http://santacruzflatsrace.blogspot.com/2015/09/day-2.html

Photo by Jamie Shelden.

https://airtribune.com/2015scfr/blog__day_2

Setting a task proved to be quite difficult with a forecast of southwest winds
at 17 knots up near cloud base at 8,000'.

Then at launch the Swift and Super floater pilots didn't get ready in time and
that stacked up every one behind them. In addition there was a little squall to
the south with some virga and there were other threatening clouds nearby. There
was a little spit of rain and the launch kept being suspended. The winds at
launch were very light and there was no sign of the forecasted higher winds up
above.

Launching continued to be slow. Only the open class pilots in the ordered launch
were ready and prepared to launch. Everyone else was taking their own sweet
time.

Pedro was the first pilot in the early bird window which cause a bit of
controversy because pilots thought that pilots in the top ten (and Pedro was in
first) couldn't launch in early bird (besides all the early bird launch time had
been eaten up by the Swifts, etc.)

With time running out for pilots to get the first launch time the order launch
started moving just as Mitch broke a prop on one of the two trikes clipping a
bush on launch.

Finally we got going, but by the time I launched Larry Bunner, who was in early
bird, was getting the first start clock. Fortunately I quickly found strong lift
at 400 fpm and climbed with Dangerous Dave Gibson to 8,000'. We raced to the
edge of the 10 KM start cylinder for the third start a half hour after I
launched and were only a few minutes behind the window opening.

At 90 to 100 km/h we raced to the cu's near the hills northeast of Casa Grande.
The winds were 11 to 12 mph out of the southwest, much lighter than forecast.
There were wispies near the mountain and fuller clouds further south of the
course line. Dave behind me headed further south as I went for the wispies,
hoping that they were growing. Dave found good lift.

The wispies were working and I found 200 fpm then 250 fpm near the optimized
turnpoint of the 24 km radius point. The wind was down to 7 mph now out of the
west northwest heading back toward the next turnpoint at the Sarita airfield. It
was a big blue hole ahead.

There were wispies at the edge of the blue hole further south and I headed for
them from 4,800'. But even though I kept going from wispies to wispies, I found
no lift. Soon I had to land just west of the Sarita airfield. Apparently Dave
landed nearby.

Other pilots who started earlier were north of us in weak lift having not
ventured toward the turnpoint.

No results yet. Heard that Olav Opsanger was 1.5 km for goal. No one at goal.
Kraig Coomber about 5 km from goal.

Jim Weitman, Greg Dinauer, David Straub. Photo by Starr.