RIDE THE CORE

RAT RACE FINAL DAY

2009-07-05T11:09:00.000-07:00

Day 7 had a great forecast, possibly getting way high. Once on launch, the wind techs weren't getting as high as we hoped, it looked like another slow starting day.

The task committee discussed our objectives for the last task of the comp: keep retrieve simple, keep difficult sections away from the beginning of the task, and try to get a good number of pilots in goal, typical stuff.

Then Nicole, one of the wind techs, found a climb and just specked out, stratosphere baby... We also noticed some of the other wind techs were experiencing huge sink. The task committee met to set start times, but some of the locals weren't happy with conditions towards Rabies Peak, I think the large areas of sink made them think about safety. A vote was put out to the committee, it was "Who wants to keep the task the same". It was voted to keep it the same. About 5 minutes later, another vote was put out, it was "Who wants to change the task" and it passed... So the task was shortened.

I just wanted to get off launch, out of the heat and get boosted to 10 grand, so I launched first and started going up right away. The vario just kept getting stronger and I kept flying straight. When it was about 800 ft/min I started turning and the ground dropped away. I saw 1200 ft/min up for sustained periods, and topped out over Burnt at about 10k. I flew towards Rabies peak and found convergence. Then I found sink, like 2:1 for minutes, all the way back to a couple thousand over launch, found another core and rode it to 10k.

Others were heading towards Rabies Peak, but I noticed the rest of the field heading towards Longswords winery, yup, task cancelled. Conditions on launch got funky.

Landing at Longswords was not easy, very hard to get down, very thermic everywhere. This comp was the best comp I have been to in a long time, really consistent conditions, good organization, 5 out of 6 good task calls, and the mentoring was a smash hit, I heard lots of pilots say things were clicking into place like never before. This event is fertilizing the next batch of comp pilots. But not just comp pilots - XC pilots are learning serious skills at this meet too.

Huge thanks to organizers Mike and Gail Haley, all the volunteers, Bill Hughes for scoring, and the rest of you for making this event so much fun and good times.

cheers

Brett Hardin

Final Results are Here

RAT RACE TASK 6

2009-07-03T22:41:00.000-07:00

Conditions were suppossed to be like yesterday, so the task committee wanted to do a big task. The task we ended up with was very similar to the longest task ever done at a Woodrat competition, just 4.7 km shorter.

WOODLZ 1K
GRANTS 4K
GOLD-H 2K
NAVAL 2K
CEMETA 1K
DARK-H GOAL

But the conditions weren't like yesterday, we weren't getting as high on the upwind run to Grants, and after Grants conditions really deteriorated - the thermals were small and very drifty, and when they weren't falling apart, they would only get you to about 1400 meters, which is less than half our big climbs yesterday.

I got stuck with Bill B and Josh C at ridge top height about 10km after Grants. We were joined by Brian Webb. It was educational to see how the gears got shifted, I had the urge to bail and run downwind - it would have been a mistake. It seemed the plan was to stop and ridge soar until a thermal came through. We found small ones and several times turned in them and drifted over the back, but they fizzled and we would push out in front of the ridge and wait and search for something better. This went on for quite some time.

Finally we found one that held together, barely, and we drifted downwind over the valley and saw that a few gliders took a direct line to the downwind arm of the valley, but they were really low. We basically repeated the above procedure for the next 30 minutes, and 2 valley systems, and waited as more gliders arrived and increased our chances of finding lift, but we were drifting closer to the Gold Hill TP, and would have to make a move to run out and tag it, and then run back to the hills.

The next turnpoint was called Naval, and is in the Medford Valley, away from the foothills. After a few drifty bubbles and it became clear that I was going to drift past the Naval TP, so I had to run at it crosswind. Only Josh was ahead, but he is not in the comp, and Meredyth was slightly behind and still in the foothills, but she was climbing when I left. She later said after her climb, she was downwind of the TP, and had to push headwind to get it. That was a better move, as if you are high, you have options, even if you have to burn some altitude going upwind for the TP. When I get low, I get panicky and tend to run which isn't as good as focusing on getting back up at all costs.

