38 58 10.92 N,75 52 0.00 W,Highland Aerosports, Ridgely,
Maryland, USA

Strong winds, nice cu's, we run out of peninsula.

Results: https://airtribune.com/ecc2015/results

https://airtribune.com/ecc2015/results/task1/day/class-1-sport

https://airtribune.com/ecc2015/results/task1/day/class-1

Scoring system is FS and using GAP 2014 (GAP 2002). Distance,
Speed, "Leading," and Arrival Position points.

The task committee called tasks to the north northeast. The RAP forecast was for
12 to 18 mph winds. Cloud base at 4,000' to 5,000'. Strong lift.

The launch opened at 1 PM with the first start time at 2 PM. Only Burt Rend was
willing to launch first. No one else went into the launch line. It was an open
launch. At 1:30 PM I got into the empty launch line. At 1:37 I was pulled into
the air and pinned off at 1,600' in light lift. I took four light thermals in
the start cylinder in the 16 mph winds.

I followed John Simon toward Oleg at the down wind edge of the 5 km start
cylinder with five minutes to go for the second start time at 2:10 PM. JD was
close by. There were few pilots in the air. One of the tugs was down.

We drifted just outside the start cylinder and at one minutes at 50 seconds to
go I headed back to get inside the exit start cylinder. Oleg, John and JD
followed me.

I headed out in front after getting the start gate and went to a cu 7 km to the
west of the course line. We climbed from 2,400 to 3,900' at 400 fpm and headed
out. John and Oleg were ahead and I just behind.

I headed off to their west a bit toward other cu's and found lift and then
turned to the west and we all joined up again with John low. We headed out at
near cloud base at 3,800' after climbing only ay 60 fpm from 3,500'.

Oleg got to the next thermal down to 2,800' and we climbed out at 200 fpm to
3,900'. I found better lift and climbed away from JD and John but lost track of
Oleg just above me.

I made a crucial mistake at this point 2 km to the west of the course line by
not going back toward the course line and to under the darkest looking cloud. I
finally had to head for the downwind side of that cloud costing an area of 600
to 700 fpm sink and getting down to 1,700'. I wasted ten minutes staying up
until I found much better lift downwind that was marked by a couple of hawks and
other birds.

This thermal turned on above the birds to 600 fpm and I climbed to to 4,500'.
From there is was a 16 km final glide to goal. John didn't go back to join Oleg
in a thermal seven kilometers from goal and landed short.