This prestigious pewter tankard has been around in the Club since 1983. I can't remember who donated it, but, donate it they did in order to tempt the Club members, in trying to push themselves ever further forward in the art of silent flight soaring. The Tankard was to be awarded annually to the Club member who was proven to have the flown the farthest distance.

The Goal and Return has not been challenged since 1998 when John Fairbairn won it.

I expect that most people have forgotten its existence or never knew about it in the first place.

The objectives of the Goal & Return challenge are to fly to a distant point and return to the starting point, without landing out and re-launching. This sounds quite simple and it really is.

The rules, as far as I can remember,

1) Before the model is launched the challenging Club member must announce that he is going to fly to distant a "Goal & Return" and describe that "Goal" precisely e.g.. "I'm going to fly to Tom Long's Post and back".

2) This announcement must be written down and witnessed by at least one other Club member before launching the model.

3) In the presence of that Club member witness, the challenger must launch his model and then get himself to the Goal, and get the model to be directly overhead before returning both model and himself to the starting point.

4) The challenge must be performed on foot ie. walking or running.

If the challenger succeeds than the Goal and Return points are written down on paper and preferably the grid references of the start and the Goal written down after consulting a map. The results are then handed in to the Competition Secretary ready for judging.

The "Goal & Return" is measured as the point to point (as the crow flies) distance between the Goal and Return points.

At the AGM the furthest distance is selected and the Tankard awarded and inscribed accordingly.

I remember people flying from the bowl at Rodborough to Tom Long's post and back and from the tump on Selsley to the car park and back.
Why not push yourself?
How about Selsley tump to the Obelisk at the top of Frocester hill.
The Obelisk on Frocester hill to Cam Long Down or start smaller and build up to the big one. Try to fly from Rodborough Northeast slope wooden seat to the flying pits on Rodborough South East slope.

I think John Fairbairn, the last winner, was awarded the cup for flying from Rodborough South East pits to Rodborough Fort and back.

OK, now lets have some enthusiasm for the resurrected SCSA Goal & Return Tankard.
Brian