You'll find the February issue of USHPA Hang Gliding and
Paragliding Magazine (in PDF format)
here (if the USHPA.aero web
site is back after being down over the weekend). The Sport Class article starts out:

First of all, let's hear from Kathryn O'Riordan regarding flying
in the Sport Class at the Airborne Gulgong Classic in November, 2009:

"For the last year and a half I have been involved in the competition scene, but
not competing. My first taste of the comp scene was in Austria last year with
Gerolf Heinrichs. I thought to myself, the only thing better than hanging out on
a beautiful mountaintop in the sunshine would be if I was actually flying
myself! I knew then that I wanted to be part of the action, not just an
observer. Since then I have been to (but not flown in) comps in Australia,
Florida, Austria and France and Spain. The 2009 Airborne Gulgong Classic was my
first competition. Finally, I was part of the action!

"In Gulgong I flew an Airborne Fun 160 (the same glider that my friend Jorj was
flying). It's a beginner glider, a dune-soaring glider. It is definitely not
designed to tow or go cross country. But I feel safe in it, and I thought there
was so much to learn about going cross country, that I didn't want to have to
worry about handling a more advanced glider.

"Before the competition there were a few skills I was worried about and some
that I knew I had. I was worried about towing behind a trike, but this ended up
being drama free. Some tows were quite bumpy but nothing too scary. I was
worried about bombing out, but this did not happen too much. I was worried about
not finding 'the next thermal, but you know, even though I didn't make goal, I
did find some thermals and managed to stay in the air over 2 hours on the days I
flew.

"I was also a bit apprehensive about flying in gaggles, or at least thermaling
with more than one person. I realized that I got a bit nervous whenever anyone
flew too close. This is where my lack of confidence shows, and one area where I
am determined to become confident in while I am still flying the Fun 160.

"Making decisions in the air is another area where my lack of experience shows.
I realized that my decision to go downwind to find a thermal, as opposed to
upwind was a very bad decision because it was so hard to punch back on course
with the Fun.

"Overall it was huge learning experience. I could even see by the end of the
competition how I took things like towing, using my GPS and landing out all in
stride. There is really no better way to learn how to fly cross country than to
enter a competition.

"Personally it gives me a focus. I would prefer to have a task set for me than
to just fly around aimlessly because even if you do not make the goal, you will
be able to measure your progress and feel like you have achieved something. And
of course there is nothing like getting up there and just going somewhere new,
flying over terrain, landing in some random farmer's field and getting fed a
lovely roast dinner with the farmer and his wife while you wait for retrieve."