The
local forecast said that the chance of rain wouldn't materialize until late
in the day in Sigillo. The morning sky was blue for the first time since the
meet started and as the morning progressed the cummies formed early but didn't
threaten as we started launching from the south west facing side of Montecucco
at noon to get in an early task.

The task committee had us run up and down the valley, down to the south end,
back up north and over northwest to Gubbio in the valley to the west, back south
to south of Gualdo Tedino and then back to the Sigillo landing zone, 114
kilometers. A short task, but on a day where it looked like we might have over
development.

As is my practice I was off early and climbing out soon to the north of launch
under multiple cu's along the ridge line. The cloud base was lower to the east
and there was a convergence at Montecucco with an northeast wind on the east
side and a southwest wind on the southwest side. I was soon over 7,000' and it
was a bit too cold up there.

The edge of the entry start cylinder was eight kilometers south at the windmills
and out away from the nice convergence and cu's on the ridge tops near launch.
Given that it was fifty minutes before the start window opened at 1:20 PM 
I decided to head to the windmills to check the exact location of the start
cylinder. There was lift just inside it but we weren't getting nearly as high
there as we were on the ridge by launch.

I was on the radio with Larry Bunner and we decided to head out into the valley
to get under a cumulus cloud. This was a big mistake for me as I got very little
lift and a lot of sink. After a long while with Larry getting better lift I ran
back to the windmills to find good lift and get up. But it was too late by now.
I would start low and five minutes behind the top guys.

There were cu's along the ridge and a few out in the valley to the west. I just
kept going racing along the front of the ridge waiting for something good to
happen. I found reasonable lift but didn't get high until I got to the turnpoint
seventeen kilometers south of the windmills over a quarry. The race back was low
also until the next quarry where I finally got into some 800 fpm to over 7,000'.
It took a while to get high enough for the thermal to turn on to that extent.

The cu's were filling in and there was a lot of shading in the valley as we
headed north. But there was good lift under the blackest clouds and I got high
before I headed northwest across the valley to get on the ridgeline east of
Gubbio. It was dark and shaded ahead all the way to the turnpoint with no formed
cu's overhead, just high clouds. I wanted to be plenty high before I flew across
all that shaded ground.

 I arrived reasonably high on the west ridgeline over a quarry and worked
200 fpm figuring it was the best available in the many square miles of shaded
ground. I had almost caught up with the lead gaggle, but had seen a lone pilot
head back high toward Sigillo after making the turnpoint in front of me (maybe
Alex Ploner).

The future up the ridgeline was uncertain and I could hear from Larry and James
Stinnet that they were working weak lift and not getting high. Three kilometers
from the turnpoint the lead gaggle came the other way at about my height. Thank
goodness they were watching where they were going.

The sun was coming out and the lift improved so it was easy to get around and
make the turnpoint and head back down the ridgeline to the south. The next
turnpoint was back east in the other valley but I didn't jump over to that
valley until I found good lift and got under some dark cu's. There was rain to
the west and to the south past the turnpoint. There was shading almost every
where.

I found 200 fpm lift in the middle of the valley just before Gualdo Tedino. I
didn't stay in it all the way to base but left with 6,000' as I had heard that
James found lift by the windmills. I went on glide about twelve kilometers from
the turnpoint, headed for the ridgeline then glided down the ridgeline at the
bottom of the hills next to the flats. The sink was about 100 fpm, with spots of
100 fpm up. I just kept gliding as it was all dark and the lift was weak and so
was the sink.

Turning around and heading north I was trying to run away from the rain but I
got a few sprinkles. I had seen the lead gaggle run down the ridge as I went for
the turnpoint and now I was chasing them to goal. Too far behind though.

I just kept on gliding and not turning as the sink was very weak and the lift
was every now and then there on the glide. It was easy to get to goal along with
almost every one else. Twenty nine kilometers on glide without a turn except at
the turnpoint. 24:1 glide to goal.

The results can be found here: http://www.cucco2011.org/. I believe that Christen Ciech won the day, with
Alex Ploner second, and Manfred third (or was it Primoz?). I heard from Jeff
Shaprio that he went off with Manfred and they got low before the first
turnpoint.

Zac Majors went down at Gualdo on the second leg. Some others apparently also.

http://www.cucco2011.org/update.htm

After two days, the US team:

40  DUSTIN MARTIN USA Wills Wing T2C144 548 805 1353

49 JEFF SHAPIRO USA Wills Wing T2C 144 532 792 1324

60 LARRY BUNNER USA Wills Wing T2C 144 517 734 1251

68 JEFF O BRIEN USA Wills Wing T2C 144 371 813 1184

69 DAVIS STRAUB USA Airborne REV 498 678 1176

72 DERRECK TURNER USA Moyes LSS 5 224 845 1069

81 JAMES STINNETT USA Wills Wing T2C 221 764 985

117 ZAC MAJORS  USA Wills Wing T2C 536 536

The team is in thirteen place.

Track logs for day two:
http://www.livetrack24.com/tasks/293/score