https://airtribune.com/2017-quest-air-cross-country/blog__day_22

I took a rest day after all the fun in the blue on Monday. Tom Lanning decided
to get some practice in on being a mentor for the Sport Class and did the Sport
Class task, a 30 kilometer triangle.

There were plenty of pilots ready for a great day of flying, but first they had
to relaunch after not sticking the first time. (Tom and Ken Kinzie stuck). Tom
waited for Sara Weaver and Richard Westmoreland. Once they got off it was
heading up wind to Mascot, the very little town on the west side of Groveland on
highway 50.

The west wind was supposed to be a little lighter than what it turned out
to be so the task wasn't all that easy for the kingposted gliders. Rich got off
the course line quickly and got pounded but Sara hung with Tom. Always good to
have another hang glider pilot nearby.

They made the Mascot turnpoint and headed downwind to the Gators turnpoint.
There's where it got difficult. They were coming back against a quartering head
wind and had to work hard to get up high enough to get over areas that were
safe. The headwind made that pretty difficult but Sara preserved. She wasn't
able to make it back but came close. Tom was the only one to complete the task.
They were able to get over 6,000'.

Ken Kinzie writes:

After Tom Lanning, Sara, Richard and a number of other pilots I
launched with my U2 around 2:45 into a light westerly wind. Conditions were
similar to yesterday with no clouds but with weaker climbs, depending on
altitude 200-600fpm on my 30 sec averager. It was only the four of us that I
know of who went on course.

As I was working my first climb I spotted Tom farther upwind to the NW and high
near Mascot, the first turn point. That was the last I would see of anyone for
the remainder of the flight. Getting drilled on glide from 4500' and finding
nothing but sink over the town of Groveland I shaded one kilometer to the north
of Mascot to some vacant lots that were the only reasonable landing option.

With harness unzipped the lift was right where I needed it for a low save from
510' above the lots. Eventually topping out around 4500 and having drifted NE
towards the next turn point at Gator and happy to still be in the air I
chickened out and elected not to go back upwind to tag Mascot. In hindsight I
realize it should not have been too difficult to make Mascot and back to the
same climb.

After a couple more climbs I tagged Gator then back to the last thermal over a
small controlled fire. From there at 4700' and a quartering tail wind I dove for
Quest ending up with plenty of altitude to spare. Thanks to launch director
Spinner and tug pilot Jon.