I aimed at a good trigger but got there too low to search and it was getting windy. I picked the last decent LZ, and set it down short of Cemetary TP. Meredyth was the only pilot in goal, she took almost 1000 points for winning the task, well done! I think I came in 7th, Webb, Belcourt, Farrell and a few others flew over me.

Tomorrow is the last day and I bet we have a task that puts a lot of pilots in goal, it makes for a happy ending...

Results are here

stay tuned

RAT RACE TASK 5

2009-07-02T21:32:00.000-07:00

Forecast was for 100F and top of lift at 9500 ft. Task call was pretty good, but we didn't expect as much west wind as we got, and so the run towards Grants Pass to Bald Hill required heaps of speed bar, but we were getting very high. Race started late at 3pm.

Task was:

Woodrat LZ 1.5K Exit
Burnt Ridge 400
Bald Hill 1.5K
Poormans 400
Donato's as Goal

To get to Bald Hill fast required leaving the lift when it dipped below 400 ft/min, and then pushing as much bar as my speed system is set up for, which is 1/2.

After Bald Hill, we turned 180 and headed back towards launch, grounds speed was 50+ k/hr and just a couple climbs to get to Donato's which was shaded out by high level cloud which was from OD to the south.

Just after Poorman's TP, I found some light lift and Rick Ray and Lindsay from OZ joined me and we climbed until we had goal on an 8:1. Lindsay left, and I was right behind him. He was pulley to pulley, I was 1/2 bar and we raced the last 10km. Rick was a little lower but close to Lindsay. We were doing over 60+km into goal and of course there was gobs of lift from Dark Hollow to goal so we got there stupid high.

Paul Murdoch was way in front of us, lone wolf and into goal first. I was next, then Lindsay and Rick. 25+ pilots in goal.

Two more days to go.

stay tuned

Brett

RAT RACE TASK 4

2009-07-01T23:43:00.000-07:00

What a bizarre day. The buzz about today's conditions started a couple days ago... I think the world epic was heard, and off the chart, and so forth. On launch, we came up with 2 tasks, one 70+ Km, and a shorter one. But the wind techs could barely get above launch, and we ended up changing the task 3 times, each time making it shorter. The start got pushed back to 3:15.

Woodrat LZ 1 km
Woodrat launch 400m
Burnt Rigde 400m
Rabies Peak 1.5km
Cemetary 1 km
Donato - Goal

The task above was perfect in the end, worth 973 points to Brian Webb who crossed first. My day was very interesting - unlike yesterday, today I stuck to the game plan, stay high and keep a handful of gliders in front. It sort of worked, but the handful of gliders turned into 3 gliders, and about 10k out the way ahead grinded to a halt, and the full on survival fest began... only 2 gliders ahead now, and Paul pulls off the low save, with me 150 below missing the bubble. I went on glide to the last trigger source which was bubbling and I made 5-6 turns, started to climb, and then it was gone.

Now on the ground, I watch a few gliders join the leaders, and survive, and a few drop out, and then a giant mob of gliders drifts across the last leg, high and in a slow but boaty line. 22 in goal. A LTF 2 class glider came in second, amazing.

This is my first comp on a comp glider, and while I am really enjoying having the ability to be in the lead gaggle, I am also realizing that on days like today, it is a double edged sword - you are blazing the trail and if the trail disappears, you got to bush wack. But more than that, when the trail disappears, sometimes the essence of paragliding becomes crystal clear, we bungle through a sky full of invisible thermals and it is so amazing how often we bungle into lift or pull off low saves...

Tomorrow's plan is to embrace my inner loser! TEAM LOSER, I LOVE YOU GUYS!

RAT RACE TASK 3

2009-06-30T22:23:00.000-07:00

A really quality task got set today, many more pilots got out on course, and the day was worth 929 points, highest scoring task yet.

