Flight

Launched from bowl as it was a little easterly, hopped over power lines then got really low on slope. Noticed loads of power lines in fields below so slope landed and walked up to top. Waited for wind to be right then re-launched. Dave Massey and one other marked the first and second thermals for me. Eventually I pushed out away from the hill towards some slowly turning seagulls which were very low. Joined them at around 650 feet ASL then climbed to around 4200 feet. Climb peaked at 15.4 feet per second, around 7.6 feet per second on the 20 second averager.

The wind seemed to be changing direction from NNE to NNW so I kept changing my mind as to the general direction to head. I was still climbing and still concerned about breaking the new 4500 feet restriction so pushed south to the 5500 feet area. Dithered a bit then went to Newtimber, then Ditchling ridge where I dithered again having not made a plan for this wind direction. If I'd headed further south I might have connected with the SBF. Tried to get a thermal near Keymer but it was weak then got weak climb near Ditchling which I lost and landed on the Ditchling training slope.

A big thank you to Rob Chisholm for the retrieve which made him a bit late for lunch in Brighton with his wife. Where did Carlo get to? As I got lift back to the Dyke he approached but then disappeared away from us. He's probably still up there now...