http://soaringspot.com/2011bsn

The task committee called a big task, 380 kilometers (236 miles), the longest
task ever called in a competition. But they had a backup in case it looked like
the cu's might show up to the northwest and not to the northeast, 242 kilometers
(150 miles) to Muleshoe. During the 2007 Worlds the longest task was to Clovis
just west of Muleshoe, so this was a little bit shorter.

The cu's did not show up at least any where near Big Spring, or La Mesa or
Brownfield. They sure didn't show up on the eastern side of Lubbock and there
were no cu's around the airport when we started launching at 12:30. Pilots like
to see cu's before they commit aviation especially on a windy day.

The task committee switches to the back up task to Muleshoe given the lack of
cu's. The winds die down just in time for the launch so everyone is feeling a
little less apprehensive. I launch fairly early just behind Joe Bostik.

Jonny Thompson pulls me into a reasonable thermal and I pin off just short of
2,000' AGL and start twirling up. Apparently there isn't any other good lift
around because everyone who launched earlier and a few who launched later came
and joined me in that thermal as I climb to 7,700', the top of the inversion.
The forecast was for 12,000' cloud base, but there are no cu's and there is a
very visible inversion that is not broken and is preventing us from getting
higher.

Joe climbs up under me as I hit the ceiling as does Mark Bolt. I know that Joe
is going to take the first start time at 1:40 PM because he thinks that there is
no way that we are going to make it to goal. When he heads off toward the edge
of the fifteen kilometer start cylinder, too late to make a good start time, I
half heartedly head in his direction just to see if he finds some lift. Mark
heads that way also.

There is no lift to be found as Mark and I search around in the general
direction of northwest from the airport. This looks like a difficult day. Back
at the airport pilots are not sticking as a flush cycle moves through. Zippy and
Glen will have to relaunch later. Zippy never found lift on his first flight and
Glen went back to the airport from 6,000' and didn't get back up.

Mark and I spot Joe climbing (but not well) at the edge of the start cylinder
and not finding any other lift go over to him. This basically commits us to the
first start clock seven minutes late. Oh, well, one has to stay up first.

The three of us work together working 250 fpm broken lift and not quite getting
back to 7,500'. We spread out and search for the next lift thinking that we've
got a long day ahead of us if this is what we can expect for lift. The wind is
fifteen mph out of the south and we keep edging to the north northwest toward
Muleshoe.

We drop Mark around Ackerly thirty kilometers out and Joe and I race ahead
toward the eastern side of La Mesa where we find 500 fpm and climb up through
the inversion to 8,900'. I'm leading from just below and finding tiny dust
devils that mark good lift. After two thermals that average over 500 fpm, it
seems like the day has finally turned on and we can go for the stronger
thermals, instead of hanging on to 250 fpm. I lead out again (watching Joe's and
my shadows closely to keep a tab on Joe). I fly straight through 300 fpm lift
over a small dust devil not worrying about it but just slowing down and head for
what I hope is better lift ahead.

This, of course, turns out to be a mistake and I have to take 170 fpm at 6,000'
northwest of La Mesa to try to stay up high enough to find the next lift. I will
spend the next ninety kilometers low and in weak lift. Joe was smart enough to
stay back a little from me and turn in better lift.

I struggle in the broken lift drifting along the course line and trying
everything that I can to find better lift. I'm so low that I have to stay in
anything I can find, but I can search in the general vicinity of the lift to see
if there is anything better.

About half way through this weak area I go on a long glide that looks to me will
end in landing. Heading for the highway I go over the grassy areas away from the
cultivated field and find lift at 600'.  It only averages 150 fpm, but it
saves me from landing. After a few minutes Larry Bunner, who took the second
clock, comes and joins me. And then gets away from me as he found the better
core before I did.

I can see the first cu's maybe twenty kilometers to the north northwest. I've
got to make it through the weak area in order to get under those cu's and
finally get some good lift. I climb in 300 fpm and to over 7,000' and head for
the clouds. Unfortunately although I line myself right up with a row of them I
can't find any lift under them.

I center punch three or four clouds and get nothing. Then I see a little dust
devil off to the west and jump over to it to find 300 fpm. It's all broken and
it sure isn't strong like it was on Monday but I'm going up.

There are plenty of cu's ahead and while most of them don't work, a few do. I
jump to a field with a few dust devils (they always seem to work) just east of
Leveland and climb up to 9,600' at 500 fpm. I'm high for the first time since La
Mesa.

The cu's along the course line are sparse but I head out in that general
direction shading a bit toward some possible lift under cu's and looking for
ones that are just forming. Jumping to the west I get up under some forming cu's
staying between 5,000' and 6,500' as the ground rises to 3,300' from 2,500' at
Big Spring.

I can see a well formed, high, cloud street going street to goal twenty
kilometers ahead and to the west. I work my way over in that direction to get
lined up with the cloud street having to work some light lift to get there high
enough. I see a small dust devil under the south end of the street and assume
that this is a sign that the cu's won't let me down this time. I leave a 250 fpm
thermal and head for the dust devil.

When I get there I find lift that averages over 700 fpm, with long stretches of
900+ fpm. I'm twenty six kilometers from the goal and given this rate of climb
there is no reason not to take it until I am absolutely certain I can make goal
at the fastest possible speed.

I leave the lift at 10,500' and try to get away from the cloud street as far as
possible to get into the sink and avoid being tossed around with the bar
stuffed. It is pretty turbulent at 50+ mph, but I'm getting over 70 mph over the
ground. I'm able to get the glider down to 1,200' AGL at the goal.

Larry and Joe are there already. Larry was first into goal about eleven minutes
before me at 6 PM. Looks like he won the day. Pilots slowly dribble in with Greg
Chastain fourth. Much later Zippy and Glen and then Bob Flipchuck come in after
7:30 after taking the last clock. It's nice to have lift so late.

Mark Bolt made goal and later said that he watched me pulled away from him and
climb on him flying straight. It appears as though this Wills Wing T2C-144 is
flying very well.

Scores will be available later in the morning on Wednesday as we got back at 11
PM.