Day 10

What a day! Again this messed up European weather had us all puzzled as to what the day would actually do and was of course a task setters nightmare. On the grid the B task was announced and handed out though a revised A task was active. It was soon switched to B task and then was also revised to a 3 hour rather than 3.5 hour task. Matt and I launched off the middle of the grid, not too long to wait before the start gate but also plenty of time to get on top of the gaggle and try and get a feel for the day. 

This comp has really throw me in the deep end especially in regard to gaggle flying. But as each day goes by I am more and more comfortable with gliders close around me. I am now more than comfortable with 20-30+ gliders all in the one thermal and this is a regular occurrence per-start. 

 

Before start I was able to climb up in 2.5m/s to 2000m cloud base with a few other gliders, this was the highest I got all day. From there I went off join the main gaggle behind the start line but I could never get back up to cloud base. 

Eventually people began to start so with around 1800m I also started and at about the same height as most as well. Matt started a few minutes later and caught up along the first leg. This gaggle mucked around with a few broken climbs so Matt and I kept pushing on and chasing the smaller front group. Into the first sector we'd had a couple of good climbs and Matt was a little way ahead. He pushed on a few kilometres extra and after he turned, I turned to meet him back at the same level. 

The next few climbs saw the D2 start to pull away again. I think at this point I was still flying too heavy. The glides were very long and the climbs quite weak and broken. Down to 750m and I had to accept a weaker climb. This is where Matt and I separated. He was higher and had enough to keep pushing. The last few days I might have pushed on from below but we know how that has ended for me... I took the weaker climb an extra few hundred meters to stay in the race. Talking to Matt ahead he was saying that it still wasn't picking up and we were both getting low. I then found a weak climb and got myself back up to a good altitude to push on with and even within glide of the airfield again though aborting was not even considered.. Further on I then found a 2.5m/s climb again and hung on. 

Matt was still traveling low but was a good 15km in front and I had also dropped all of my water before the strong climb. It started to drop off toward 1800m so I headed toward the circle where I saw some nice CU now and even some other gliders! In the sector now and I could see a small gaggle up ahead climbing, I came in to join and saw that it was a gaggle of club class gliders with only on of the other stragglers from the standard class gaggle that had turned earlier in the first sector. I knew that I was close. Again at this point, the last few days I may have made the choice to push on and chase the gaggle from below but that only sees me into paddocks! I am flying my own race. So I took the climb higher and then levelled out for the third sector. 

Back into the blue and flying my own race I rationally made the decision to shift back a few gears. The air was very still and it looked all the same up ahead and along the final leg. My glides were very long and efficient, using as much of the energy in the blue as I could. I stopped in a few weak climbs to top up also holding on to these longer than I would have the last few days when I wanted to chase down the gaggle. 

Into the 3rd sector I could see the gaggle just below my level and struggling to climb. I nicked the sector and flew back out over Matt who was climbing behind the gaggle and not too far below me now. I left with the other ASW28 and chased down the gaggle. I had about 50 to 60 km to run and was quite a way below glide. With all of the gliders at about the same level and spread out we were all able to use the best energy lines. Matt kept chasing and pushing from below. The gaggle found some broken climbs but it was frustrating because we couldn't climb tightly in the best bit of lift. I pushed on with another glider and found some lifting air. Not enough to turn in buy areas of good energy. I kept going and then found a weak climb but was able to center and thermal tightly with no other gliders. Matt was still pushing as he couldn't find anything under the gaggles climbs. Quite a way below me he found the same bubble. I took it to almost 300m above a slow glide and then left the few gliders that had joined below me. 

30km to go and I was getting very good air. Matt was still climbing and I was still well above glide and flying faster. I nicked the last sector and was gaining energy that I could now use as speed and not take as height. Getting up to the 10km and Matt had a marginal slow glide. Faster and faster into the finish ring I flew;  with gliders on my wing tip pushing lower for a straight in onto runway 06. 

I was over the line!! I had made it home!! I'd almost forgotten what it felt like. Straight in on 06 right for a long landing where Andrew was waiting for me. He must have been so bored, he didn't have to hook on the trailer this time. I think that the gap seals did make all the difference today. After rigging this morning we used the roll of Nitto tape that I had brought from Aus and not the special tape that we had been using every other day. 

I ended up with 12th and am almost more happy that I just made it back! 

I hope that tomorrow I will fly just as well  as today putting into practice everything that I am learning and get another good consistent result. If I hit 12th everyday for the rest of the comp I will be extremely happy. Even though that would mean no ice cream or sponsored tow. (a scoop per place above 10th and above 10th Cheryl and Lionel Simpson will very generously sponsor out tow for the day)

Looks like there may be some interesting weather on its way tonight so we'll see what happens tomorrow after a trough has been through.