Goal - one of many (pilots)

Day ? – task day 2

Goal for me today was goal and goal it was. Never thought about racing only about staying high, finding the convergence line – staying with other gliders who were climbing and having fun.

I thought my good flight yesterday - 18th place for one day would let me avoid the line. They gave us priority launch based on number of turn points. So I could step in front of the line if I wanted. Too bad the whole bunch had amost launched by noon and by the time priority opened the line was gone. -

It was all good - I made it out, up and over and mid gaggle for the start - I am getting better at waiting and watching and using other wings for lift lines, convergence and thermal spoting.

The run to the first turn point was fairly easy, got to Meguey medium high and several gliders were marking the lift. - I took it for a couple of spins but it was realy drifing back so I pushed out front and found the next lift down stream which took me quite high -mayby 10k or so. This was enough to push along the rim and then punch back to catch the turn point and glide back to the lift at the 3kings saddle. -

Up and off from there - got high and headed out with a group of wings below and with me. Got over or near Sergordo(sp?) and found some nice lifty stuff and had a partner at that point. We worked it up and back and pushed forward for to the next lift for a while. - At some point we seperated and I was tailing a couple of wings above me to the second waypoint.

Spotted a group climbing out in the flats and joined up with them, climbing to over 10k and it was play the convergence game from then out. - Realy quite easy flying - though I was worried all the time - realy for no reason - just was tense. - I forgot my beta-blocker this morning and felt a bit stressed with high BP and low energy.

After the 4th turn point it was just up up up - on glide to turn point 5 and goal I kept going up in the convergence even though I was on bar for most the run. - Nice job if you can get it.

Hardest part about today was my shoulders were hurting from the long flight yesterday and today was over 4 hours – task time 2hrs 51 min.

The other challenge was getting down at the end of the day – it was lift all over and at Valle I had to go out over the lake, find light lift and spiral down. – It was something else, the convergence was just so strong it was real hard to get down. – After 4 hours I wanted down.

Just a great day. - With the second day points posted I am now in 35th - lol - but I made the top 10 of US pilots. - Just fun to be in the game.

Tomorrow – more XC with turn points. – though the difference for 3 minutes into goal was almost 50 points, enough to cost me 5 places - though I wasn't racing right, it is XC with turn points. - I am coming home safe.

Dave