CQWW CW 2007: WORLD TRIES TO CHASE DOWN CT1BOH AND AA3B AGAIN THIS YEAR

By Jamie Dupree NS3T, radio-sport.net 

The favorites are very clear in the 2007 CQWW CW Contest, as Jose Nunes CT1BOH tries to make it three high power victories in a row, while Joseph "Bud" Trench AA3B goes for a third consecutive low power win again from V26K.

"Yes, I have won four in the last five and six in the last ten years of the CQWW CW," said Nunes. "The CQWW CW contest is my favorite one and I'm going back to CT3NT hopefully for another victory."

Nunes will again have some high-powered names and calls chasing after him, including many of last year's top ten finishers and one newcomer singled out by several ops to radio-sport.net, that being Stefano Brioschi IK2QEI, who will operate from the CN3A contest QTH in Morocco.

"It is a big threat," says Nunes CT1BOH, "But that is what is fun about CQWW. I really enjoy having competition - it makes me work harder."

Among the others chasing after Nunes this year, Dr. Hrane Milosevic YT1AD, who finished second last year by only 267,000 points.

"I will be traveling in 3V (Tunisia) for CQWW CW," said Milosevic, who operated there in a multi-op during CQWW SSB.

While those three top the entries from North Africa, the Western Hemisphere contingent is led by last year's third place finisher John Crovelli W2GD, who will again be at his P40W Aruba outpost in Caribbean Zone 9.

Crovelli returns after a slightly disappointing result in the CQWW SSB contest, where he currently has the third best claimed score.

"CQWW CW is still #1 and will always be the "big show" in my book," Crovelli told radio-sport.net.

The US veteran seems certain to make sure he doesn't repeat his "unscheduled" six and a half hour nap on night two of the CQWW SSB test a few weeks back.

"Maybe a 500 watt Marshall tube guitar amp attached to an alarm clock might work," mused Crovelli afterwards.

Another high powered entry this year will come from the island of St. Kitts, where Andy Blank N2NT will fire up V47NT. Blank finished fourth in the world in 2006, a solid accomplishment from Caribbean Zone 8.

Blank says he will need some good openings on the high bands to offset the disadvantage of being a 2-point location for North America.

"I believe it's possible if 10 meters is open," said the WRTC veteran. "Without 10 meters, there just isn't enough high rate available, not to mention multipliers."

Blank though did an impressive job in 2006 and can take heart that the claimed leader right now in the 2007 CQWW SSB was also from Zone 8, that being Tom Georgens W2SC, who racked up over 12 million points as 8P5A. Georgens finished 7th World in the 2006 CW test.

"I will be on for CW," Georgens said, but he told radio-sport.net that his travel plans might not allow for an all-out effort.

"(I) will give it my best shot, but it will be hard to sustain the full 48 hours," said Georgens, who won the CQWW CW low power title in 2003 from his Barbados QTH.

Other notables to look out for from last year's high power top ten include Toni Linden CU2A/OH2UA, who will again be in the Azores. Linden hopes for a top ten overall finish, but isn't worried about winning the world CW title.

"If I do not face unexpected problems I hope to claim a score like 8 million again this year," said Linden. "It should be enough to win Europe, but you never know."

Meanwhile, last year's 9th place World finisher in high power, Andrew Faber AE6Y, says he will be back in Aruba, but might run P49Y in a different category.

"(I) may go SOAB Low Power this year," Faber told radio-sport.net. "One reason is that I'm hoping to take down a new K3 - not yet received or built - and we don't have switching interfaces for it to switch filters, etc."

If Faber is switching to the low power category, he will have to beat five time champ Bud Trench AA3B, who is back again at V26K, sporting a two year winning streak.

"I don’t think there is anything particularly secret about my strategy," said Trench, who laid out for radio-sport.net how he plans out his operating time, with an operating goal of 42 hours.

"I believe in planning and tracking my performance. My goals are posted where I can see them," said Trench. "I focus on the math of the contest – particularly in making trades between the different operating scenarios" (run North America, run Europe or search and pounce.)

Trench won't have one of his closest pursuers from 2006 on his tail this year, as Paul Young K1XM will enter the QRP category from his 6V7D contest position in Senegal.

"I decided to do something a bit different this year," said Young. "The CQWW site shows no QRP operations from Zone 35 ever - not on phone or CW, not on any band. So I have nothing to compare with."

After a second place World low power finish last year, Young downplays the idea that he can shift into QRP and win.

"Can I beat P40A? Only if he doesn't show up," said Young.

P40A is John Bayne KK9A, who has won the last three QRP CW titles. In fact, the last five QRP winners have all been for zone 9.

Finally, the absence of one of last year's high power top ten should also be noted, as Phil Goetz N6ZZ died unexpectedly in February.

Goetz operated PZ5ZY to over 11 million points and a 5th place World finish in 2006. He will be honored by some of his fellow contesters, as they have formed N6ZZ Memorial Teams for the CQWW CW Contest.