RSSHEADLINES SKYSPORTS

The last day, and finally I get the glider going straight, and my GoPro started working again after playing dead for a week. Wohoo!

The task was a triangle of 102km, going southwest and then northeast away from the potential overdevelopment over the hills and near goal. We got lots of dustdevils on the ground while setting up, so it felt like a more unstable day than earlier in the week. I had an uneventful tow behind Bobby in the tug, and got a slow climb just in time to take the first start. Thermalling up we could see overdevelopment around us, and there was rain and shade moving towards the first turnpoint.

I took the first start with most pilots, and we did a fast glide towards the first TP to try and get there before the rain, but it turned out to be too late as the rain moved in, and we stopped to wait in some weak lift over Casa Grange mountain. It was really nice to be able to glide straight again without fighting the glider, my glide ratio improved a lot the last day! :-)

As there were some small spots of sun we tried to slowly go towards the TP and find some lift, I was in a gaggle with Chris Arai, Larry Bunner, Joe Bostik, Mitch and a few more, and spent some time drifting towards Eloy airport which is a very busy parachute dropzone, so it was not the best place to hang out above deployment height for the parachutists.

We did not get much lift on the way to the TP as it was shaded and some rain in the air, so it became a slow glide to the ground as the few sunny spots were too short lived to give us any lift. I saw lots of gliders on the ground at the TP, and turned around for the sun as directly as possible after taking the TP. There was no lift, so we all landed one by one. I was the highest in the last thermal, so I got the furthest from our gaggle, just beaten with 1,1km by Michael Bilyk who had been in front of us, so I got 2. place on the day score and moved back up a few spots in the toal.

Everyone landed pretty much at the same time, which was good as there was gustfronts moving through the takeoff/goal are as well as on courseline towards the second TP.

All in all this was a great competition, I had a great time both in the air and on the ground. Its a super nice and relaxed spot to fly, and making it back to goal where you park the glider overnight and just walk 10 meters to jump into the pool is just unbeatable.

Thanks to our team with driver, Moyes and Kraig for great support, tugpilots, and Jamie and all her crew for organizing it. I’ll be back next year!

Scores day 7;

Total results;