 C Landells 3278.00 864.79
38 G Mahoney 3276.09 864.28
39 D Schneider 3257.24 859.31
40 B Hudson 3248.69 857.06
41 N Witchalls 3197.90 843.66
42 J Bioletti 3186.75 840.72
43 L Wood 3176.32 837.96
44 J Treble 3158.15 833.17
45 M Passingham 3121.79 823.58
46 T Robertson 3074.58 811.12
47 P Burgess 2960.85 781.12
48 A Tabero 2764.50 729.32
49 S Wallace 712.60 187.99

FTC Fernando Moro: 40.69 secs

Welsh Open 2018

Results

1 J West 12019.34 1000.00
2 M Treble 11921.19 991.83
3 J Phillips 11879.70 988.38
4 P Gunning 11732.65 976.14
5 I Elizondo 11635.25 968.04
6 S Wallace 11572.79 962.84
7 S Bertschi 11492.18 956.14
8 G Mahoney 11453.70 952.93
9 S Bernardy 11426.66 950.68
10 D Woods 11420.45 950.17
11 M Shellim 11414.40 949.66
12 D Rumble 11308.81 940.88
13 P Stubley 11299.27 940.09
14 F Donker Duyvis 11215.97 933.16
15 E Heijne 11108.44 924.21
16 A Burgoyne 11106.78 924.07
17 T Livingstone 11092.78 922.91
18 K Newton 11092.06 922.85
19 M Abbotts 11086.61 922.39
20 D Schneider 11052.16 919.53
21 L Martinez 11046.19 919.03
22 H Frank 10954.44 911.40
23 J Bioletti 10949.33 910.97
24 M Drewett 10889.82 906.02
25 E Maxwell 10821.03 900.30
26 A van Vark 10818.35 900.07
27 L Wood 10787.00 897.47
28 B Larrett 10635.66 884.87
29 J Treble 10629.52 884.36
30 D Watson 10604.34 882.27
31 R Ruijsink 10496.44 873.29
32 N Witchalls 10488.89 872.66
33 K Wood 10329.13 859.37
34 J Edison 10276.42 854.99
35 A Ingles Elias 9819.74 816.99
36 P Burgess 9794.16 814.86
37 S Ravenscroft 9627.50 801.00
38 A Elliott 9476.12 788.40
39 V Eldridge 8623.16 717.44

Fastest time Stuart Wallace (38.17 seconds)

Welsh Open 2017 - results - photos - report

Welsh Open 2017



Another year and another Welsh Open.  We’ve been running them for 20 years now, which makes them quite an institution. 
The last six or seven years it’s just been down to Andrzej and myself to organise and run them, and I live 400+ miles away.  Of course the reality is that people like Mark Treble, Joel, Stefan, Jon Edison and others step up over the three days and provide the real work that the competition couldn’t run without. We’re all indebted to them. 
This year I decided that I’d use this year’s event to make up my mind whether or not I attend any more - is it worth all the hassle? For the last few years I have only flown in Spain and at the the Welsh Open (other than one Scottish comp), so I need get to Wales a day early to have a fly. That means three days off work, 18 hours driving and getting home at 1 in the morning for work the next day. Also, because we have so few people to organise it, there’s always a last minute scramble and more pressure that there needs to be.  Anyone who didn’t occasionally question the sanity of that should probably not be allowed out unaccompanied!
The competition was, as ever, good fun. It was brilliant to see some old friends come back and to make some new friends too. 
Plenty of rounds flown. Plenty of fast times. Notable performances from many, particularly Rich Bago and Mark Abbotts. 
A great tussle between Iñaki and Fernando finally saw Iñaki come out on top. He’s always been awesome to watch - 100% commitment - and over recent years has converted exceptional rounds into exceptional competitions, and that's brought plenty of richly deserved trophies. 
As for me, I had an excellent time - thanks largely to the aforementioned who helped out. So much so that my pot of enthusiasm feels replenished, hopefully for another 20 years!

