Well today my race started with a couple of blown launches and then completely missing the start by almost 15 minutes. It was a huge challenge to stay focused and get the Boomerang 6 into the air in a controlled manner. Conditions for launching were extremely difficult with little to no wind which kept switching around from one side of launch to the other. My glider is having it's way with me with a very confusing riser setup and a huge lifting force when it accelerates overhead. Needless to say my confidence was somewhat shaken as when I did finally launch it was uncontrolled and quite sketchy - not characteristic for me at all. At least the large crowd was throughly entertained as I went careening off of launch, almost twisting up in my risers, and dragging my pod so much that the bottom of it was turned inside out..... I don't think I was smiling when I heard all of the shouts and whistles and cheers as I finally got myself sorted out and on my way.
The performance of this glider is so strong that it requires a different technique for launching - something that I'm not used to. My orginal plan to arrive here a day early was to take my new glider and shake it out, kite it, and get used to the different riser set.... that never happened and I just jumped off into the deep end with it. It glides and climbs like a dream but is by far the most demanding glider I've ever flown. So now I get to get up early tomorrow morning and go have a little kiting session with my wing down at the main landing field by the river. I can't afford any distractions on launch, especially with a heat index every day of well over 100. It's also difficult dealing with 150 pilots that with few exceptions are very talented. It seems that everyone makes the decision to launch at about the same time as we all watch the day develop. Then if there is no wind on launch to speed up the launch process, it can become very frustrating watching the clock tick down towards the race start time while everyone is jockying for a launch spot, and many pilots are having difficulties.....
I started the day in 8th place overall, after taking 8th yesterday, and 2nd on Sunday. My inability to make the start today cost me plenty I'm sure but tomorrow's another day so I get to hit reset and try again. I did make it to goal today but I was like 50 th or something. It was a much better flying day than the past couple of days and the thermals were much stronger. I almost sunk out late in the race with several other pilots when a high layer of thick cirrus clouds blocked out the sun. I struggled for a good 20 minutes not climbing or descending and although I know I should never think that I'm going to land, it really looked like that was going to happen...... About two thirds of our group did sink out but I was able to hold on long enough for the sun to poke through and start some light thermal cycles and then a half a dozen buzzards marked a beautiful late afternoon thermal which took me all the way to cloud base.... from there it was an easy 9 k glide through the last turn point and then to goal. It would have been much easier had another pilot not tried to pass me on the way.... I figured it was as good a time as any to accelerate my glider and see what it could do. It was very fast and the other glider gave up trying to catch me. I had my first landing where I was able to land on my feet - and to top it all off, I was the last pilot on the first retrieve bus so I didn't have to wait 3 hours like last night to get back to GV!
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