2014 Santa Cruz Flats Race, day 6

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.

Olav Lien Olsen packing up, while the lead pilots are on final over us.
Olav Lien Olsen packing up, while the lead pilots are on final over us.

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?

Will it fit?

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

Results day 6;

1. 122 Jon Durand AUS Moyes RX 3.5 Technora 14:10:00 16:57:43 02:47:44 36.1km/h 100.9km 988.42
2. 112 Olav Opsanger NOR Moyes RX 3.5 Technora 14:10:00 16:57:44 02:47:45 36.1km/h 100.9km 987.60
3. 119 Kraig Coomber USA Moyes RX 3.5 Technora 14:10:00 16:58:07 02:48:08 36.0km/h 100.9km 980.83
4. 103 Michael Bilyk USA Moyes RX 3.5 Technora 14:10:00 16:58:28 02:48:29 35.9km/h 100.9km 976.49
5. 108 Robin Hamilton USA Moyes RX 3.5 14:10:00 16:58:30 02:48:31 35.9km/h 100.9km 976.11
6. 110 Zac Majors USA Wills Wing T2C 144 13:50:00 16:53:35 03:03:36 33.0km/h 100.9km 923.21
7. 102 Bruce Barmakian USA Wills Wing T2C 136 13:50:00 17:10:01 03:20:02 30.3km/h 100.9km 836.39
8. 127 Patrick Kruse USA Wills Wing T2C 144 13:50:54 71.6km 553.80
9. 136 Glen Volk USA Moyes RS 3.5 13:50:45 69.3km 543.97
10. 140 maria COL Wills Wing T2C 136 12:47:18 61.1km 500.83
11. 107 Grant Emary USA Wills Wing T2C 154 13:25:48 60.1km 495.55
12. 130 Fabiano Nahoum BRA Moyes RS 4 13:50:59 59.6km 492.44
13. 111 Olav Olsen NOR Wills Wing T2C 136 13:50:52 58.8km 486.77
14. 123 Oyvind Ellefsen NOR Moyes RS 3.5 13:29:34 58.7km 486.32
15. 137 Rudy Gotés MEX Moyes RX 3.5 14:11:05 58.7km 486.27
16. 109 Greg Kendall USA Moyes RX 3.5 13:28:14 58.5km 484.41
17. 135 James Stinnett USA Wills Wing T2C 144 13:50:38 58.5km 484.21
18. 106 Dustin Martin USA Wills Wing T2C 144 13:50:16 58.3km 481.85
19. 105 Jay Devorak USA Moyes RX 3.5 13:36:09 58.2km 480.67
20. 138 Chris Arai USA Wills Wing T2C 154 13:50:24 58.1km 479.37
21. 116 Davis Straub USA Wills Wing T2 – 144 13:28:03 58.1km 479.35
22. 139 Mike Glennon COL Wills Wing T2C 154 13:50:26 56.9km 460.46
23. 124 Nils Henden NOR Moyes RX 3 13:50:33 56.0km 445.31
24. 114 Mitch Shipley USA Wills Wing T2C 144 14:11:57 55.9km 443.59
25. 115 Kip Stone USA Wills Wing T2C 154 13:50:37 55.9km 443.54
26. 134 Bill Soderquist USA Moyes RS 3.5 13:50:44 54.1km 407.79
27. 126 Jeff Johnson USA Moyes 4.5 13:50:48 52.0km 363.77
28. 128 Thomas Lindal NOR Moyes RS 4 13:52:58 52.0km 363.69
29. 132 wayne osick USA Moyes 4S 13:50:36 51.7km 356.66
30. 131 Tommy Nilsson SWE Wills Wing T2 14:25:34 49.3km 301.42
31. 117 Rodrigo Alva MEX Wills Wing T2C 144 13:50:37 49.2km 299.21
32. 121 Mark Dowsett CAN Moyes RX3 13:35:54 48.8km 290.17
33. 120 Pedro Garcia ESP Wills Wing T2C 144 13:50:16 47.9km 272.55
34. 118 Joe Bostik CZE Wills Wing T2C144 14:10:58 44.7km 227.93
35. 101 Matt Barker USA Wills Wing T2C 144 13:50:20 43.3km 211.04
36. 104 Larry Bunner USA Will Wing T2C 144 14:12:05 42.7km 203.20
37. 125 Thomas Hylander SWE Wills Wing T2 144 13:39:26 38.9km 160.92
38. 133 Steven Pearson USA Wills Wing T2C 144 13:50:37 6.7km 28.57
DNF. 141* Terry Reynolds USA Moyes LiteSport 0