http://soaringspot.com/2011tsss/results/flex/daily/day2.html

http://westcoastbrit.blogspot.com/

The forecast was for northeast winds maybe 10 mph, a rarity here in south
central Texas, where the north pressure out in the Gulf rotates the winds from
the south. The high pressure was north west of us and the front to the south.
The lift was supposed to be reasonable, but there would be no cu's and the
temperatures would moderate a bit to 92°F. Belinda was happy with the
drier air.

We were in no hurry to launch. The task was a short one, 60.5 kilometers to the
southwest, as much downwind as possible.

 I launch first at 2:20 PM and pin off early in light lift. Chris, Dan and
I hook up as they get towed up and we climb in 150 fpm. The start is very lazy
as we all slowly climb. Ben and Stephan join us and other than the Harrier pilot
(who is just below us) we are just circling around together.

Chris goes off down the course line by himself but no one joins him. I don't see
him get any lift so I hang with Ben as we pull away from the others. The wind is
eight mph out of the northeast and we are drifting well inside the start
cylinder down the course line.

At 2:50 Ben and I are circling near the edge of the start cylinder. We drift out
of it as we climb to 4,000' AGL. Ben goes back to get a later start time
(individual start times are used in this competition), but I ignore that. I'm
560 points ahead of him and can afford to let him try to get a few minutes on me
at goal.

I've watched Chris out ahead and I never saw him get high. I'm 350 point ahead
of him so I'm not too concerned that he'll go fast on his own on this blue day
way out ahead of us.

I take off from 4,000' on my own and head out not expecting to find Chris but
looking for lift on my own. I work a couple of light thermals on my own then see
Chris down low seven kilometers out turning and climbing well. I fly over to him
well above him and a little ways past him get into 600 fpm which averages out to
350 fpm as I climb to 4,200' AGL. Chris goes back up wind far below me and comes
in under Ben, who I don't see. I head further down the course line as I'm as
high as I can get.

Five kilometers later I find 200 fpm and after a while see Ben far below me and
Chris working a thermal behind us.  Later he flies over to us. I just hang
in the thermal waiting for them to catch up as I want to have help making it
through the blue. Also my strategy is to stay with Chris and Ben and just get to
goal with them so that I maintain my large advantage from the previous task.

We all dawdle along finding weak lift and staying in it to get high. We spread
out to find the next lift. Chris is always a bit lower and not gliding as well,
but he does fine climbing. Ben and I have essentially the same performance in
the Northwing Freedoms, his without the sprogs or the extra battens, or the
Mylar leading edge.

After climbing to 5,000' AGL I lead out with Ben and then Chris behind. It's a
long glide for a single surface glider and searching for lift I get down to
1,200' AGL over a good looking area for producing lift. I find 250 fpm and Chris
comes in under me. Ben is further west searching, but then he finds a little
something.

Chris and I climb up and then hop to Ben to find more 250 fpm. We climb up
together with Chris a bit lower to 4,400' eighteen kilometers from the goal. Ben
heads out a bit to the south. The goal is to the southwest. I keep climbing then
head out leaving Chris a couple of hundred feet below.

I lose track of Ben and think that he is just in front of me on the way toward
goal. I'm looking ahead to see if I see him thermaling. In fact he's just to my
left 250 meters at my altitude or a bit lower and just in front of me, but I
don't see him. I stop for a climb and I'm two hundred feet over Ben but he's 750
meters away and I still don't see him just in front of me and to my left.

Twelve kilometers out from goal I start turning in 250 fpm lift and climb to
4,000'. Ben is just behind me climbing in a similar thermal and just a bit
lower. I still don't see him.

I remember that I was 4000' AGL when I went on glide the day before, but I was
three kilometers closer. I needed to stay in this thermal longer, but the 6030
says I have goal by 1,500' at 9.5 to 1. Instead of hanging on and drifting
toward  goal, I head out. Ben flies to the lift that I just left and climbs
to 4,800' AGL.

I land 2.5 kilometers short of the goal radius of one kilometer.

Chris and Ben, who waited behind, work their way to goal seven minutes behind
me. Ben works a light thermal right over my head at 1,600' AGL and climbs high
enough to make goal.

Chris goes into the lead overall with Ben third.

The RUC (local) forecast is for 14 mph winds tomorrow and Saturday on the ground
at the airfield. A little more than the last two days but two thirds of what it
was the first two days.