RAT RACE TASK 6

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