Whohoo! First Contest Day
Friday, July 30, 2010
The first Day is in the bag and I am sitting nice in 7th Place. For the first time in several days we woke to a good weather forecast. There was blue sky by 11am. Discussions on the grid seem to have a common theme, "start as soon as you can as the day will die early". The launch is delayed, then delayed again. An early start is now not possible.
The launch for the 18m begins and I am off. We have watched the rest of the gliders that are airborne low and in two large gaggles. As my turn to launch arrives, there are Cu forming overhead. Off tow and I am climbing.
I transition to the the clouds over the Szeged where the start line was and climbed to cloudbase. The gaggles are huge -- gliders of 15m, 18m and 25m wingspan all going around and around in very tight formation! My head is definitely on a swival and eyes only looking outside.
The start is now looking like something after 2pm and not the 1:30 that we were planning on. The gate opens but no one starts. I can't imagine what everyone is thinking except no one wants to go first. Finally, a group starts so I head out with them. It's Ricky Brigliadori so I feel that I am in good company.
The run to the first turn goes well. I am cruising nicely with RB and his teammate. I have climbed above them and letting them lead out. The bulk of the 18m class is a cloud behind us. RB presses on and I stay to climb. I see them low ahead and climbing.
We round the first turn and have now caught the 15m class. We head south towards then second turn and the clouds are thinning due to a high cirrus deck overhead cooling the ground. I head straight for the turn and the 18m gaggle is off to my right following a few remaining Cu. I worry that I have made a mistake as I am alone and there is shadow on the ground.
Approaching the turn, I see a Cu forming past the turn and in the sun. It is a 45 degree deviation but it seems to be my best option. I glide out to the cloud and find 3 kts. As I am climbing, I see the rest of the 18m class join me -- well below -- I have made the right decision.
Moving on, the high cirrus and it's shadow on the ground is directly over the course line. There is sun and Cu to the south. However, the Cu is in Serbia which is out of bounds for today. I stay to the south and in the sun. The 15m "wad" is out front, low and in the shadow. I am rewarded with my course selection and reach Cu just outside the Serbian border and have now caught the Open Class. The 15m guys are now deviating to the Cu and come in well below me.
As we approach Szeged, it seems that all classes have come together and the gaggles are huge with pilots edgy and aggressive. I have an Open Class wing pull up and roll just past my nose. Another 15m glider cuts directly in front of me. Gotta get away from this, press on, press on.
I work hard in the thermals gradually getting higher and further ahead of the "wad". We contact good Cu, probably the of last Cu as it is now 5pm. I am running at 5000 ft and at cloudbase. There is a huge Cu south of course line and close to the third turn. Should I deviate to it? I spot a number of ships climbing under this Cu and lower than me. I make the deviation -- pay dirt, a 5 knot climb!
I top out at cloudbase and leave well ahead of the main group with two other gliders. We hit the turn and are delighted to see a nice line of Cu on course line toward the 4th turn. Perhaps I will hit final glide before these last Cu run out.
I continue on with the leader group and we climb nicely under each Cu. The last Cu is 3 knots to cloudbase and I am on final glide with McCready set to 2.0. Thirty seven miles to go including rounding the 4th turnpoint and the final steering turn. There are no Cu ahead, just an occasional whisp. We glide on. I make up a little distance and a few feet in altitude on the two gliders that are about a half mile ahead.
Twenty miles to go and I have gained a little on final glide. I cross the lake towards the steering turn and the two ships ahead of me deviate south of the lake -- perhaps this is my chance to gain on them. We are now side by side but they are a quarter mile to my left and closer to the finish. I am in sink over the lake!
We arrive at the steering turn together, bank left and announce to Szeged Tower 10 kilometers and a direct landing. Just a couple of minutes later I am on the round with only three gliders home ahead of me, just by seconds. I am absolutely exuberant over my first World Championship contest day. I know I have done well.
WE
