32.881678,-111.854982,Francisco Grande, Casa Grande, Arizona,
USA

The task:

http://santacruzflatsrace.blogspot.com/

With a forecast similar to Sunday the task committee called a task that they
knew would allow pilots to avoid the green areas that proved to be so soft on
Sunday. They also wanted to get pilots up on the mountains north of Picacho Peak
and let them run the range to the second turnpoint making it easier to get back
to the Francisco Grande.

Pilots weren't as lackadaisical today getting ready to launch. In fact there was
a long line before the launch opened. We forced the ATOSes and Swifts to launch
early and the flex wings were lined up behind them. The rigids starting
launching at 11:45.

Unfortunately the lift was quite weak at noon and it was a struggle to stay up.
Nothing like when I launched 56 minutes after noon on Sunday and immediately
found good lift and climbed to over 7,000'. Everyone was huddled together and
not venturing out to find if there was better lift some place else, because we
were all too low.

As the hour and fifteen minutes elapsed toward the first start time the lift
began turning on slowly. At first we were able to get almost 200 fpm around 1
PM. Then we found a little over 200 fpm and by the time the third start time cam
around we were able to climb to 8,000' where as we had been stuck below
3,000'for the first half hour.

A good sized bunch of us took the 1;45 clock and headed for the little range
south of Casa Grande. I got out in front as usual and found a strong thermal,
400 fpm on average, to over 9,200', before we got to the range. We then picked
up the pace and came into the hills to join Dustin and Bunner.

Dustin and I headed out after a couple of turns but I was soon out ahead again
flying fast. It is lonely out in front and I need to slow down a bit here in
Casa Grande to stay with others. After a seventeen kilometer glide down to
3,000' AGL I hooked another 400 fpm thermal that took me back to 7,500'. As it
broke up I headed out toward the turnpoint looking for O'Brien who was now
working weak lift just in front of me.

Unfortunately I didn't see him and kept going not finding lift for 16
kilometers. I went under two circling gliders that had started half an hour
earlier but there was nothing but sink below them and I landed.

Jeff worked the weak lift and got up slowly over my head with the two gliders
that I had gone to. Dustin behind also worked his way up. Pilots were working
very weak lift where I went down for a long time.

Once they got high they headed for the range, were able to get up and then make
it back to Francisco Grande.

Brett Hazlett flying a Moyes Litespeed was able to nip Joe Bostik for the win
today. Kraig Coomber was third, with Dustin then O'Brien. Then a long wait for
the rest of the goal finishers. Bunner made it by 20 meters.