1	Iñaki Elizondo	6672.49
2	Fernando Moro	6507.86
3	richard bago	6420.04
4	Mike Shellim	6296.60
5	Joel West	6225.48
6	John Phillips	6120.35
7	Mark Abotts	6107.28
8	Alvaro Silgado	6076.53
9	Greg Dakin	6071.90
10	Kevin Newton	6067.16
11	Arjen van Vark	6066.52
12	Mark Treble	6000.12
13	Graeme Mahoney	5966.67
14	Stefan Bertschi	5948.36
15	Andy Burgoyne	5889.46
16	Jose Luis Alvarez	5886.74
17	Stefan Fraundorfer	5857.99
18	Paul Stubley	5845.14
19	Daniel Schneider	5803.36
20	Peter Aanen	5800.10
21	Dave Rumble	5797.46
22	Thomas Deinert	5780.94
23	Keith Wood	5741.02
24	Jose Ramon Azcona	5713.63
25	Mark Passingham	5698.21
26	Klaus Brettner	5694.05
27	Stefan Bernardy	5675.20
28	Martin Drewett	5659.08
29	Bernardo Gomez-Mayan	5635.72
30	Mike Evans	5585.87
31	Jason Bioletti	5558.28
32	Martin Ulrich	5530.15
33	Tony Livingstone	5495.09
34	Martin Overberg	5463.77
35	Rick Ruijsink	5460.85
36	Nigel Witchalls	5400.40
37	Stewart Wallace	5395.34
38	Mick Walsh	5348.64
39	John Treble	5342.17
40	Tony Robertson	5239.51
41	Jon Edison	5180.41
42	Les Wood	5172.72
43	Allen Elliott	5150.14
44	Peter Burgess	5122.05
45	scott ravenscroft	3285.93
46	George Young	2614.21
47	Peter Gunning	2613.36
48	Dave Watson	1555.7

Added a new page for those Scotland bound...

Scotland has some amazing slopes, like anywhere though, if you know where you're going it makes life a whole lot easier. So, with huge thanks to all the chaps who contributed to this, here you go...

Welsh Open 2017 dates and entry details confirmed

The 2017 Welsh Open F3F will be held on 15, 16 & 17 September.

Entry will open at 9:00 on Monday, 6 Feb and close at midnight of 25 August.

More details are here.

Welsh Open 2016

We've run a Welsh Open for the last 20 years or so.  Each one tends to have its own epic tail, usually involving weather, personal bests and people charging up and down the leaderboard - this one was no different.

This year it was a bit of a challenge to run as Andrzej couldn't arrive until Day 3 and I was feeling a bit jaded as the WO was the only completion I've entered this year and I was hoping to enjoy it rather than simply organise it. Up stepped Mark Treble, Joel, Andy, Stefan B, Graeme, Jon and Martin to help in such a spirited way it was actually fun to run - thanks chaps.  It's worth mentioning that Mark's timing software means that CDing the middle of the course is transformed into a pleasure rather than a chore.

Thursday - pre-competition - Southerdown

When I lived in Wales it made everything to do with the Welsh Open a lot easier but inevitably I ended up working right to the wire before and immediately afterwards, and I stayed in my own bed just 45 mins away. Now, living 400 miles away brings other challenges but it does mean I get to make a real occasion of it, come down for a practice, and spend more time with friends, which is a good enough reason to do the event in its own right. 

I'd only flown once since the Welsh Open last year so it was great to spend Thursday at Southerndown with Stefan, Tony and Jose learning how to fly again.

Friday - South West on Mickey's Slope - bloody windy
We managed three rounds of high energy flying and one or two significant soakings! Simon was peerless with his Shinto in the challenging conditions - he'd hurt his back and I'm sure the pain brought out extra aggression and focus! Greg Dakin was a solid second followed by Mark Abbotts in third, Alvaro Silgado in fourth and Inaki in fifth. Just behind that was Martin in sixth and me in seventh, followed closely by Joel, Stefan and Peter making the team event a close three-way thing.

Day 2 - West, on far end of Mickey's Slope - building from light to moderate
We flew five rounds in building conditions on what is probably the most user friendly slope at the Bwlch. Simon held the lead, Greg moved a bit closer, Alvaro moved into third, I climbed to fourth, with Martin sneaking into fifth.  

