Task 5

One more day of the Worlds flown yesterday. The weather man's mouth was
writing checks that nature just wasn't able to cash. Early morning air
reports showed absolutely ripping winds aloft. Forecasted lift predictors
called for us to get really really high at 10,000 feet. I wore the extra
layer under the speed sleeves that kept me miserable all day. With such
good lift and wind expected a long downwind task was called with a few minor
turns. Lift above the tow field was good, forming up at the start was no
problem. The start gaggle was quite large and we waited for the second
start. First string of thermals were good for 3-500fpm and some fast
flying. What was unique and difficult was the longer then normal glide
lengths. We had to go lower then usual. I am sure we were all wondering
where our 10,000 climbs were. Tops were only about 5k. Working such a low
window dressed warm I was soaked within an hour. I was low in the stack
when we started and lost some ground in the first one or two thermals. The
leaders were a climb to a half a climb ahead of me with plenty of stragglers
between. For the next few climbs I focused hard on finding the good cores
fast and making smart decisions for the best time to leave lift. If it
dropped below 300 I left. If a new thermal didn't register 400 in the first
half a turn or so I just continued on. It paid off and I joined the front
guys by about the third one.

Going into the second turnpoint was a key moment for Dustin and I. The day
seemed to be softening up so we hung back in a thermal after the leaders
left crosswind to the turnpoint. We tracked downwind and found massive
areas of 150 to 300. That line got us much higher then we had been getting
as we darted cross to the turnpoint. At this point the leaders were
tracking back across our path in front of us, but much much lower. By the
time we caught back up with the leaders we were still at 5k and the gaggle
was all fanned out very low and struggling. Seizing the great opportunity
to charge ahead Dustin and I pushed on. We had flown over a major
agricultural area and all the irrigation was making a bad situation worse.
It took Dustin and I all the way down to 1300 feet to find something
climbable. It was interesting how we both found something within 2 seconds
of each other but almost a kilometer apart. Climbing in low broken stuff I
though for sure all the rest of the gaggle was going down. I couldn't see
anyone in the air. Clawed my way up to about 3,500 and was heartbroken to
see a large group of gliders heading towards Dustin so low I thought there
feet must be scraping the trees. I joined D and about 20 to 25 gliders
climbed up to us. We topped out at 4 and left for a super conservative
glide. We didn't find jack down to 1,400 feet and some small mountains
ahead. Scratch, claw, and cling in a marginal thermal that petered out at
2k. With barely any altitude in the bank we all dove for the best triggers
we could see around. Within a few short minutes gliders were touching down
like dominos falling down a line. A small tree covered ridge line gave
Steve Moyes and I gave us some love but nothing worthwile. He glided for
the furthest corner field before the forest and I followed at about 3-500
feet. The thermal Gods were with me when I the sniffer pulled me to a hot
corner of a red field. Strong little bubbles just big enough for me to mush
the big wing and crank around in. That little bug fart was enough for
clearance to fly over one more ridge and the forest. Part of me wanted to
push upwind because I felt like I was falling out the back, but the other
part of me just wanted to take my new found clearance over the small ridge
and forest behind me. Everyone I could see was on the ground so I figured a
few extra K would put me up there. My gamble helped, but didn't pay off.
Apparently I didn't see a group nearby climbing in super light stuff to fly
an extra 10k or so. Bummer, so close but so far ;). Next time I will raise
my standards and push up wind for the big cheese.

Good times.

Today's weather was an unforecastable mess so the day got cancelled late in
the afternoon. High temps were 42C I think which is over 100. Hot times
:-)

Kev C