XC Skies predicted a cloud base of around 600m and top of usable lift at around 300m today, the Queensland RASP actually confirmed this so we were less than optimistic.
Johnny Durand played wind dummy on Beechmont and managed to stay up (as he does) so a 50Km elapsed time task was set under a very low, 80% cloudy sky. Some small gaggles dribbled across the plateau only a couple hundred metres above launch while the majority of the field ridge soared around, searching for anything. Much of the field crossed the plateau and landed in the Flying Fox valley. I was around launch with about 20 others when it started to rain quite heavily. I made what I thought was a brilliant strategic decision to land, ride back up in the bus while the sky cleared and then re-fly in lovely afternoon conditions, surfing cloudstreets all the way to goal. Hmmm.
When we got back conditions were nicely launchable on Beechmont so I re-flew, got whacked around a bit then parking into a very strong NE sea breeze and then landed over the back. About 10 other pilots on launch wisely decided not to re-fly. Several pilots made goal and it turns out almost every pilot got rained on somewhere on course. Richard Costa was first with Brian Webb and Matt Senior following up.
Another picture courtesy of Hamish head.
No comments:
Post a Comment