The conditions were not quite as good as yesterday, but lots of lift sources in the launch, Burnt, and Rabies triangle. The course was:

Woodrat Lz, Exit 800 meters
Woodrat Launch 400m
Burnt 400m
Fly Air 1.5 km
Cemetary 1km
Donato's Goal

9 in goal, but not me today... I got goal fever and headed to Cemetary with just me and Bill Hughes in the lead. It got tough, and he survived and the rest caught up and they went to goal. Before the others caught us, I tried a different line and hit the dirt just after tagging Cemetary... Results will be here.

Tomorrow's forecast looks quite good, we could get a long task.

stay tuned

Brett

RAT RACE TASK 2

2009-06-29T20:54:00.000-07:00

Conditions were similar to yesterday, but a little better and maybe a little more active - I saw a few comp gliders coming apart and loosing big chunks of altitude. I also saw a reserve toss right over Woodrat just before the start. The pilot got injured upon landing and I don't know the extent of the injuries... I may post more about what I saw as it could be helpful to others, but not at this time.

I must mention that Sam Mulder showed showed his selfless character when he side hill landed just below the top and went to help the pilot. (Sam is a firefighter and has first responder training). Well done Sam and hats off to you! I hope you got all the poison oak off of you. David Norwood also top landed to help, hats off to you also for putting yourself at risk to help another pilot.

More about the task:

We decided to keep the start similar but move goal to Dark Hollow which is in the Medford valley. As usual the transition to Rabies was hard for the sport gliders, there seemed to be a little wall of wind just before the ridge. Tomorrow we are going to think about making Burnt ridge the first turnpoint as it seemed to work quite well today.

The scores should be our very soon, but I know there were 20+ pilots in goal.

Bill Hughes won the day, I came in right behind him, and then Paul Murdoch and Bill Belcourt, not sure what order those two finished.

Results will be here.

A little about what makes this comp special: tonight I sat in one of the evening classes put on by a couple of the real pros of our sport and I am thinking of how much the people in the room are learning, the information transfer is worth 10 years of trial and error, unbelievable value. Tomorrow's class is one I won't miss - tricks on using speed bar.

Just the daily courses are worth the 395 bucks... seriously. But then we get to fly what looks like to be every day, and get mentored by pilots that know so much more than we do... and the social scene is off the hook. The river is really nice too.

Cheers

Brett

RAT RACE TASK 1

2009-06-28T18:08:00.001-07:00

We have big inversions forecast for the first part of the week, and today was forecast to be like yesterday, which was pretty hard to go anywhere. So we set a task to try to satisfy our nominal distance and time but tried to make it achievable for the field which is mostly beginners.

The task committee worked really hard to achieve that end, and I thought we pulled it off, until I saw the scoring software came up with 24.1 km as our task distance (it calculates the shortest distance around the course), and nominal distance is 25km. We were seeing 29km on the GPS when we set the course. We had 15 in goal out of 62 pilots, and a lot of people came in just short of goal.

The task was:

Woodrat Launch
Rabies
Woodrat Peak
Burnt Ridge
Fly Air
and Purcels as goal.

First 3 in goal: Bill Belcourt, Paul Murdoch, Brett Hardin. We got around the course in just under one hour, that only very slightly devalued the day, it was coming up short by 0.9 km for our task distance that knocked the top score down to 770 pts. But no one really cares as this comp is a training comp and NTSS means nothing here.

Mike and Gail really put on a fun comp, HQ is at their house and there are always tons of people hanging out here, BBQ is on, pool is cool, and there are lots of tutoring going on - they hold classes, and have an experienced mentor per 3 beginners, it is a really a good time and a good value too~

I lost my camera battery, so not many pics coming at you this week...

Results are here

cheers

Brett

The clouds are White in Oz too...

2009-06-14T21:58:00.000-07:00

Hey! This wing has a built in cloud magnet! You don't even need to steer! (Note the free swinging brake toggles...)

