Tuesday day 3 Task 3

Oh my oh my oh my!!

I did not do well on launch today....  I really wasn't feeling it, and because of this I just didn't get ready in time.  I had priority launching so I thought I'd just wait until the last minute when I thought I could just walk out there, launch, and still get a good start....  Trouble was, at about exactly the time I walked up to launch, the conditions switched and the winds started crossing from pretty much the only direction which makes it impossible to launch.

So there I sat....  So there we all sat.  There were a whole herd of pilots who had been all dressed up and waiting in line for well over an hour, but things were just moving slowly, and many pilots didn't get launched until well after the race had started.

From a racing standpoint, this is a very difficult situation, as all pilots are supposed to be given an equal opportunity to start any given race at the set task start time.  That clearly didn't happen today, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone didn't lodge a protest....

I've never seen the winds do what they did today in all the years I've raced at Chelan, and I have no idea what was happening, other than that there was just a huge amount of lift out in front of launch which was drawing the winds across the mountain top - and launch....

The race was pretty much over for me today before I even took off, as I had no chance to compete and the conditions were full on racing.  Granted I should have just been ready earlier and launched early like many top pilots did.... I just wasn't feeling well enough to be aggressive and in that "mode" which is really critical when racing at this level.  I clearly gambled and I lost....

Once I got out on course I flew pretty fast considering I flew most of the race by myself.  They sent us up the Columbia on a beautiful flight to the town of Bridgeport, then out across the flats to Mansfield, and then back across the Chelan Butte and a ways to the West which is somewhere I've never raced before  More than a 100k I think...  The goal was back at the main lz along the river.  The task ended up being "stopped" at the end, however, as the large clouds were over developing just a bit and dropping a small amount of rain.  I made the end of speed section, which was 2 kilometers from the actual goal line.  I knew that if they stopped the task, I would get the extra distance I needed for the goal because of a new pwc scoring rule which gives you additional distance based on your altitude at the time the task is stopped.  This is how the rule reads, anyway, but I'm told that this distance for altitude rule doesn't apply if the actual goal is involved..... So to add insult to injury today I didn't get any of my time or speed points, which is a big hit for what should have been a total gimme...  I was at 7 thousand feet, 1.8 kilometers from the actual goal when it was "stopped", just floating around looking for sink, knowing that eventually when I landed I cross the line and finish the race, or if was stopped I'd be given the extra distance based on my high altitude....  Oh WELL!!

Anyway, for whatever reason I'm feeling a bit better at the moment....  I pretty much had a cough drop in my mouth for the entire day today, and while I was flying I actually didn't feel too bad....  I need to eat more when I fly, so I think I'm going to start packing a few bananas to go along with the little GU packs I try and sanck on.....

Weather looks good again tomorrow, but might have some wind on Thursday.  A day off certainly wouldn't break my heart.......

Didn't manage any pics today as I couldn't afford any distractions while flying.  I landed at the very same winery where Sue and I had dinner last night.  When we were driving out I noticed a beautiful grassy field and thought to myself how nice it would be to land there sometime.....so it came in quite handy as it was raining lightly at the main goal, and we do not want to get these competition gliders even a little bit wet....