Task 3 & 4 Mystic Cup

Last weekend we flew 2 more tasks for the Mystic Cup.  It's been super hot, over 100F, for about a week now, but despite that, the flying has been pretty good.  Sat was fairly stable, small slow cores, and hard down low, but easier if you could stay above 2000 meters and over the peaks.  A few clouds popped and gave up superb climbs with base appearing to be around 4000 meters.  Saturdays task was OLC style, and this meant long hours in the air if you wanted a big score.  A few went over 100km in triangle attempts, but the boaty PM conditions never really happened and this made getting home tough.

Sunday was much better - the day started earlier and the climbs were clean and fast over the short task of ~40 km.  The final race to goal at the main LZ was fun - Brian and Heike on a tandem managed to take the lead and Jeff Wong and I went pulley to pulley starting from clearspot and thru Porepunkah bridge TP, and then to the LZ.  

Brian/Heike had a good lead and we couldn't catch them.  I caught Jeff and passed him just before goal.  Brian/Heike crossed first but my leading points compensated for that and I won the day by 3 points.

The cloud over clearspot was sucking massive air into it, and growing rapidly as we left for the last TP.  By the time we landed, the sky was starting to look spooky - cloud was forming everywhere, and 2 small lenticulars formed high above us.  The big CU over the range dropped rain and was flushing wind down valley, that wind was colliding with the up valley wind around Bright and the resulting convergence was powering the rapid cloud development.

Over the LZ, we had to work hard to get down the last 500 meters, and there were twitchy landings.  The task was stopped shortly after.  Big storms Sunday night, lots of lightning and a good rain.  

The Mystic Cup is such a great way to hone your racing skills, and learn how to fly fast - I am perplexed as to why more of the talented local pilots don't play the game.... 

The pic is of me, taken near Corryong, Photo by Hamish Barker.

Ci vediamo!