Seriously, I'm selling this wing for $350, it's a Boom Sport size M, and I bought it from the super famous Will Gadd! So you can impress all your friends by telling them it used to be his wing....

This wing is really easy to fly, very comfortable and I love it, but it's time for me to get on a competition glider and go faster, I keep getting left behind... Superb coast wing, or inland boomer rider....

The wing is in Portland, Oregon. Email me at cloudbase [at] gmail [dot] com if you are interested...

WCPC Task 4, Final Day

2009-06-07T12:03:00.001-07:00

Today was good, conditions were a little better, lowish base but a lot less wind. We had a task worth a 1000 points, which means the task committe did a good job setting the task. The start of the race was more like a Rat Race task:

Launch 1km Exit start
Rabies Peak (1km)
Burnt (400m)
Launch (400m)
Rabies (400m)
Cemetary (1km)
Donato ESS 1km, Goal 400m

Good clouds at the start and easy to stay up, but shady on course. After the 4th TP, as we left Rabies to start towards Cemetary, Woodrat mountain must have blown it's wad of hot air - a bunch of us headed for Burnt/Woodrat to find either massive sink (as was my case) or zero's. While I was packing up, I watch a group of pilots circle in super weak lift, just enough to keep from sinking out for 20 minutes, it took a huge dose of determination and patience and they finally got away, most of them to make goal.

It was a weird day - if you weren't on a comp glider, slow and patient worked well. But pilots landed in a nice spread all along course, and we got nominal time and nominal distance in, so the scoring program was very happy and Eric Reed won the task and took the 1000 points.

Sam Mulder flew well, 22nd overall. I dropped 2 places from the day before, finishing 11th overall. Cumulative Scores are here.

Race Race is in 3 weeks, I will be there for that.

Brett

WCPC Task 3, Day 6

2009-06-05T16:13:00.001-07:00

We got to launch and there were lots of clouds, but also sun. The task was: Launch to Wellington Ridge, to Cemetary, and goal at Donato.

Start was at 12:45, which is early, but we wanted to get the race on before the clouds built. Just as the race started, Eric Reed took a big frontal on his brand new wing, and something went wrong with the recovery, so he had to throw. Perfect landing, and not in the trees. Glad he is OK.

On course we headed up Rabies ridge towards Rabies peak, and we were pushing a head wind using a lot of bar. Multiple tries were needed to make any headway up the ridge, and gliders were getting low, turning downwind and landing. A few gliders got to base and made it over Rabies Peak and tagged the first turnpoint, a bunch of us couldn't get over the top and we needed to try something else, so we went around the south side of Rabies and got 3 km from the TP, and had to turn and land in the valley. Only four pilots got the first Turnpoint, and only Hayden made goal, Josh and Nick got close.

When we first got to launch, the tilt of the clouds showed how much NW wind there was, and setting the first TP that far into the wind was a mistake, it put the hardest part of the race as the first leg. Having so many pilots not make the first TP will massively devalue the day, but more than that, we could have called a task that resulted in pilots getting to goal, something we haven't seen much of in this comp. I am on the task committee, my first in a major comp, so I am pointing a finger at myself, but there are 4 other pilots on the commmittee that have done the job many times. Sure, hindsight is 20/20 but I think the signs were there.

Tomorrow is the last day of the comp and hopefully we will have pilots in goal.

Results are Here

stay tuned

WCPC Day 5

2009-06-04T09:03:00.001-07:00

The forecasts say stay at home today, and it's been raining lightly since we woke up. Friday and Saturday look better.

Stay Tuned

WCPC Day 4

2009-06-03T23:36:00.000-07:00

Because T-storms have been threatening us every afternoon, we rushed up the hill and quickly set a task and set an early start time of 12:30. The T-storms get started as huge clouds way off in back of launch, but today it wasn't the typical big white billowing clouds, it was one big dark mass...

