Day 1 Triangle Task

Last night the cricket returned and sang his little song all night. I swear I'm going to pull his little legs off and make him listen to me snore all night. I need to find that little bugger!

When we awoke there was a large stratus layer that realy made for a tough call on the task. The Skew-T chart showed good lift to around 6.5k and a south wind around 5 all the way up. NWS gave it a 50% chance of TS activity, although isolated.

No more salty breakfast's for me, so I opted for breakfast at the motel (ceral and juice). Good enough to carb up but not too heavy. Breakfast is usually full of pilots and a few other guests. This morning it was mainly the Kagelites with a few others around. The motel doesn't look like it's nearly as full with pilots as last year and it showed last night (the first night) when no other pilot groups in the pool area (usually the party zone). But the week is still young.

Pilots meeting was set for 9:30. Once there, David Glover basically went over the do's and don'ts of the comp. Task committee's were agreed upon and the next pilots meeting was set. At 11:30 am we learned of our first task. A 60 mile triangle. Given the predicted thermal height of 6.5k. Each leg was 20 miles, for a perfect triangle. The ridged class had a longer headwind task than the flex wing guys. First launch time was set for 1:00pm but was later set back 30 minutes to 1:30pm.

Standing in the launch line was really hot. I suited up, helmet and all, way to early to make sure the radio was working well. Yeah I had good communications but sweat was pouring down my face and back. The tow was really inviting and cooled me off. The T2 tows very nicely and is rock solid behind the tug. The tug pilots are doing a superb job of leaving you off on a good thermal.

I started climbing right away once off tow, and caught up to Phill Bloom in a few minutes. I followed him up around the airport for awhile waiting for the start time but later decided to join the rest of the pilots going up on the north end of the runway. Chris Smith joined up soon after and we spent the rest of the time together. I didn't see Phill for the rest of the day. Chris and I hit the start time about the same time but we had to work it off the deck only about 3 miles out nearly at the start cylinder. I was working a steady climber but saw Chris coming up faster so adjusted to meet up with him. He radio'd he was climbing well and that was the ticket for both of us. We started 7 minutes late for the 2:15 start time but we had the altitude and we were going. We left on coarse line with 6500' (good call on altitude). Chris and I were pretty much together the whole way to the first turn point, with good radio comms between us. Ben Cross our awesome young driver was on our tail and quickly ahead of us waiting at the first turn point. We hooked up with a guy we later called our "buddy", and basically let him lead the way. Although he took us a bit north of course line (it would have been better to stay south of course line to stay upwind.

Along the way I made sure to point out to Chris (who is flying a "pig sticker") that everyone he passed that was on the gound he was beating. "you're beating him, and you're beating him too". For me it's a little boost (not a boast, because they can't hear us!). It took about 50 minutes for us to make the first turn point, not too bad but definatly not setting any records either. From here on out it was a fight with gravity and the headwind. Eventually gravity and the headwind won out. Although as I sailed over Chris's head I made sure he knew I was beating him (not much of a claim since I am on a topless).

Ben was under us, and had us in the truck in nothing flat. FOr his first day he did exceptionally well. We're glad to have him.

Oh and an update on the cricket, I found him and pulled one leg off and threw him out the door so he could tell his buddies not to mess with the Kagelites. I am nearly certain there's a criket invasion coming my way!