Bogong Cup Day 2

The lesson for the day:  If you are going to try and outsmart 40 other guys, you better have a dam good plan, and a backup!

 

I thought the best plan this day was to wait for the third start with Gerolf.  Before the start gates all of the pilots were playing the cloud dodging game over Mt Buffalo.  The day didn’t look turned on yet so everyone hung back for the second start.  I thought the third start was the way to go and it looked like Capt Moyes felt the same way.  I say “looked like” but that only counts when you could actually SEE him.  ;)  Someone was playing hide and seek.  I got a little low trying to dip around the edge of the cloud and at that point the last of the pilots took the start.  I had no choice but chase after the group a few minutes behind and much lower then I would have liked.

 

The leaders were already at least a thermal ahead and climbing fast.  I did the best I could to fly hard and try to make up ground.   The lift was good for the most part.  There was heaps of strong lift to be found, just a bit hard to find it by myself or with just another pilot or two.   The second turnpoint was nestled in the valley in front of Clear Spot and thankfully some pilots marked a good one for me going into there.  I came in low and climbed out a bit slow.  I was still only about a thermal behind the leaders but I just couldn’t close that gap.  Gliding into the Pinnacles I didn’t find it where I expected and instead got lots of sink and a few small thermals that felt lee.  Fighting up through those I noticed a cloud form and dissipate a couple times to the north west on a higher part of the ridge.  Since there were few clouds today that was a good sign.  If there was strong lift there it would also explain why the area I was in was so difficult.  I pushed in that direction and found a nice string of very strong cores.  This line put me in striking distance of a couple pilots ahead of me.  I charged hard after them through the last turnpoint and into the Kiewa Valley.  I was always a little below them but I pushed a bit harder and made it to goal faster.  It was nice having this smaller target to work towards since loosing the leaders had me a bit demoralized.  For the second day my aggression put me into goal very slow and outside of the top 15.  Not good at all.

 

Kev