We all dove off the hill and grovelled. The dark mass shaded out the sun and everyone landed, and the task was cancelled. About an hour later, the sky cleared and cu lifted off... It looked very flyable until 3pm and shortly after the thunder and lightning started and then a bit of rain.

This is a must see, it was on Good Morning America, and is about the Worlds in Mexico in January.

WCPC Results are Here.

WCPC Day 3

2009-06-02T15:25:00.000-07:00

The forecast was for nukular bomb clouds (thunderstorms) but I guess we have to try anyway?

It was a lot of fun surfing the front edge of a big cloud over Woodrat mountain for almost an hour, and then about 7 of us left for Rabies from 2k meters.

Rabies was not working, but it seemed there was a convergence over longsword and a gaggle got high there, but the sky was going nukular, and so the task was stopped with less than 1.5 hours into the task, so it won't be scored.

A few wings actually got on course, which was pretty amazing given the weird conditions (wind coming from Ruch in the LZ). Rumor has it that Matt Dadam made the Grants Pass turnpoint, and I just saw him 5 minutes ago, so he survived.

Just after the task was stopped, we heard thunder and it has been raining and gusting around HQ, the sky is completely dark now.

So we will try again tomorrow.

ciao

Brett

WCPC Task 2

2009-06-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

Very cloudy this AM, but it burned off and we set a 42k task that went from launch towards Grants Pass (TP at Bald Hill) then to Rabies and then Jacksonville LZ.

It was really weak at the start, but a gaggle crossed to Rabies and grovelled hard, while we waited over Woodrat Mt for the climbs to get better. It seemed to work, because we got higher about 20 minutes later and crossed, and what was left of the first gaggle was starting to climb out, so we jump in on their climb.

We slowly got onto the high ground and once we got to Rabies peak, biggish clouds were setting up across the high ground and we were able to mash bar and really cover some ground toward the Bald Hill turnpoint.

We stopped for a climb and then hit the TP, and turned back. The clouds were backing off a bit which was surprising, because on the way out they were building fast and sucking hard, and it was OD'ing to the south. Once we hit the Rabies turnpoint, it was apparent that there was to be very little lift on the way to goal, so those who slowed down and topped out before the Rabies turnpoint had a good shot at goal.

A few gliders had enough height to get to goal, but without any lift it was a toss of the dice, and in the end, Farmer was the only one in goal. I landed 3.75 km short in a big field with 3 others gliders. Back on the course line, the clouds blew up and the task was stopped, but we got nominal time in (1.5 hours) so we should get it scored.

All in all it was a really challenging but very enjoyable task, especially when we realized that the clouds were sucking all along the high ground and we stopped turning and hit speedbar and climbed under the street for a couple kms...

We had a little thunder today, but so far it hasn't hailed like it did yesterday afternoon....

ciao!

WCPC Task 1

2009-05-31T18:10:00.003-07:00

Task 1

The day started off bleak - lots of high cloud and also thunderstorms in the forecast.

The high level skud burnt off while we made two tasks, one big one and a smaller one, we ended up going with the "smaller" one which turned out to be quite tough. Unfortunately, the hardest part was the begining - the first glide off the mountain and onto Rabies Ridge.

Nobody got to Rabies high, and it was windy and scratchy and rough, it was the place where you had to get tough. The climb out was in a saddle just before the ridge gets steep, the comp wings climbed out there, and people dove over the back low and managed to find the core, I wasn't willing to do that as the LZ's are crap back there.

I surfed the end of the ridge where the antennas were, lone wolf. With a little altitude, I slid over towards the the second load of circling gliders and my timing was good, a small but strong core got me out of there and high. I tagged the Rabies turnpoint while I was ridge soaring, now it was off to Burnt. A gaggle formed after Burnt, and we got high and back onto Rabies and high again and then headed towards the Grants TP. Lots of into the wind over the high ground, mostly good going until the last ridge before the TP.

