http://soaringspot.com/2011tsss

http://westcoastbrit.blogspot.com/

On the second and last task of the competition I landed 2.5 kilometers short of
the goal and thereby lost the competition even though I had been by far in first
place after the first day. What could have gone wrong?

Let's examine what happened to see where the break down occurred (and perhaps
provide a lesson that can be learned by the reader). I launched first. I was
thereby taking a bit of a risk. There were no cu's and a brisk (eight mph) wind,
which reduces my chances of finding lift on my own. But, I also knew that other
pilots would be launching very soon after me, so the risk was reduced as I could
probably use them to find lift if I stayed up on my own for a little while.

I pinned off early, reducing my margin of safety, but in light lift, so I had at
least the chance of staying up long enough to find help if needed. I had already
taken two risks, which were not all that risky, but risky enough and not
necessarily part of an overall risk reduction process. They were without much
benefit, other than to get in the air and get out of the heat.

The risks proved to be manageable and I was soon thermaling with all the other
pilots. I knew that my strategy was to stay with Ben and/or Chris and make it to
goal. If I made it to goal within a reasonably short period after either of them
made goal, I would continue to have a substantial lead. I didn't concentrate as
heavily on Chris even though he was in second place as I knew he wasn't
performing as well given his big glider and I had had experience from the
previous day where he couldn't keep up with me so it was hard to rely on him to
be a flight partner. I was more focused on Ben who had a similar glider and
could be counted on to fly well.

I was circling with Ben and the other pilots were nearby when Chris headed out
past the edge of the start cylinder and I made the decision to not follow him. I
was with more pilots and therefore more partners. I was with Ben so I had a good
partner. Chris didn't look as though he was finding lift out on the course. Also
I felt that he wouldn't be so far ahead as to cause a problem for me, especially
if he was flying on his own.

Ben left me and went back to inside the start cylinder after we thermalled up
through the edge of the start circle. I felt that it wasn't worth the risk of
losing altitude to go back and get a later start time and I didn't need to worry
about Ben gaining a little advantage on me, as it would be too small to make
much of a dent in the large number of points that I was ahead of him.

But it meant that I was on my own except for the fact that Chris was out there
some place in front of me and may prove useful in finding lift. I couldn't see
him at that point although I had visually followed him for most of the time he
was out there and had seen him turn in some lift and then leave it. I therefore
knew that there was some lift out on the course even if there were no other
visible indicators of lift.

I proceeded on my own and found a couple of reasonable thermals stopping to turn
in them in order to keep as high as possible, not racing, but being
conservative. I then saw Chris low and turning and came over and past him
searching for the lift that he was in or that was near him and was even better.
I found the better lift and climbed up quickly far above him.

I left Chris far below when he moved upwind back on the course line when he saw
Ben circling. I didn't see Ben and after climbing well and full of confidence
that the day wasn't so bad, continued down the course line, now in front and
definitely on my own.

I found lift and my job was to work it and stay high and not get too far out in
front and on my own. Again my strategy was to stay with Ben and Chris, but so
far I was not doing that. Ben came in under me as I worked the not so strong
lift, not as strong as the last thermal. I also saw Chris working a thermal at
about my altitude a few kilometers back down the course line. I wanted to stay
with these two pilots, so I hung out in even some sink just to be with them.

We were now together and working together as we headed very slowly down the
course line making sure that we didn't make any mistakes and trying to stay high
to keep our options open. I would hang back higher than Chris and even with Ben
as we worked thermals from weak to reasonable. We were not racing in any manner
what so ever, but I was determined to stay with them and hang back no matter how
slow it seemed to me. This went against my natural aggressiveness. I kept
telling myself that I was racing against these two pilots, not against the
world.

Finally after a few thermals, after Ben was particularly reluctant to go out
front, no doubt to force me to go, I lead out. It turned into a long glide for
all of us with Ben and I spread out and Chris following. I was searching and
nervous getting low but making the right decision to find the lift. I got into
it first, Ben found a little something half a kilometer away and Chris came in
under me.

We climbed up and then Chris and I joined Ben and we all climbed up again
together with Chris just below us. Everything was back in order as far as I was
concerned. I was still sticking to my strategy of staying with these two pilots
and making sure that I made it to goal.

We got to the next thermal, climbed up with Chris behind and below. At the top
of the lift Ben slid off to the left to the south a bit not exactly on the path
toward the goal. We didn't exactly know where the goal was with respect to what
we saw laid out below and in front of us. There was a large area of trees to the
left to the south. The goal was to the west actually. Ben had been sliding to
the left after every thermal, Chris to the right and I was therefore obviously
in the middle as we spread out.

For the first time since we were together after leaving the start cylinder I
lost track of Ben. I had stayed a bit longer in the lift and although I knew the
direction that he headed and went in that direction I couldn't find him. I had
searched assiduously before for him whenever we were on glide but didn't search
as hard this time. Also he was flying a glider with a smoke colored sail and a
green leading edge. It was hard to see and he had mentioned earlier that he had
a stealth glider. That was truly the case.

