Florida Ridge Day One

So the US Nationals down here at the Florida Ridge near La Belle, FL.  The forecast is looking pretty windy.  I thought it looked to windy to fly but I guess I was wrong (the jury’s not out on that count).  Clouds pepper the sky early as the wind slowly increases out of the south west.  The task is a 75 mile crossing downwind zig zag.  I don’t many pilots were in position for the first start but it seemed like a big group was lined up for the second.  I chased after them but it turned out to be just Curt and one of the Norwegian Olav’s.  Trailing behind I got a jump around Curt with a different cloudier line into the first turnpoint.  He says I got bad karma for going to high and I wonder if he is right.   On the second leg I got too far downwind and did the tether ball wrap around the second turnpoint.  This turnpoint was a relatively active airport (pretty smart planning eh?) so getting in and out of there low proved tricky.  By the time I got the turnpoint I was just thrilled to still be in the air.  Down low it was pretty rough.  Some of the nastiest I have flown in quite some time.  It drifted me downwind of courseline but still crossing tail in the correct direction.  Gotta love those increasing forecasts…sike!  Last leg went well since I was high again.  The lift was organized with only a few mystery whomps here and there to keep you alert. 

 

Rob and I had fiddled with my harness zipper before launch and I suppose we left some threads in the way.  The pee break must have jammed the zipper because coming into goal I couldn’t sort it out.  I was determined to get out so I could land on my feet but the conditions demanded I swallow my pride and just belly in.  While tugging on the zipper pull, with Half VG, a wind gust moved me back about 10 mph.  I figured the zipper would make little difference if I didn’t just fly the glider.  Jonny was the keenest eye on the ground realized the zipper was jammed.  Jeff, Raul, and a couple others met me in the field after a nice soft belly landing to help me get out of the glider.  Seems that this goal was an even worse choice then the airfield turnpoint!  Surrounded by lots of trees, an angry owner, and the sherrif!   Belinda, ever the diplomat, managed to talk us out of trouble smoothing the situation over like a champ.

 

A knife, some thread, and a lighter and the zipper is reset and good as new!  Looks sexy also.  I will have to get Jamie to take some pictures.

 

Kev