Replay:
https://airtribune.com/play/870/2d

Well, this certainly has been an unusual year in Big Spring. With all the rain
that they have had the ground was wet out to the northwest yesterday so we
weren't able to get up after the turnpoint. Gary Osoba is here and helped Larry
with the weather and we got headed to the east where things should tend to be
drier for the task today and the next few days.

The winds were out of the south again in the 10 to 15 mph range again. We come
to Big Spring in August as we are looking for lighter winds that allowus to come
back to the airport. So far this year (and last) no luck (we came back one day
last year).

It looked like it wouldn't be good until later in the day today so the task
committee called the launch at 2 PM and sent Gary up in his ASW 27at 1:30 PM to
see what was up. He climbed to 6,700' feet but then said the inversion was
strong (which was why we weren't seeing any cumulus clouds).

The task committee held us back until a 3:15 PM start with a task change that
would take us more down wind. Shorter also, a mere 68 kilometers.

I launched early and climbed to 8,800' right away and as the lift reduced headed
to a small gaggle to the south in the start cylinder but there was no lift when
I got there and five or six pilots were now high over my head. I thought that I
might not be able to make the first start clock at 4 PM now.

Went to the east over the park and the hospital on high ground and found enough
lift to get me back to 8,000'. Larry was on the radio with me and told me where
he was to the east north of the high school football field. We climbed to 8,500'
at the edge of the start cylinder in a 8 mph downwind and took the second clock
with Larry to the south.

Zac was to my north a bit and had seen Larry and I climbing but stopped for lift
before he got to us and climbed higher. Larry and I headed out and I found a
better line over highway 350 as Larry lost altitude to my south and off the
course line.

I took the lead and apparently got in front of lots of folks who had taken the
first start clock. There were no cu's but there was good lift and even though
the wind turned to the south (as it had been before it was pretty easy to stay
on the course line or just upwind of it.

Zac was high behind and above me and a little to my north. He caught to me about
half way through the task and then came over me again at about 12 km from goal
and passed me at that point. Robin Hamilton was high quite a ways behind.

I found good lift and climbed until I had goal by 2000' (after missing it a few
days back with 1000'). Derrick Turned came in under me low.

I raced to goal but Robin was higher and behind me and I didn't know he was
there. At the last moment I saw him on my left and we raced to the goal
cylinder, second and third for the day.

Almost all the pilots made it to goal so it was a real race day.