| Flight details: | I still felt rough, but thought the clear air at cloudbase might clear my head. A 50k task was set, past Aspres and Veynes. Thanks to Belgian Martin I've now a reasonable idea about how to put a task into my Oudie, and it performed well today.
Climbing at launch was easy, and I cruised over Orpierre and got a good climb before Beaumont -- so good that I had to turn away to a gap in the clouds (at only 2400m), while a few others needed their big ears.
Catherine and I tried to work a zero for a while. I gave up and pushed on, seeing Lewis and Phil scrabbling below me -- both got up, and Phil went on to goal. The Aspres ridge delivered soarability, and then a good climb. I fought the temptation, as soon as I'd made the last turnpoint, to dash off into a glide to goal, instead working weak climbs with a few other pilots. At 7:1 I set off, and was feeling good as the required glide fell to 4:1 -- until my actual glide fell to 3:1. A few turns in a thermal over a village kept me up, and I had just enough height to turn into wind in the goal field.
Roger also made it (in orbit, so he turned and tried to make it back to Aspres.)
My ears are still popping, but I'm happy. |