All the serial gliders got stuck before GP, and we landed at Hadley Creek Rd. Only 7 in goal, Farmer got there first. I can't think how the task could have been set better, maybe a later start, maybe going to Burnt for the first TP, hard to say. The forecast isn't stellar for the next couple days, but woodrat is pretty resilient...

Results here

stay tuned

Hawaiian Style

2009-05-15T22:08:00.004-07:00

When friends tell me they are going to Hawaii, I always recommend they visit what the locals call the neighbor islands.

So I took my own advice and went to the oldest Hawaiian island - Kauai.

Oldest means it has the best beaches - more time to make sand, you see.

This is Hanalei bay. It has a world class right hand point break, but no swell while I was there.

My friend Matt paddles, so I got to practice with them in Hanalei bay on a 6 seat outrigger canoe.

Fall in Bright

2009-05-06T00:59:00.002-07:00

Fall colors are here. I sure will miss my driveway... gotta be one of the best in the world!

Next stop, Hawaii for 5 days, then Portland for some spring flying.

Gotta get it while the gettin' is good!

Ciao!

No Flying - so here is a fact!

2009-04-28T00:41:00.005-07:00

It's autumn in Bright and it's been storming like hell...

But here is a fact which turns out to be true!

"The USA, with 5% of the world’s population houses 25% of its prisoners. "

Put that in your bong and smoke it!

Ummm... actually that might not be a good idea, as you can go to jail for that... in the US anyway.

See what The Economist has to say about it

Also check out:

http://yourbrainonbliss.com/Blog/

Gear Mod

2009-04-01T22:56:00.003-07:00

Sarah Black took this pic of me just after take off at the Bright Open. She has a really nice web site.

Really nice weather here for the last couple days, nice clouds today but I am working, sort of.

By the way, the Bright Open was the first Cat II comp scored using AirScore, which is an online scoring system written by Geoff Wong. Pilots were (mostly) submitting their own tracks via the web site. It went smoothly.

AirScore was written using all open source tools and is also open source, if you are geekish, check it here.

Blue skies...

The Tank

2009-03-23T01:06:00.002-07:00

Post comp blues have set in, it happens after every comp for me.

Free flying just isn't as exciting as comp flying, but we have one task left in the weekend-warrior series called the Mystic Cup, and then I guess I need to set some goals to stay interested in flying...

I'm already thinking about the West Coast Paragliding Championships, held at Woodrat Mountain, 31 May.

stay tuned...

Final Task - Bright Open

2009-03-21T16:41:00.006-07:00

Task 4

Today saw the best conditions we have had in at least a month - beautiful CU showing the way, with base at about 3500 meters. The morning air had that high pressure light blue hazy look to it, and not a whisp of cloud in sight, but a big front to the south and a forcasted trough developing over us brought in some instability that gave us some stellar conditions.

The task was very racy - and we had some wind, but not as much as other days, so you could really step on the bar for most of the day and get that average speed up... The task was well set, the winning time was 52 seconds past minimum valid time, which is 1 hr 30 mins. Shockingly Craig Collings came in second! Craig Donnell won the day.

Memorable moments for me were just after tagging the first turnpoint and heading downwind over Goldmine ridge just behind the lead gaggle but higher and watching the worst line of the comp happen just to my left. I was deviating slightly right back towards the cloud line loosing no height and on full bar going 50-60km while watching a white boom5 lead out and loose 3 thousand feet in a few minutes... The sink alarm was echoing through the valley...

The line from Smoko, the downwind turnpoint, to Pyramid was kind of painful - full bar the whole time and keeping the glider in a straight line was the only way to conserve the hard won altitude, but it sure was better than the nail-biting full-mash into the leeside of Clearspot that we did so many times in the previous tasks.

Once over Pyramid, I was alone in the climb to base and I was thinking carefully about when to cut and run as the black bottomed beauty above me was hungry for nylon. My vario showed I was approaching 3000 meters, and then I remembered....

