Flight

Looked like a hangie day, but after watching springy and Jonny fox disappear over the back, I decided that you had to be in it to win it, so took off in a lull. After a few nondescript thermals, I got a corker of a 5 up, and hung on in to it, and off we jolly well went, heading off to Brighton. I never got to base, but had to head off west on full bar to avoid landing in the sea. Off to ASDA and Stanmer Park, looking for a ground source. Found it, but then a Chinook helicopter tried to kill me by flying 200 feet overhead, so had to leave it, and only had the new footy stadium left. Glided over that, and got a right kicking, but generally in the upward direction, so held on it, and after losing it, got another kicking off a thermal coming from some allotments. This continued slowly climbing until I hit the backside of the Swanborough ridge, where a third nasty kicking ensued. This eventually evened out, and became a lovely smooth 1up, increasing gradually to 4 and 5 up, going towards some sea breeze front clouds. Once high, I raced away from these with bar on, getting a 6 up in a straight line. Luvvly! Achieved best height gain of the flight at this point. Barred it over to the reservoir in front of BoPeep, but the birds circling below were too far below to get their lift. Went forward to the wood in front of Hailsham, but didn;t want to go right over it without a guaranteed lift. Went north, then south, and got the first real collapse on the Delta, just as I was thinking 'This isn't such a bad thermal'. After that, it was a case of get low, staty low, get kicked, cover loads of coumntryside, blown by the wind. Ended up in the middle of Pevensey Levels, 38.6km from the Dyke. The Delta is no longer an XC virgin! The season has started.

Got a nice cup of tea at the farm house near my landing, walked to Pevensey, and train back to Brighton. Thanks to Nigel T for the ride back from Brighton.