On the second to last day of the Worlds we went to the launch at Aspres for a 113 kilometer task that would take us across the valleys before heading for Ribiers. On this day Jonny Durand completed the task faster than any one else.

Our (the US team's) plan was to get to Aiguille a ridge to the southwest of launch in order to be able to run down the west side of the valley toward  the turnpoint north of Sisteron (south of Laragne) but the good lift and top of the lift was to the east of launch. So we at first found ourselves eight kilometers to the northeast of the ridge that we wanted to be on, but plenty high, 2,600 meters.

At 1:32 PM, thirteen minutes before the first start time, Jeff O'Brien and I were heading for the ridge at 2,500 meters, while Jonny who had been thermaling out in front of launch had just reached the ridge at 1,800 meters.

We arrived at the ridge near Jonny at about 1,700 meters six minutes later. Later Jonny said that he had been over on this ridge for forty minutes before we got there. Maybe he was counting all the time he was thermaling out in front of launch.

Jonny was searching around for lift at 1,700 meters while Jeff and I worked not such great lift right at the area that we first came to when we got to the ridge. One minute before the first start time we were all at 1,900 meters. On the other hand Dustin Martin was to the east of launch at 2,700 meters and getting ready to take the first start time.

Given our relatively low altitude, Jon, Jeff and I continued inside the start circle finding better lift (1.7 m/s) further south (Jeff was to our west) and climbing slowly to cloud base. Jeff had to go outside the eleven kilometer exit circle to stay high and it meant that he had to fly back to get the start time at 2 PM.

Jonny and I started at 2,800 meters next to each other. Jeff started a few second later at 2,500' just to our south. We were plenty high, near cloud base and feeling good about heading along the mountains in the areas where we expected to find good lift.

A little over seven minutes into the flight Jeff found lift to our west but Jonny and I kept flying south. Jonny and I were flying at 74 km/h. I was getting 18 to 1 and Jonny 16 to 1. Jeff, deeper in the mountains was getting 20 to 1.

At twelve kilometers from the start Jonny turned right and joined Jeff in a small thermal as I kept flying ahead. I kept going to just past Orpierre where I found strong lift (3.3 m/s) and climbed back to 2,400 meters. Jonny was 1.3 km ahead a little lower as I left the thermal. Jeff was about to get to a thermal at our north/south upper launch at Chabre down to 2,100 meters.

Jeff didn't find good lift at Chabre but Jonny and I did over the lower north launch. We climbed to 2,700 meters and headed off straight toward the turnpoint in the middle of the valley I with Jonny .9 km ahead. Jeff headed for the hills and had to work to get back up while we made it to the turnpoint.

Jonny made it to the turnpoint at the roundabout seven minutes behind Dustin who started fifteen minutes before us. I was a kilometer and a half behind him and a bit higher. I got 12 to 1 getting to the turnpoint at 76 km/h and Jonny got 13 to 1 at 81 km/h.  Our average sink rate was 1.8 m/s during the glide from Chabre around the turnpoint and back to the next lift at Hongrie.

Dustin had to go off course to our right to the cliffs at Gache to get back up after the turnpoint. We got to the turnpoint 100 to 200 meters over the altitude that Dustin made it.

Jonny got to the lift at 300 meters over the hillside at Hongrie one minute before I did. Jonny and I thermalled very close to each other and he got 2.1 m/s and I got 1.5 m/s.  He left the thermal at 300 meters over me and got .9 km ahead.

Jonny, Dustin and I got to the next turnpoint and we were all turning together. Jonny left the turnpoint first at 2,600 meters at just before 3:07 PM. Dustin and I left three minutes later at 2,600 meters. We were three kilometers behind. Jeff O'Brien was seven kilometers behind us.

The next leg was to the west northwest across the gap made by the Durance River and onto the cliffs along our course line to the turnpoint twenty kilometers away. We had to be sure to stay high enough to stay on top of the ridge line and cliffs to get the best lift.

At eleven kilometers along the task I found 2.3 m/s and climbed to 2,500 m. Dustin and Jonny were at sixteen kilometers into the leg, climbing at 2.7 m/s at 2,300 m when I went chasing after them. Jeff was at 1,800 m climbing below me as I left.

I came in under Dustin and climbed from 2,300 m at 4.3 m/s. Dustin was about to leave the thermal at 3115 m. Jonny had raced out in front of both of us and was about at the turnpoint. He was four kilometers ahead of me and five ahead of Dustin (there was a head wind and Dustin was being blown back in the thermal).

I climbed to 2,967 meters and when I headed to the turnpoint Jonny was three kilometers back from the turnpoint heading toward our thermal. Dustin headed off ahead of me. At 2.4 kilometers from the turnpoint I saw Dustin coming back from the turnpoint 200 meters below me. Jonny was turning back in the thermal that we had just left.

Dustin went back toward the good thermal as Jonny left it at 2,900 meters. This will be the last thermal that Jonny stopped in. Dustin left the same thermal four minutes after Jonny.

I made an error and did not make it all the way back to the same thermal but headed more along the course line to its south. At 3:50 PM I was nine kilometers behind Jonny and 150 meters below him. I could see the thermal ahead that I had been heading toward since I decided not to go back to the strong thermal that all three of us got into on our way to the turnpoint.

I entered the thermal with Dustin six kilometers ahead (but I knew that he was fifteen minutes behind). I climbed to 2,700 meters and as I left Jeff O'Brien was 400 meters below me.

I looked at my 6030 and it said I had the goal with 2,500 feet in spite of the 16 km/h head wind which I would get into after I made the next turnpoint at Sigoyer to the southwest, then only six kilometers away.

After climbing Jeff O'Brien pulled in to get going over 110 km/h given how high we were. I was going 80 km/h over the ground perpendicular to the wind. Our ground speed  slowed down considerably when we turned and headed toward the last turnpoint at Mison. I was getting 45 km/h while Jeff was still pulled in and getting 60 km/h. Jonny made goal just after we passed the turnpoint at Sigoyer. He was ten kilometers ahead of us. Dustin was eight kilometers ahead of me.

I might have been flying slower than Jeff as I watching the 6030 trying to fly at best glide speed instead of optimum speed to get to goal (speed to fly speed) as I was concerned about getting over the ridge at Mison.

O'Brien passed me with 150 meters over my head flying faster. He is able to get over the ridge at Mison, while I am not and land up there.

Dustin came in fourteen coming in three minutes after Jonny but starting fifteen minutes earlier. Jeff O'Brien came in one minute after the task was stopped (minus fifteen minutes) and so was not scored at goal, but rather a kilometer and a half back where he was when the clock was stopped.

You can find all the track logs here.