On Full-bar and ears and pointing towards the blue hole to the north I watched the vario start climbing, nothing to worry about, big blue hole ahead. While watching the vario tick towards 3100 I suddenly recalled the one rule that can ruin your day, that thing called airspace...

The vario never got to 3100, but as I knew well enough, I should have been looking at the GPS altitude, oh well, I wasn't going up now, so I either broke it or I didn't, and throwing spirals under a sucking cloud is kind of senseless anyway.

The curving line of clouds over Apex was a good way to get to the next TP, but there was big sink when you crossed into the blue over the valley, but that got me to the Black Fellas turnpoint with enough height to run up ridge to Clearspot and grovel around for a climb which finally came. Andrew H, Gaven, JJ, and Ivan joined in after I centered an ugly little core that finally got better.

We all headed towards the Freeburg spur turpoint with tons of height, but I could tell Gaven was in a hurry and based on the 200+ points I had between me and the pilot below in the overal scores, I had no reason to rush so I stayed a little higher. Crossing Gold Mine and not finding much lift was disappointing, but I did a couple more turns in some light stuff and watched as Gaven and crew dove in to tag the Freeburg spur TP...

I don't like the lee of Goldmine so I let them test the waters, and they found a weak climb over the valley and only made a few turns, and they left with a 5/1 glide to goal, but there is a lot of solid rock between them and goal... I didn't come this far to sweat the last bit, so when they left, I stayed for a bit more height and I think Andrew came back to join me. We watched as they plummeted into the lee side of Goldmine, putting a kilometer of rock between them and goal and sinking into places that I didn't even want to think about.

Our climb slowed and we needed one more climb to make goal a sure thing, so I left with just enough height to reach the saddle behind Gold Mine which must love me as I always find a climb there, and sure enough a beauty was waiting. Andrew dove in under me and I cored up until I had a 3-1 to goal - there was no one near us to race in, so it might as well be a relaxing final glide, and we slid into goal 7th and 8th place. Gavin pulled a miracle and later made it in, JJ and Ivan didn't.

This was my best finish of the comp, but inside my tracklog were a few numbers that held the answer to whether this would be my best finish of the comp, or just another free fly...

Lets just say that it was close - I spent 45 seconds in the red zone getting 16 meters too high, and that's all you need to get a zero for the day. Dropping 13 places in the comp will help me remember to leave a little earlier next time...

Ahh, well, scores come and go, and what you learn is what you take with you, and I learned a lot and had a good time - out of all the comps this season, this one had the most quality tasks. Benn and Hamish worked really hard to make it happen, and so did many other people, and I hope to make it again next year.

Comp results are here. PS: This was a "no reserves tossed" comp.

Ciao!

Task 3 - Bright Open

2009-03-20T04:01:00.002-07:00

We had a tough task today, tough because the end of the day was on in spots and off in others, and you just had to take your chances.

The task was different in that after the typical Smoko run, we had to push up valley into a fair bit of wind to get the 2nd to last TP, and then we had to cross over the Clearspot/Black Fellas range to get to goal at the Porepunkah Airstrip.

I had a perfect start but a couple turnpoints later, I ended up alone on Clearspot.. I can't remember how that happened... Ivan came in below me, and I finally found a climb and watched him really scratch for a long time, then run down the spur still unable to find a climb. Usually Clearspot is just cranking thermals out, I've never sunk out there, and usually get the best climb of the day there, but today it was funky.

Nothing was happening at Black Fellas, kind of unusual too, and I joined up with Gaven and Craig Donnell out in the valley and Gaven went for the Burr's and Craig and I went straight for the Valley Homestead TP. I couldn't keep up with Craig on his comp glider and was alone again just before the VH turnpoint. With VH tagged, and moving downwind finally, the problem was Black Fellas was bathed in huge shade, so I went for the sun hoping to find a thermal on the ever present late evening boomers coming off the ends of the fingers that touch the valley.

