Day Six, Time to Fly My Game

Thursday, August 5, 2010

I am not unhappy with yesterday's flight, but a little disappointed.  However, I have concluded that I do better when I do what I know how to do.  So, today I will not worry about flying with the other JS1's and I will fly for myself.  (Note: The JS1 guys are flying fantastic.  I am very excited for them and hope they end up on the podium -- which they are very close to doing.  It certainly would have been great to work out how to fly together but this is simply too difficult to figure out once you arrive at the contest.)

Today's weather is the best yet.  We will have Cu and plenty of altitude.  The course is to the northeast.

I have a good start abut 10 minutes behind the first gaggle.  I press hard and find good Cu.  Deviating slightly to the right of course line keeps me connected with Cu.  The run to the first turn is straight foward, good climbs, push over to 100 knots, climb again. 

At the turn, I have caught a number of gliders.  I feel good about my speed.  I press on.  I am with a group of gliders and we stop for 2.5 knots -- well below my average for the day and there is good Cu ahead.  I am at 3000' and I press on.  Hmmm, the others do not.

There is an interesting quote in Brigliadori's "Competing on the Wind".  He says, "If you are flying along with the gaggle [of the best pilots in the world], one should consider carefully your thoughts to do something different then the group.  Why do you think your eyes have seen something the rest has not?" 

The Cu I was running to did not work and now I'm down to 1200' and the sweat is dripping under my arms as the fleet passes over head.  I dump water for a minute and work 1 knot.  Shift one mile, two knots.  Climb a little and shift again, three knots.  Whew!  This has cost me.  I was running 110 kmh before this point, now I am done to 100 kmh.

I am running again and working to catch the rest.  The day is improving.  A four knot thermal gets me closer.  Make the turn, then another 4 knotter.  Press on.  A 5 knotter and I am below the gaggle that passed me.  Garret calls me and says, "WE if you like the one your in, you'll love the next one!"  I top out and push the nose over hard.  Bam!  6 to 7 under the next cloud.  I am on final glide. 

A long final glide with the usual losses and gains.  More gains towards the steering turn and I am home.  Back up to nearly 109 kmh.  One poor judgement clearly cost me the top ten for the day.  My igc file is below.  Two more days.

--WE

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