http://www.forbesflatlands.com/results2011.php

http://www.jonnydurand.blogspot.com/

http://kathryn.typepad.com/

http://naughtylawyertravels.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/flyingtrent

http://www.flockhartrod.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/warrenwindsport

The task committee is amazing. Gerolf, Attila, and Jonny set a 318.8 km task,
the longest called (and made) in Australia (and second to the longest called and
made ever - at Big Spring, Texas, 346 km). Gerolf's
XCSkies forecast shows the
wind strength at twenty two knots from the east, while I show eight knots on the
NSW RASP. So I am a little skeptical.

The lift is supposed to be good except later in the day around Forbes, but we
are heading far far away from Forbes. The height of the lift is predicted to be
only about 6,000' at launch time with cloud cover, but getting to over 9,000'
during the task out to the west. The cumulus clouds are supposed to be present
but not for the last 100 km toward Hay. All these forecasts turn out to be
correct with upper level winds at 14 mph, and light winds on the ground.

Given the long task and the forecast for later weak lift, we set the launch open
at 11:45 and the first start time at 1:15 PM. I get out to the launch line early
and take off first. There are plenty of little thin cu's and have been since
about 10 AM, so the prospect of launching early is not worrisome.

The lift is weak and we only get to 5,500'. The task committee has set the start
cylinder at fifteen kilometers so we can drift over to the ridge line to the
west. But really there is plenty of light lift under the thin cu's before the
ridge line and pilots hang out near the edge of the start circle battling the
east wind.

At least twenty pilots if not almost all the pilots start at the start clock at
1:15. It looks like it will take about six hours to complete the task by 7 PM,
and the lift is supposed to be light for the last two hours with the prospect of
no cu's, so its a good idea to get going.

I start a little below cloud base but catch the gaggle at the first thermal and
get to near the top quickly. Larry, Ricker and I head out toward the front and
start connecting the dots. Ricker lags behind and Larry and I lose visual
contact but are within a couple of kilometers of each other doing well and
staying reasonably high. I'm wearing more clothes than the day before and it is
cold even at 6,000'.

Our first "turnpoint" is a twenty kilometer circle around the Milby turnpoint
which is there to keep us to the north and away from standing water. With the
new optimized Flytec 6030 firmware I can set a course line just to the southern
edge of the big turnpoint which really helps.

Unfortunately neither Ricker nor Larry appear to have this firmware update and
while I'm looking at distances off the optimized course line they are reporting
distances off the course line that goes through the waypoint. So I lose track of
where Larry is to my left or right. I just know his distance to the next
waypoint.

We move very quickly and I work with two or three other pilots including Tulio
from Italy as we zip down the course and look out ahead to see that we will soon
be out of the clouds. I have a few pilots below me and that always helps in the
confidence area.

I'm highest as we approach a treed hill 95 kilometers from Gunbar and 80
kilometers past the Milby turnpoint. We are over 5,000' and I can see a nice
cloud right over the extensive forest. Other pilots around seem a bit shy about
charging right into the forest but it looks good to me so I charge ahead. I am
rewarded with 475 fpm on the averager. Tulio and another pilot join me. Then
four or five other pilots come in under us.

Out ahead the clouds get very thin and will soon end. I'm on top of the stack
and climbing fast. I get near the cloud and barely escape at 9,600', the highest
I've been all day. I have to stuff the bar and get away from the cloud losing
track of all my potential friends now behind me. This is my big mistake for the
day. I had been flying well with others staying up with everyone and flying as
well as them, now I have no reference point and the dots are about to disappear.

I hear from Larry that he is about the same distance from the turnpoint at
Gunbar, but I have no idea just where. I race out into the sunshine, search for
lift and for the first time since leaving the start cylinder have to work weak
lift. This is not appreciated as I don't know where everyone else is.

I find 500 fpm to over 8,000' all by myself then work 300 fpm lift from less
than 3,000' near Golgoowi back to 8,600' Larry and about have a dozen other
pilots are just five kilometers ahead but I can't ever see them. I find good
lift after that as I make the turnpoint at Gunbar but I can't get over 5,000'. I
hear from Larry that his pilots are getting to 8,000 in 400 fpm. I can't find
that and land 50 kilometers short of Hay.

Over twenty pilots make goal with Jonny in way early and obviously he had to go
out on his own. Curt is in second seventeen minutes later. Larry made goal with
his group. Ricker who was forty kilometers behind us came over me and landed 38
kilometers from goal.

The flight on the
HOLC and on
XContest. The results should be up later today. It was a long drive back and
very few pilots were scored by midnight. Today is the rest day between
competitions and we start again on Saturday for the next five day competition.

It is great fun here and I believe everyone enjoyed the big task.