http://soaringspot.com/2011rk

http://skyout.blogspot.com

http://flyingjochen.blogspot.com

http://kathrynoriordan.com

http://naughtylawyertravels.blogspot.com

http://www.youtube.com/user/jonnydurand

http://www.jonnydurand.blogspot.com

http://westcoastbrit.blogspot.com

It was a fantastic final day at the Rob Kells meet at the Florida
Ridge. The forecast was for a 50% chance of precipitation and thunderstorms. Dr.
Jack's RUC forecast which gets updated very frequently (more than XCSkies
apparently) was indicating cu-nims to the northwest over Tampa at two o'clock
moving toward us later in the afternoon at twenty five mph.

The task committee called ninety five kilometer triangle to the north (toward
the area where there would be a cu-nimb later in the day) given the forecast for
light winds. We wanted to get going early to avoid the over development so set
the launch time at noon and the first start time at one o'clock. The cu's
started early in the day.

I checked Dr. Jack's RUC wind and CAPE forecast again just before the pilot
briefing at 11 AM. The wind forecast had changed dramatically from light winds
to wind ten to fourteen mph out of the south at two o'clock. The CAPE forecast
had worsened with the cu-nimbs predicted to be closer than the earlier forecast.

I was about the tenth pilot to tow up and I didn't catch any lift until I was
down to 1,600'. The lift was very light, but seeing how I hadn't seen any lift
as I searched around losing 900' I figured that I had better stay with it. There
was plenty of sunshine around and nice looking cu's.

I hung on in 140 fpm lift to 2,700' in an eleven mph south southeast wind. This
thermal was good enough to attract others and I was flying next to Julia. There
were black cu's over head and it was shaded to the north of the river as we
drifted north.

We moved a little further north, found 100 fpm and twirled in that until we
reached 3,400'. The ground was now completely shaded from the high clouds coming
off a cu-nimb well to the north and cumulus clouds filling in underneath. Given
how dark it was we were happy to be staying aloft. There were maybe a dozen of
us at this point drifting north northwest.

Lift was scarce. I pushed up wind to get with Shapiro and we climbed at 50 fpm
to 3,500'. It was less then four minutes before the launch opened.

We (and I'm counting about twenty pilots) moved just outside the start cylinder
and starting climbing at 79 fpm. We were all just hanging on waiting for the
start clock for the first start time. We were over the do not land here
territory. Hard retrieves. It was absolutely shaded every where. There was no
sunlight. The cloud base was quite low. It was hard to understand why we stayed
up at all, and even harder to imagine how we were going to get any where. We
were flying in each others' faces as the gaggle flattened out.

Just before the first start clock we went back and got the first start time. I
waited a bit before taking it as I wondered what the point was. I couldn't see
how we would make it back to the Ridge against the southerly wind in very weak
conditions with thunderstorms a long ways away but coming our way later. Also we
can start early with little penalty.

We didn't gain much after taking the start clock so we headed off north
northwest toward highway 27, which at least gave us a chance of an easy
retrieve. With the nine mph southerly wind and light sink it was an eighteen to
one glide to the highway. Just beyond the highway over a mine a pilot was
thermaling up, apparently a pilot who started before the first start clock. We
were racing for the pilot, as it turned out.

There was the best lift of the day there over the shaded sand. We climbed at 200
fpm to 4,000'. We were even joined by a red paraglider pilot who very
considerately kept below our gaggle. Suddenly the day was much better if we
could get this kind of lift in this much shade. Zac and Paris were on top of the
stack. Jonny and Dustin were with me and Shapiro.

About half way through the climb when we shifted to the west a little Larry and
Greg turned right and it looked like they had just missed out on the best part
of the thermal. It looked like they were gliding to their doom.

Gliding over the shaded ground we got very light sink rates with an L/D greater
than twenty to one. The eight mph tail wind helped sending us right to your
turnpoint. On my left Jonny started turning in no lift. A minute later I turned
in lift that averaged minus 47 fpm. You could at least drift with the lighter
sink.

As we got closer to the turnpoint the cu's that were under the gray mass of
clouds high overhead disappeared, so that there were no signs of lift. It looked
like this glide was out last glide.

Dustin had gone back to try to find some lift but didn't. Paris and Zac were
above us as were neared the turnpoint. There were plenty of open fields around.
There were pilots every where just gliding and hoping. Tulio was next to me.

As we made the turnpoint we headed back but there was a forest before us and we
were down to less than 1,000'. We stretched the glide out over the forest and
then came back to land near the highway. Jochen had already landed there without
making the turnpoint. Dustin would come and land also without making the
turnpoint after his maneuver failed. Julia was with us.

Paris and Zac made the turnpoint and went a little further south past the
forest. Jonny, while not as high as them, drifted toward turnpoint in light sink
and was able to get in the same field as Paris on the way back.

Larry and Greg did find another thermal after they missed the last half of the
first one and were able to come over us almost after we finished breaking down
and get a little further.

On the way back south in the truck we found the strong rainstorms. There had
been thunder way to our west as we broke down, but we never experienced any poor
or unsafe conditions while in the sky.

Jonny was able to squeak ahead of Dustin on the last day by staying up and just
getting a little further. If Dustin had stayed with us the distance difference
between the two would probably not have been enough to make the difference that
it did in the end.

There was big prize money at this meet, which is one of the two most important
hang gliding meets in the US, if NTSS points are the consideration. There was
prize money for the top five spots in the open class, and every sport class
pilot received a great prize, jackets, or equipment.

First place in the open class received $2,500, second, $1,000, third, $700,
fourth $500, and fifth (me) $300.

The competition venue at the Florida Ridge was superb and the launching was easy
and safe. The tasks were enjoyable and the scenery excellent. We and the
Cloudbase Foundation had excellent media coverage with a very complimentary TV
news presentation.

We flew even with strongish winds and had great cross wind tasks. It is so flat
here that winds aren't much of an issue.

I think that the Florida Ridge would be a great venue for a large international
competition. It is cheap and easy to get to from Europe and South America. Fly
into Miami or Fort Myer (even better).