Sunday Day 2

We had wind in the forecast today so we weren't sure if we would get a task off or not.  We headed up to launch around 9am and the conditions seemed good so the task committee set a 76K task across the flats and we got ready to race.  Conditions were quite smokey due to a very large wildfire which had started on Friday up near Wenatchee.

Conditions got kind of windy on launch so pilots were very hesitant to get in the air but eventually pilots started launching and we were under way.  Winds eventually increased to the point where the organizers had to close the goal so there were several pilots who were not able to fly.

I joined a gaggle of very strong pilots, most of who are flying the same glider as I, and at the race start time of 1:30, we headed out across the Columbia river and to the flat lands beyond.  It seemed as only the best performing gliders were able to make the crossing, and many pilots ended up landing along the river at the main landing field.  A couple groups of us, however, did make it across and were able to get established and on our way on course.  We all knew that the winds were coming, but just didn't know when.  About half way through the race they did come and things got very interesting.

After the last gps turn point, several pilots found some big sink and ended up landing.  I managed to find a thermal just in time and a couple of us were able to continue on course.  The last leg was directly into the wind which made things extremely difficult.  Paragliders are the slowest form of aircraft anyway, so if you add in a big head wind it gets very difficult to go anywhere.  I only had about 6 miles to go to make the goal, but it seemed like it took my forever.  When I found the thermal that kept us in the game, I had no choice but to stay with it and climb as it took my downwind at a very fast pace, further from goal.  When I finally got high enough that I felt I could push back into the wind towards goal, I was another 3 miles further away!

I kept being patient and inching my way forward.  In front of me the clouds were getting deeper and more widespread so there was plenty of lift to find on the way.  About 5 miles from the goal it got so windy that I was basically "parked" going nowhere really, but the lift was so abundant under the widespread clouds that I was able to just inch my way forward, while still climbing.  I was able to push my speed bar and accelerate the glider up to about 10 or 12mph at times, and at other times I was only able to make 3 or 4 mph.  When I came to the edge of the clouds, still a few miles from the goal, I was at over 10,000 feet and was basically looking down at the goal in front of me.  My glider glides at about 11 to 1 glide ratio so in theory I should be able to glide for miles with the altitude I had.  I actually had a 2 to 1 glide ratio to goal, and I did make it but with only about 500 feet to spare.  The lower I got, the windier it got so just after I made the goal, I started to drift backwards.

I've had several high wind landings over the years, so I wasn't too concerned, but it was a bit unsettling to see the wind whipping through the wheat fields, and I also watched a huge dust devil kick off not too far away, and it was screaming down wind at 20 to 30 mph.  I would have taken a picture of it but there was no way I was letting go of my controls at that point as it was starting to get pretty rough.  I picked a large field with just sporadic wheat growing in it and tried to time it so that I would land in the middle of the field.  As it was I ended up going backwards at about 15 mph when I touched down.  I did a perfect high wind landing technique and even almost stayed on my feet!

Only 3 pilots made goal but the day won't be very "valid" for points due to the high number of pilots who didn't make it out on the course line....

Pics from goal to follow...