Flight

I hadn't planned to go XC but finding myself above Glyndebourne and reassured by the company of Ashley Barnes & James Chancellor - both experienced XC hounds - I decided to give it a go.

The first part was blue sky thermalling so I was glad to be in a gaggle to spot the elusive lift areas.

I managed stay above 3000 feet for most of the flight, topping up on 0.5 or even zeros. We spread out and spotted climbs for each other all the way to Ashford where we split up. 

I could see Ashley on great buoyant line heading towards Canterbury and rather than find the same line, I gained some more height, and Ashley was nowhere in sight when I finally set off on glide again.

I could spot James on my Oudie and although he had good height, he was about 5 km behind so I cracked on solo.

I stayed in the middle band of cloud that was about twice the height of the Seabreeze front coming off the north coast of Kent. It was dark and wide but not too 'sucky' so I never got anywhere close to being hoovered up.

After Canterbury it opened up into a different sky. Blue mostly. with Seabreez whispers to the north and south and some light CU between.

Looking at the forecast later on, it may had been wise to just hang under the previous clouds and wait for more development and for the northerly Seabreeze to be pushed back again. I'd seen some soaring birds (brown and white and not sure what they were) that gave some encouragement but the ones I saw were just transitioning. None of them circled.

Well, I struggled for lift from 25km out from Margate and met an ever increasing headwind, about 14km when I landed. Looking at the forecast post flight, I see I could have either waited or gone further South and along the East coast - perhaps this would have been better...

Anyway, down at 101km about 10km short of goal and I was chuffed!