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

The day starts well. The task committee call a task to the south, south of
Wallaby and back to Wallaby as goal. The prediction of a west wind, not too
strong, dictates a cross wind task. Good lift and cu's give us the prospect of a
great Florida flying day.

After a bit of searching low I find 450 fpm to 4,700'. The 11 mph west northwest
wind move me and half a dozen pilots a couple of kilometers to the northeast.

Once at base most of the pilots head to the southwest to get upwind of the
course line. I'm on the radio with Larry Bunner and he says he's going in that
direction then quickly changes his mind and heads for the nice looking cloud to
the south. I go with him.

The start window isn't open yet so we turn under the cloud inside the 15
kilometer exit start cylinder centered at Grass Roots as we wait and for 2 PM to
arrive and drift. It all works out with perfect synchronicity as we circle right
to the edge as the start time starts. The luck starts and will continue
throughout the flight.

There are nice cu's to the south southeast and after a couple of weak thermals
west of Lake Louisa we head straight south again to good looking cu's. There are
only three of us nearby with all the rest of the pilots way to our west over
highway 33 as we approach highway 27.

I'm west of Larry and another pilot is to my west. Larry goes under the middle
of the cu and I take the west upwind edge. I start getting a bit of lift and
then the other pilot finds a bit better to my west. I call out to Larry about
400 fpm climb rate. He is working 200 fpm.

Our lift averages 300 fpm and Larry doesn't come over. He says later it was a
brain fart that he can't explain. We fly together for a reason and one pilot is
supposed to come over when the other pilot reports better lift. Again drifting
in 8 mph to the southeast.

Larry heads southeast for a line of clouds over highway 27. I shade more south
toward bits of cu's. I decide to keep diverting toward whatever cu's that I find
and am rewarded with either low sink or another thermal. The rewards keep
encouraging me to keep diverting and not just plowing ahead.

After climbing in 300 fpm to cloud base at 5,200' I spot four pilots including
John Simon and Tom Lanning turning to the south southwest over highway 474.
Coming in over the top of them I find almost 500 fpm to 5,100' and get out of
there fast.

Larry is no longer on the radio and I will learn later that he didn't find any
lift over 27 and landed. I'm questioning whether I'm in the lead or far behind.
With no pilots around now and starting off with only the three of us and those
two pilots now gone I'm not sure what is going on. I looking around and trying
to find others but don't see anyone.

Coming over the Wallaby turnpoint at 3,700' I head to the south southwest toward
black looking cu's. I look up and see Fred on his ATOS. That makes me think that
I am indeed in the lead.

We head for the best looking area and down to 2,500' we start turning in 470 fpm
and drifting to the southeast at 4 mph climbing back to cloud base at 5,200'.

Keeping my eye on Fred I head south as he gets way out in front of me. I know
that my prospects are twice as good with two of us. But there are nice looking
cu's to the southwest and I'm hoping that Fred will head further west than he
is.

The lift Fred finds over a built up area on 27 is weak at 140 fpm but after
climbing in the weak lift I move over to the southeast to find 300 fpm. I am
quite a bit downwind of the turnpoint at the intersection of 27 and 544 about 5
kilometers away. I climb to 5,000' and head toward the turnpoint with a 9 mph
west northwest wind.

I still don't see any other flex wing pilots. I head to the northwest after
getting the turnpoint at 3,900' going for another strong looking cu over dry
ground. I hit strong sink for the first time in the flight and come in under the
upwind edge of the cu at 2,600'.

As I climb up high I see Jonny Durand higher above heading south toward the
turnpoint. I then spot John Simon lower and Oleg Bondarchuk turning just to my
north. I join him for better lift and climb to 5,200'. The wind is 9 mph out of
the west.

I head north on my own toward a pilot turning and heading south. My glide ratio
is only 9.5 but getting to goal requires 12:1. There is a nice 250 fpm under the
turning pilot and I climb back up to 4,000'. Jonny comes in under me. It is easy
to spot both from how his glider looks and also his distinctive style of
thermaling in these conditions. From above it looks not like he is turning but
rather that he is twirling in place. Very very tight circling to stay in the
tight thermals. I leave when the lift gets weak. Perhaps I should have just
stayed over him.

Gliding 7 kilometers I'm at I4 at 1,900' with a west southwest wind at 11 mph.
4.5 kilometers out I'm unsure about my glide into goal after hitting patches of
8:1 on this last glide and trees on the south side of Wallaby. I find some 150
fpm. As I climb up I spot Johnny behind me a couple of kilometers higher and on
glide.

I climb 500' as Johnny comes over my head and I know what he is thinking - quit
turning.

I head north and it looks good. As soon as I get past I4 there is lift every
where. There is no problem coming into goal at 1,400' over it. I'm second into
goal after leading all but the last 4 kilometers. It goes to show how important
luck is when you compete.

Twenty five pilots made it into goal.