It was a long day and it was noticeable that there were quite a few mistakes as tired pilots tried desperately to make up ground in the final round.

Day 3 - South on El Bastardo (formerly known as the back of the Wrecker) - building from light to moderate
This has always been a fickle slope and my despise of it is well known around those parts!  It certainly works, it just seems to have it's favourites and I've never been invited to that party!  And thus it followed that the slope did shine upon our Spanish friends who selfishly flew tremendously well to turn the leader board on its head!  Thanks to the wisdom and creativity of Mark Abbots the slope shall henceforth be known as El Bastardo (if you need to use Google translate you probably shouldn't be allowed on the internet alone).  

Alvaro flew superbly to take the win, Inaki was his usual crowd pleasing self and took second with Greg Dakin securing third. I managed to hold fourth, Joel made up huge ground into fifth with poor Simon suffering the curse of El Bastardo and dropping from first to sixth.

Team GBU did just enough to win the team event... again! :)

Top three teams were:

1 GBU - Kevin, Simon, Martin

2 TWC - Alvaro, Inaki, Jose

3 Mickey's Massive - Joel, Peter, Stefan B

Individual results
1 Alvaro Silgado 1000.0
2 Inaki Elizondo 994.8
3 Greg Dakin 989.24
4 Kev Newton 987.62
5 Joel West 986.05
6 Simon Thornton 980.57
7 Martin Newnham 973.67
8 Peter Gunning 964.08
9 Mark Treble 954.27
10 Rich Baygo 952.2
11 Frank Holtz 951.23
12 Stefan Bertschi 950.69
13 Graeme Mahoney 949.92
14 Mark Abotts 949.9
15 Stefan Fraundorfer 946.74
16 Martin Drewett 941.06
17 Jose Ramon Azcona 939.01
18 John Philips 931.3
19 Jose luis Alvarez 930.65
20 Jack Cubitt 926.37
21 Tony Livingstone 918.4
22 Dave Rumble 913.86
23 Kurt Planitzer 913.47
24 Mike Evans 905.22
25 Stefan Bernardy 902.98
26 Daniel Schneider 898.84
27 Arne Finkeldey 896.29
28 Josef Wiklicky 895.59
29 Mike McCracken 891.29
30 Andy Burgoyne 890.13
31 George Young 888.19
32 Ronnie Lampe 885.23
33 Christian Schnepfleitner 878.98
34 Paul Stubley 875.73
35 Keith Wood 874.06
36 Arjen Van vark 870.05
37 Eric Heine 869.09
38 Mike Shellim 866.25
39 Jon Edison 865.41
40 Ewan Maxwell 864.63
41 John Treble 862.18
42 Rick Ruijsink 861.18
43 Les Wood 839.37
44 Manfred Knuppel 837.98
45 Jason Bioletti 819.98
46 Alfred Salmhofer 813.59
47 Allen Elliott 797.6
48 Tony Robertson 435.27
49 Lazaro martinez Neito 0.0

Fastest time: 30.31 by Greg Dakin in round 3.

Many thanks to our sponsors MKS/T9 HobbySport

More at GBSRA 

Also see Mike Shellim's photos

Welsh Open 2016

If you've entered but not paid can you please do so ASAP. We have a reserve list of people who'd love to pay up and take your place. If you can no longer make it please let me know ASAP.

La Muela - May 2016

What a great time, the colours were even more vibrant than ever.

Multiplex Heron

I love my Easy glider to bits (literally) but it's really was getting a bit shabby. I wanted something a bit bigger for La Muela, where things often get very low or very high, but also elapor to take a few knocks. The crow brakes were a bonus.
What you get is a very pretty, very well designed model that is a remarkably sophisticated plane to fly. It's both easy to fly and also delivers a bit more if you put a bit more in, like beautifully coordinated thermal turns. The surprise was that it's also tough enough for some pretty exuberant aerobatics.
I couldn't be happier with it, what an amazing time we live in.
I got mine for less than £250 from Model Maniacs, who were a joy to deal with.


Heron 2016 from Kevin Newton on Vimeo.

DSing at La Muela

Using the Vector DS for what nature in ended...

DS La Muela 2016 from Kevin Newton on Vimeo.