https://airtribune.com/2016-quest-air-open-national-championships/blog__day_1

The pilot meeting.

The task committee called big task to the south on a day with no cu's and a
strong north northwest wind. The lift was forecasted to be good with a top of
the lift at 6,000'. Larry wanted to start early, launch opening at 12:30 for the
open launch and a little later for the rigids and then the ordered launch with
the sport class last.

We were off in a hurry with a very effective and efficient launch crew and tug
pilots. The lift was invisible and broken and weak and a few pilots went down,
but the rest of us hung in there even if it only averaged 10 fpm at times.

With a 10 km start cylinder we were able to stay inside the start circle despite
the weak lift and the strong winds. We all skipped the first start clock but it
looks like everyone took the second start gate at 1:50 PM.

I was able to climb to 5,900' eight minutes before the opening of the second
window but was down to 4,900' when it opened. That was a bit discouraging.

We all headed south and I found 180 fpm just east of the Seminole glider port.
Oleg came in under me and we climbed up slowly to 5,000' before heading south
over the area where I usually find minimal lift. It was a ten kilometer glide
over to a field where I found good lift the last time I flew down this
direction. I was also down to 1,700' then. A very consistent field.

I only got back to 4,000' before heading over to the turnpoint at Deen Still and
highway 33. There was lift just beyond it and I and the bunch of pilots nearby
worked it on and off as the lift varied a great deal. Working further south in
more lift I went looking for better than 100 fpm.

That was a bad move as I didn't find it.

We watched other pilots continue on course as the sport class pilots trailed
behind us flying our first two legs and landing at goal at Chalet Suzanne. The
first pilots got to goal about three and a half hours after we all started.

Check out the replay of a number of the pilots with Live Tracking at the URL
above.