Geoff writes: we thought it was going to be SW and a bit strong, but as it turned out, it was a reasonable day. WSW, and strongish, but not too strong, not even for me on my 1/2 Hook. The comp set a 44k race to goal with a turnpoint at 18k. People launched fairly quickly once the window opened, and after flying around on the ridge for a while, eventually started to go over the back. I was one of the last to leave. Base was pretty low, around 4000′ or so, but the drift was reasonable. As usual, I took it slowly, and had no need to race since I wasn’t in the comp – a big advantage. Basically, it was a two thermal flight with a lot of drifting in ones and zeros. I went near the turnpoint, but probably didn’t go right over it – again, it didn’t matter since I wasn’t in the comp. In the end, I did 22.4k straight line, and 26k with my own turnpoints. I was disappointed when I landed, not least because I’d been heading to a better sky with more sun. And inevitably the sun came out on my landing field as I finished packing up. I was convinced most people had got a lot further than me. But as it happened I did ok. Most of the comp went down at their turnpoint, and the BP Cup round was won by Tony Spirling with around 21k, and the Open by Dave Gibbs with, I think, 34k or so. So in the end I was pleased, though because I wasn’t in the comp, I could make my own decisions, didn’t have to race, didn’t have to worry about comp turnpoints (and could make my own), so it was easier for me than for them.

It was a difficult day though, harder than it looked, and the thermals were few and far between.

Judith had launched before me, got 1700 ATO, but lost the thermal and came back to the ridge (with all the others in the same thermal). She didn’t quite make it back and top landed along the ridge. After an hour of messing around trying to find a suitable launch site, getting bracken out of lines, waiting for the wind to drop, she got off again – but then the wind went off to the south, and she got flushed along with a some others, and bottom landed.

See photos of today (including the prize giving).

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