http://soaringspot.com/facsp/

The forecast was very mixed so it was hard to tell what would happen. We had a
northeast wind but a little light. There were thin cirrus clouds that covered
all the sky. There was a scattered cu or two, ragged and thin and small and not
inviting.

We delayed launch until 1:30 with a 3 PM first start window. As launch started
conditions began to improve with the cirrus thinning even more and a few more
cu's forming. I launched late at 29th, but still forty five minutes before the
first start window opened. The sky was now full of beautiful cu's and I pinned
off under a nice one. I would stay there the whole time in the start cylinder
with the light winds.

The launching went really quick, so efficient. Hang glider pilots not being
exactly ready was the only delay. Russell and the Quest Air crew are
magnificent.

I was pulled to a nice thick cloud with some other pilots turning under it. I
just started turning and climbed up to 4,200' cloud base at 160 fpm. After that
it was stay under the cloud as the time ticked down for the start window.
Usually you can't do this for long because the wind blows the cloud out of the
start cylinder or it dries up and you have to do it all over again. But not
today. The cloud stayed there and there continued to be lift right under it. You
had to go to the side to keep from getting in the cloud.

At five minutes to the start window a cloud canyon opened up near the edge of
the start cylinder. I went for it and climbed to 4,600', which was above the
cloud base around us. There were guys even higher and when we started the task
at 3 PM Joe Bostik and Matt Barker were 50 to 100' over my head. I was still
quite high relative to others.

Unfortunately it was a long glide to the next spot of lift, nine kilometers
away. I was the low man on the totem poll at 1,500' AGL when I found it and got
stuck there while the guys just barely over me were able to climb out. Jim Yokum
on an ATOS landed below me.

It took twenty minutes to gain 700' and only then did I feel comfortable enough
to go to the nearby turnpoint and find much much better lift there. That got me
back to 4,600'. Matt, Joe and a few others were now 8 kilometers ahead and doing
well together.

I headed out with Tullio and another pilot in tow and found 300 fpm another nine
kilometers down the course line and four of us got up to 4,700'.

We headed in the direction of a little fire stopped for a little lift before
that but then continued to the smoke and didn't find anything. I found some weak
just passed the fire lift that didn't turn on so after a few turns Tulio headed
back to the fire where the four of us got up at only 230 fpm, but to 4,500' and
enough to keep going.

It was now a fourteen kilometer glide with Tulio and another pilot out in front
and me pulling up the rear as I didn't see the other pilot. Half way there I saw
a pilot turning in lift off to my left but I kept following Tulio and the other
pilot. At the edge of a field we found 300 fpm at 1,400' AGL and it took us to
4,300' I was able to climb up to Tulio and the other pilot. The pilots just a
kilometer or two in front of us who was turning landed.

It was a twelve kilometer glide to the next reasonable looking cloud and again
down to less than 1,600' AGL, we climbed in 140 fpm to 3300' then headed down a
cloud street cross track to find 330 fpm to 4,600' a mere thirteen kilometers
from goal. It was an easy glide in from there.

A few people at goal including Oleg, Christian, Davide, Greg Dinauer, Jonny (who
took the second clock), Tulio, and a few others. Not Zac and not Mike Bylik.
Scoring should be available later tonight or in the morning.