It's funny, but every time I come into goal at the main LZ, there are huge thermals just before goal, but if goal is somewhere else, those thermals are somewhere else...

I slide into Little Mystic below ridge height, just barely tagging the TP, and then found some beeps, but couldn't get into the elevator, and game over. Ivan must have found his climb as he made it in... Tenacity pays dividends...

Tomorrow is the last day, my plan is to make goal...

Bright Open T2

2009-03-18T21:56:00.002-07:00

We got in the second task in today. It was shorter because stronger winds were forecast - but that didn't happen and so Craig Collings got around in under minimum time...

I enjoyed the task today, it was shorter and we were getting higher so the transistions worked instead of sucked like yesterday.

Yesterday the End of speed section was 2k, today it was 1k, and that is why I thought the start cylinder was 1k instead of 2k, which goes to show that brain synapsis follow random patterns all the time....

Dave Wheeler says he has thought about putting rear view mirrors on his helmet, and I could have used some today, I left Gold Mine on glide for Clear Spot with 2 pilots in front of me, but if I had looked behind, I would have noticed that Geoff Wong and Heike's line from Gold Mine to Clearspot was way way better than mine, I arrived below the peak, they arrived 1600 meters above it. I need to do neck stretches I guess.

Tomorrow is another day - stay tuned. Scores are here.

Brett

Task One (I lost an entry, so Task One is posted here)

We got a task in today. It was just like yesterday's task, except no one crashed, so we got to bash ourselves into lots of headwind around the mother of all zig zag course-lines.

The most memorable part of the course was coming back to Launch after the third turn point and getting stuck there for what seemed like an hour, yo-yo'ing around hoping the next thermal was stronge than the last and that we would get another chance to bash into the wind, and into the lee side of the next peak called Clearspot.

Only four into goal - Craig Collings, Andrew Horshner, Craig Donnell, Fred Gungle, in that order. These guys were in the group that made the crazy dive into Clearspot early in the day, they surfed the spine up out of Baker's Gully and made it up onto Clearspot, we watched and just scratched our heads.... and then continued our yo-yo contest over Mystic...

- stay tuned.

Brett

Bright Open 2009 - Task One, Almost

2009-03-17T00:20:00.000-07:00

The comp started Saturday and the weather has been horrible, until today. We had a SW aloft and NW coming up the valley down low, and that might explain why the task was a 52km zig zag skally wag never getting that far away from launch.

We got in the air, and up to a nice cloud base and got started on the course, but a pilot crashed into the trees near launch and the paramedics called in the helo, so that stopped the task.

I hear his injuries were not severe, but they couldn't have been minor if they called the helo... I hope he recovers quickly and hate it when one of our own gets hurt doing something that should be easy and fun...

Anyway, we tried and tomorrow is another day - stay tuned.

Brett

How to Influence the Weather

2009-03-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

If you want to fly with really amazing clouds, actually the best clouds of the whole flying season - I have a simple technique for you - leave your camera at home.

Two days ago we had a lot of instability that made the sky 'go off' here in Bright - so we flew away from the mountains where it was going to OD, and out onto the flats where the clouds were tall but with narrow bases, and it was cloud flying nirvana... just like connecting the dots on those 'draw by the numbers' coloring books you did as a kid...

I could have gone really far (excuses, excuses..) but my unofficial retrieve drivers were on vacation and I didn't want to stress test that relationship, so I went cross-wind to the biggest town in the flats where I knew they could find me, and petrol, etc

We spent the log weekend in Corryong with the Melbourne club, and the Amerikaners were there too, so we flew hard and did nice 4+ hour triangles. We flew 3 days at Corryong - Corry takes a west wind and Bright gets rough and ugly in a west... I highly recommend that site if you have a driver.

The last big comp of the season starts Saturday, the Bright Open... let the weather gods smile on us. Pic is of Geoff Wong over Mt. Mittamatite, just NW of Mt Elliot, the launch at Corryong.

Blue skies!