Task 4 saw a great sky, cumulus streets forming all over the flats. We got a triangle task a little over 100 km, stronger that expected headwinds on the last leg would make it very difficult to make goal, and only 4 flex and 2 rigid made it, I never made it out of the start circle…

I got on one of the early tows as the conditions were great, got waved off in a weak thermal below a gaggle of pilots. The thermal got weaker and weaker, and stopped completely at 600 meters. I glided back upwind to the tow paddoc, and got a good 2 m/s just at the edge of the car tow area. I committed to drifting with that thermal from 150 meters over the ground, but lost the lift after drifting a few km and only gaining 300 meters. Now I was low and could not get back to the towing paddoc, so I glided downwind to try and find another thermal. I got something rough just 100 meters over the ground in the middle of nowhere, and drifted with this keeping between 50 and 150 meters for 5-6 km. Eventually I came over the main road and landed on the road after calling for Andrew our driver to pick me up. I derigged in a hurry, threw everything in the car and drove back to get another tow. One of the trike piots was still there and agreed to give me a tow. He dropped me off upwind of a cloudstreet where I climbed a few hundred meters and then hit megasink. I raced cross and downwind to get out of 6 m/s sink, but it was no use. On the ground again, 4 km out. I was the only one bombing out that day, just unbelivable. Gordon got within 4 km of goal, Olav and Otto around second TP.

Yesterday was totally blue, 25 km wind, 105 km task towards Hay, down/crosswind, with a 15 km headwind leg. I started off early as I had no motivation for flying fast after 2 days of bombing out. Flew for myself most of the time after the start circle, and kept between 1000 and 1300 meters most of the flight. Lost some time at the last TP where I got down to 250 meters and had to go downwind way off course to get up again. Had to stop a few times to gain more height on the final glide as well. Quite exiting for a while, my Galileo told me I was going to make it and not all the way in, I got a 3 m/s 5 km out, and gained a few hundred just to make sure I got there. Around 30 in goal, I was 23 for the day. Gordon second best score, Olav 4 km from goal, Otto around 20 from second TP.

Oleg won the comp, Paris second, Gordon third. Olav 40. I got 44. place, and Otto 46. It’s really crap to bomb out on the good days

Hikobe Junko, Japanese female pilot, was killed in a car towing accident yesterday. I knew her from the comps here the last couple of years. She locked out on tow and did not release, doctors were there at once, but sadly she died. Our sympathies to the family and friends, Hiko will be missed.

Now we drive off to Mt. Beauty for the Bogong cup, tomorrow’s practice day and then 8 more days of comp flying. I’m looking forward to it, it will be nice to see some mountains again.