The typical problem occurred. No cu's so pilots think that it is
un safe when the wind blows a little. Finally reason prevailed as the safety
committee went out and actually looked at the conditions and we sent Bobby up
for a demonstration flight. All was well.

The forecast was for no cu's and except for a few stray ones long before we
launched, that proved to be the case. Top of the lift was indicated to be
4,500'. We got a little higher, but not much. The inversion was supposed to be
strong and looking at the air quality, it definitely was. The winds were
forecasted to be 15 knots at 2000'. The winds varied from 8 to 17 mph out of the
west northwest.

The sport class pilots towed up first and for the most part they got high right
away with smooth tows. Then the open class pilots had to struggle a bit to stay
up. When Mitch, Zippy and then I towed it was sink all the way on tow. I
searched all around and then saw Zippy turning over Mitch just west of the
launch area. I joined Zippy and we got up to 4,100' from 900' AGL. Mitch was too
low and landed, although he was up soon again.

I had launched at 2:30, so I didn't see how I was going to make the 10 km start
cylinder first start clock at 3:00. I still had six kilometers to go at 3 PM.
Five minutes before the second clock Zippy turned back from about one kilometer
from the edge of the start cylinder and twenty to thirty pilots went with him,
including me.

I went further back with one other pilot than the rest of them and was rewarded
with 200 fpm lift, much better than anyone else was getting. The thermal drifted
downwind and after a few minutes it got to the other pilots and their climbs
improved. It was great to be on top of everyone for ten minutes.

Taking the third start at 4:40, the gaggle stayed together and quickly found 200
fpm just before the river which got us up to 4,100' while we crossed the river
drifting quickly. We stayed together for the next thermal 10 km to the east also
at 200+ fpm. It was a bit much keeping out of everyone's way.

After that, the lift was reduced never getting back to 200 fpm as we drifted and
raced east south east toward the turnpoint at Rochell. The lead gaggle slowly
broke up and I was with five or six pilots before the turnpoint, including Larry
Bunner, Fausto Arcos, Jim Yokom, Bill Soderquist and others. We found 130 fpm as
a pilot landed below us and then I, tired of flying in other peoples' circles,
headed out on my own to the turnpoint.

The next leg instead of going east south east went southeast and now we had a
cross wind out of the east with a little bit of north. I got low very quickly to
1,100' AGL and then worked a line of lift circling as I pleased until everyone,
other than Fausto, joined up with me again.

A cross wind glide with Larry and Jim did us little good, although Jim got
something down wind of us. Larry and I worked weak lift that just took us away
from the course line faster than it was getting us up over the forest from
1,800'. I dove back to get over what looked like hot (and landable) fields and
found nothing. Larry landed further down wind.

Looks like Mike was first into goal ahead of Oleg. Scoring should be up soon.