The results are found above. Britton wrote on the Region six forum:
Region 6 had several PG pilots competing in the Monarca PG Comp,
Valle De Bravo, Mexico. The comp began on Monday, 1/25, and concluded on
Saturday, 1/30. Some of the Region 6 pilots included: Britton Shaw, Paul Condron,
Justin Elliott and Darius Lukos. The star performer was Darius, who put a good
thumping on the other global pilots, and kept Region 6 on the board.
We had a total of 10 flying days. There was only one day that wasn't flyable.
The weather was magnificent. Low temps in the upper 30's and highs near 80. We
were flying in altitudes from 5-11K.
This was my first official competition, and I'm glad I attended. The number of
pilots circling in small and rough thermals made it very uncomfortable for me.
It probably took me 3-4 days to get comfortable enough to turn tight circles in
the mass gaggles. I did witness a collision, immediately landed, then assisted
the fallen pilots. Both of them miraculously walked out of the forest without a
scratch!
I thought I knew 90% of what it takes to guide a PG through the air, and I
probably do... What I came to realize is that the missing 10% I lacked keeps 90%
of the pilots at the bottom of the stack or the tail end of the group.
Here are some key take-aways I learned from the competition:
The more gliders in the air, the better the chances of finding lift.
Keeping an eye on individual gliders (which glider is climbing faster) in a mass
gaggle allows a better chance of getting to the top of the stack sooner rather
than later, which is key when racing.
Selecting `lines' is essential. I was on a long glide, flew one wing-width away
from another pilot while he stayed neutrally buoyant and I sunk like a rock. Now
I understand the reason for course deviation, if ever so slightly…
Knowing that you have a good reserve (reputable, inspected, etc.) and the
confidence that you can deploy it correctly/appropriately.
I learned many other lessons- so many in fact, that I could type till my fingers
bleed. It was a great experience and I will be sure to organize something along
these lines for all our pilots to benefit from.