I kept adjusting my direction to turn more toward the goal. (Ben was doing this
also). It was confusing as I had seen Ben go in one direction and that didn't
match up with where the goal seemed to be. I had to continue to readjust my
thinking and try to imagine just where out there ahead was the goal to properly
orient myself. This was taking away from my slim mental resources, which ahd
been in such surplus previously when i was flying together with Chris and Ben
and dawdling along.

Chris' glider was all white on top and easy to see. He had come in under us and
was still in the thermal as I left it. I dismissed him at that time wanting to
stay with Ben, but really Chris was the one I should have been concentrating on
as he was the closest in points to me. He also was easy to spot. We were
eighteen kilometers from the goal and all I had to do is stay with Chris, but he
was below me and therefore it didn't feel like he has as good a chance to make
it in as Ben.

I went on glide at at 4,700' AGL. Now I was hungry for the goal. I was getting
the feeling that I could just glide into goal from there. I had had good glide
ratios up to that point other than the long one glide where I got reasonably
low. I think I was feeling like I feel when I fly a high performance glider like
the T2C-144. My feelings were making me feel like the goal was well within
reach. I was not feeling like I was on a single surface glider and that I had to
be a lot more careful.

I had set my 6030 for a single surface glider, but the polar values may have
been a bit aggressive. I should go back and check those. I was getting nervous
and a bit panicky as I couldn't find Ben. I had been counting on seeing Chris
and Ben to keep me centered and on track and now I was on my own having left
Chris behind  and below and not able to find Ben. My mental facilities were
shrinking fast.

I found some lift sixteen kilometers out and turned in it, but not enough as I
felt that I was plenty high. I went on glide from 4,400' AGL.

At fourteen kilometers out I flew through some lift, not bothering to turn as I
had in every other case during the flight. I was thinking that I had goal made
at 4,000'. I just slowed down to climb a little in the lift. My feelings were
taking over. I was panicking. But, I had lost only 700' over four kilometers. I
was getting 18:1 on glide.

At twelve kilometers out and down to 3,500' AGL I knew I had to find lift and
when I found it I turned and stayed in it. I knew that I had to climb if I
wanted to make goal. Despite the fact that Ben was right next to me (within 250
meters), I still didn't see him. I assume that my visual facilities had narrowed
down and that I wasn't able to see him as I wasn't looking for him as I should.
I was too focused on the goal and getting there and not on climbing, relaxing,
assessing my situation, thinking about how things were fine as long as I was
climbing and drifting in the general direction of the goal. I had been flying
through lift or not climbing in lift and was now in my third thermal since I
left Chris.

Chris was climbing up well behind me but I didn't see him either. I was on my
own and suffering from overwhelming feelings about my situation and making it to
goal. I had no markers that I could see that would give me any perspective. Lack
of perspective is often a big problem in hang gliding competition because one
can rarely know how your competition is doing. I had wonderful opportunities to
have a great perspective and I was by far in the dominant position and still I
had blown it and was now out on my own and panicking.

I thermalled up and watched my instruments. They looked good. They told me that
I had goal made by 1,500' from a little under eleven kilometers to the edge of
the one kilometer goal circle. My required glide ratio to goal was 9.5:1. I had
climbed back to 4,000' AGL. But I knew and told myself that I was two kilometers
further out than I had been the day before when I went on final glide from the
same altitude AGL.

This fact and me telling it to myself wasn't enough. I left the lift when it
seemed to weaken or maybe it was when my instruments said I had it or maybe when
I flew out of the lift as I wasn't concentrating as well as I should (I feel
that I do this too often). I needed to stay for another thousand feet, and had
no good reason not to do that.

I went on glide and now I was really panicking as there was plenty of sink and I
was not getting the glide that I wanted. I was searching the ground for possible
sources of lift looking at a very bare field ahead hoping that would be
especially hot and produce lift. I found nothing there.

I ran into a tiny bit of lift but couldn't get enough or into it and instead of
trying harder, went searching low again. I really needed to work that lift as
the chances of finding better or more were now getting much worse.

I found weak lift very low, at five hundred feet, and started working it. I just
couldn't find a core if there was one, but I needed to work that lift and focus
much more on finding the core no matter that I was low. I was torn between
having a really good landing area and just drifting to see what would happen. I
didn't focus enough on the weak lift to maybe just find enough to stay up and
cross the thin banks of trees to get to goal.

I chose to go to a good looking field and land. Chris and Ben came over my head
seven minutes later.

Let us say that I felt much deeper feelings about losing the day than I did
about winning the previous day. Losing gives one much more intense feelings than
winning does. Chris mentioned when he got the first prize how happy he was that
I let him win. I certainly didn't do it on purpose.