Sydney, NSW, Australia
Not much to write about, I’ve not been flying at all since I’ve been sick, got up on the hill the last day, but conditions was crappy and I was not 100% well so I chose not to fly.

I’m going back to Oslo tomorrow afternoon, I drove with Mike, Ron and Josê back from Mt. Beauty today. The plan tomorrow is a swim and breakfast at Cogee Beach, deliver my glider at the factory, and then get on the plane.

Check out the Oz report for full results and reports on the comps.

Mt. Beauty, Victoria, Australia
First day of the Bogong cup yesterday, about 70 people registered for the comp. We have had really good conditions the last days, with cloudbase at over 3000 meters and no winds. We went to Mt. Emu to take off for the first day. I was number 32 to take off and got out in a bad cycle with about 15 other pilots. We scratched over the trees for about 10 minutes before I flew a little further out to a smaller hill where Alberto was maintaning. After few minutes searching I found a good thermal that finally took us up to take-off height again. By then I felt really ill in the rough thermals, and had to give up and just glide out. I hoped gliding straigh for a while would help, but as soon as I tried to thermal again i became dizzy. I missed one upright on landing and smacked in rather unelegantly, with a slightly bent upright and scratched knees as result.

Today it’s raining, and we have a rest day, fine with me, but bad for the others. I’ll try to fly again tomorrow if it’s flyable.

Bright, Victoria, Australia
I’ve gone to the Bogong cup, great conditions here today, but my harness zipper failed at the top of the chest and I did not want to fly with it open for a long time for risk of damaging it even more. I took off from Mystic, and thermalled up when the zipper failed. I then flew over to the airstrip and landed to rig down in the shade of the hangar. Nice to be able to footlaunch again.

According to the doctors I have a very slow pulsrate for some unknown reason, below 45 beats pr. minute at times, and that’s what make me feel ill. It’s not dangerous and I will try to fly the comp.

Hay, NSW, Australia
This will probably be the last update for a while. I have not been feeling very good during my stay here, not beeing able to fly a couple of days. I went to the hospital here in Hay, the doctor say I have symptoms of heart arrythmia. I might black out while flying, and that is too much of a risk. I’ll have to get to a larger hospital next week where they can diagnose and possibly treat it.

I will not be flying the rest of the comp in Hay, and I might not make it to the Bogong cup either.

Hay, NSW, Australia
Yesterday was canned as a front rapidly approached, with very strong winds. It was supposed to pass quicky, but our cabin was shaking from the gusts all night, and it’s still blown out as I’m writing this at 14:00. The forecast in the newspaper is not good for the next days, with several low pressure areas on the way in.

It’s been unusually windy here for a long time, when we get to fly it’s good conditions and good tasks, but blown out days seem to be the norm. Last year only the last day here was canned because of the wind.

Hay, NSW, Australia
Yesterday had a little better conditions, we got to 2000 meters for the fist time, and the wind died down enough for an out and return task of 116 km. My glider was better after taping the leading edge. I got low about 35 km from goal, and did not wait for the guys underneath to climb up, but glided on alone – big mistake. I landed 27 km from goal. French pilot won the day, Gordon and Ron in goal.

We had to change towing lanes from the east to the north when the wind was more than 90 degress off where we set up. It’s an interesting sight when 100 hangliders have to be moved 1,5 km across the towing field. A temperature of nearly 40 degrees does not make it easier. Most people seen to carry their gliders, or roll them in the dolly. Ron and I decided to strap the basebar to the front roof rack, and stand on the back of the car holding the keel, it worked fine and we were ready to tow soon after.

Today looks good, the weather man promises more unstable conditions, and higher climbs. We’ll see, he’s done that every day.

Hay, NSW, Australia
We got a 150 km task, NE from Hay, mostly downwind. Our towing operation went really well, and everyone was picked up by 20:00, our driver Matt is really good. The conditions were blue, with an inversion at 1200 meters. I got to 1500 at the most, some reported 1800 meters, those conditions give short glides and turbulent lift.

My glider was not flying very good after the repairs, it had a left turn, and stalled in the thermals because of the leading edge repairs sticking out in the airflow. We did not have enough time to replace the whole leading edge, I’ll have it done when the comps are over, some tape will do for now.

I landed after 130 km, 20 km short of goal, should be around 40. place. Lots of guys made goal, Oleg won the day. Miles and Ron in goal, Gordon 25 km short. Today looks good, lighter winds, and maybe a little more unstable.

Hay, NSW, Australia
The drive up from Sydney went well, I arrived at 04:30 and got a few hours slep before the briefing. Yesterday was cancelled because of high winds, it was 90 degrees of the towing strips as well. Today looks better with lighter winds. It’s still quite cool, and blue conditions.

Sydney, NSW, Australia
This comp has been a disaster, everything have gone wrong for our team. Car problems, gliders blowing off the roof in 100 km/h, towing problems making us too late to get to goal, one guy seriously hurt in a lock-out (In intensive care, he’s gonna be OK). I got a virus affecting my balance making me unable to fly the last day, I left my glider in the paddock, and out driver run over it with the car. Lots of damage… On the way down to Sydney to have it fixed my car broke down, I had to go back and get Mike’s car, which also broke down halfway. Finally arriving at Moyes it seems like we can get the glider fixed and a new sail on it.

My radio is malfunctioning, my watch broke, and someone sat on my sunglasses… It’s blown out in Hay.

Argh.

Deniliquin, NSW, Australia
Another day cancelled because of high winds, a low pressure over Tasmania gives us very strong winds. On the charts it’s moving east until tomorrow, that should give a good day tomorrow.

It’s strange weather for this place, very unusual. Usually when we get bad weather at a comp the locals say “you should have been here last week, it was great”, this time it’s been bad conditions all season here. The comp is finished on Saturday, and then we head off to Hay.

It’s really cold as well, just above 20 degrees today, I had to by a pair of trousers as I only had shorts with me.