Another fast day.

Scott wins again!

Day six Nat’s. The forecast today was for moderate winds out of the south high cloud base and strong lift. We don’t want to make pilots go north and have to fight a head wind into goal. We also don’t want to make every one fight a head wind all the way to Invermere. I wanted a longer task to Brisco and back but am vetoed as others don’t want to fly that far. We decide on a task to Spillimacheen out to the cliffs by the canon west of Nickleson and back to Muller Flight Park. We open launch at 2:30 with three start times, 3:30, 3:45, and 4:00. No one rush’s to launch when it opens but do steadily trickle off. No one is having any trouble staying up and pilots continue to trickle off and climb up over Mt 7. I get stuck on the ramp for a long time as pilots launch off the south shale. By the time I finally get in the air the first start has come and gone. I’m now in a bit of panic to get in position for the last start. I climb up easily and get over Mt 7 a few minutes after the second start. I decide to wait for the last start to be in good position for the start time. I work a slow climb to kill time in hopes of being at cloud base when the 4:00 start hits. This strategy works well as I only need to chill out at cloud base for five minutes before my start time. I’m at 3800m, 2km from the edge of the start when I get the happy noise and head on course. I hit some lift at Kapristo and make one turn and press on as I’m not happy with it. I have a 15km glide before I finally get a good climb at 800’/min. I climb up to 3200m before it starts to slow and I press on. I continue flying hard only stopping for really strong lift. I pass pilots all the way to the first turn point and catch most of the faster pilots at the first turn point. I get high with Doug Keller just before the turn point. We tag the turn point head back to the back range and get high again. When we top out my 5030 reads I only need 70m to make goal from 45km out. I press hard going back with a light tail wind. Knowing I don’t need much more height to get back I only slow down in most lift and we only make a few turns on the way back. I only want one strong climb to make sure I get in as I don’t know how high I need to be to tag the turn point. We stop 20km out but the lift isn’t strong. I press on to Kapristo thinking I will find something there. I climb as I fly towards the cliff’s lifting me over the peaks but nothing I want to stop and turn in. I look at the turn point thinking I can make it but just can’t risk pushing to hard. Once I fly out into the valley I will be committed and have no chance of finding any lift. I fly all the way back to Mt7 and find a boomer and climb over Mt 7. I know this is way more height than I need but I’ve already wasted time getting this insurance height I might as well turn as long as the lift is really strong. I hit the turn point high and turn to goal and bury the bar. I finish the 106km task in 2 hr 11min. I will finish four minutes behind Scott winning the day in 2hr 7min. I’m very happy with how I flew today making good decisions and flying fast. I could have been very close to Scott’s time if I would have just glided into goal but I’m happy with my choice as it would have been a big risk. I’m surprised at the points I lose by taking the last start time.