The last day, and finally I get the glider going straight, and my GoPro started working again after playing dead for a week. Wohoo!

The task was a triangle of 102km, going southwest and then northeast away from the potential overdevelopment over the hills and near goal. We got lots of dustdevils on the ground while setting up, so it felt like a more unstable day than earlier in the week. I had an uneventful tow behind Bobby in the tug, and got a slow climb just in time to take the first start. Thermalling up we could see overdevelopment around us, and there was rain and shade moving towards the first turnpoint.

I took the first start with most pilots, and we did a fast glide towards the first TP to try and get there before the rain, but it turned out to be too late as the rain moved in, and we stopped to wait in some weak lift over Casa Grange mountain. It was really nice to be able to glide straight again without fighting the glider, my glide ratio improved a lot the last day! :-)

As there were some small spots of sun we tried to slowly go towards the TP and find some lift, I was in a gaggle with Chris Arai, Larry Bunner, Joe Bostik, Mitch and a few more, and spent some time drifting towards Eloy airport which is a very busy parachute dropzone, so it was not the best place to hang out above deployment height for the parachutists.

We did not get much lift on the way to the TP as it was shaded and some rain in the air, so it became a slow glide to the ground as the few sunny spots were too short lived to give us any lift. I saw lots of gliders on the ground at the TP, and turned around for the sun as directly as possible after taking the TP. There was no lift, so we all landed one by one. I was the highest in the last thermal, so I got the furthest from our gaggle, just beaten with 1,1km by Michael Bilyk who had been in front of us, so I got 2. place on the day score and moved back up a few spots in the toal.

Everyone landed pretty much at the same time, which was good as there was gustfronts moving through the takeoff/goal are as well as on courseline towards the second TP.

All in all this was a great competition, I had a great time both in the air and on the ground. Its a super nice and relaxed spot to fly, and making it back to goal where you park the glider overnight and just walk 10 meters to jump into the pool is just unbeatable.

Thanks to our team with driver, Moyes and Kraig for great support, tugpilots, and Jamie and all her crew for organizing it. I’ll be back next year!

Scores day 7;

Total results;

The conditions were forecasted to be similar to yesterday, and the task was set to a 100km, going south to Meyer and then north west to Maricopa before heading back southeast to goal at the hotel. Once in the air it looked like a good day but with stronger than forecasted winds. Again my glider was not flying straight and the lastest adjustments were not sucessful, in retrospect I should have overdone it more to get at least a right turn instead of another day with fighting a left turn. At least the gaggles were a bit smaller after the first clock and the turndirection was right so I could relax more while thermalling.

I waited for the second start time in a gaggle with Olav Opsanger, Johnny, Kraig, Chris Arai, Michael, Mitch and a few more I did not recognize. We had a good run to the first TP catching up with most of the pilots who took the first start, and I got a great line getting in front until halfway to the second TP where we flew into blue skies and headwind. We topped up in around 1800 meters and I chose a bad line and lost 200m on the lead gaggle before the next thermal so they got away in front from me.

I still had plenty of pilots under me marking the thermals, and I caught up with Olav Lien Olsen as we glided ahead into the blue. Unfortunately none of us could find useable lift and around 10 pilots landed in the same area, 6 of us on the same field around 15 km before the last TP. 30 minutes later we spotted the lead gaggle gliding over us on final glide to goal.

On the way home we got a lift with the Mexican team, as our driver had locked the carkeys inside the car while picking up Nils Aaage, Olav and me thought we might as well catch a ride home with them instead of waiting out in the sun.

They did not tell us they had to pick up one more pilot, who was in the middle of a property, 3km from the road behind locked gates. Fortunately the wire across one gate was long enough so we could get the car under it, barely…

Will it fit?

Olav Opsanger did a great flight, coming in just one second behind Johnny who won the day.

Results day 6;