Competitions, Hanggliding

2014 Santa Cruz Flats Race, day 7

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

Setup line last day
Setup line last day

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.

Day 7 task
Day 7 task
In line, dustdevils in front
In line, dustdevils in front of us
On tow
On tow

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.

Over Eloy
Over Eloy

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.

Landing site
Landing site
Overdevelopment over first TP
Overdevelopment over first 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;

# CN Pilot Team Glider Start Finish Time Speed Dist. Points Pen.
1. 103 Michael Bilyk USA Moyes RX 3.5 Technora 13:50:20 44.0km 589.69
2. 123 Oyvind Ellefsen NOR Moyes RS 3.5 13:50:14 42.9km 579.69
3. 104 Larry Bunner USA Will Wing T2C 144 13:50:37 42.4km 574.96
4. 118 Joe Bostik CZE Wills Wing T2C144 13:50:29 42.4km 574.69
5. 134 Bill Soderquist USA Moyes RS 3.5 13:50:45 41.7km 564.73
6. 137 Rudy Gotés MEX Moyes RX 3.5 13:51:34 41.6km 562.70
7. 114 Mitch Shipley USA Wills Wing T2C 144 13:50:17 40.7km 546.35
8. 138 Chris Arai USA Wills Wing T2C 154 13:50:09 39.8km 528.52
9. 119 Kraig Coomber USA Moyes RX 3.5 Technora 13:50:23 39.2km 516.29
10. 108 Robin Hamilton USA Moyes RX 3.5 13:50:32 37.9km 490.73
11. 136 Glen Volk USA Moyes RS 3.5 13:51:20 37.3km 480.62
12. 122 Jon Durand AUS Moyes RX 3.5 Technora 13:50:20 37.2km 478.98
13. 135 James Stinnett USA Wills Wing T2C 144 13:50:31 37.1km 477.35
14. 101 Matt Barker USA Wills Wing T2C 144 13:50:13 36.8km 470.97
15. 102 Bruce Barmakian USA Wills Wing T2C 136 13:51:39 36.6km 466.30
16. 112 Olav Opsanger NOR Moyes RX 3.5 Technora 13:50:26 36.6km 466.27
17. 110 Zac Majors USA Wills Wing T2C 144 13:50:01 36.6km 466.22
18. 133 Steven Pearson USA Wills Wing T2C 144 13:51:15 34.6km 417.61
19. 109 Greg Kendall USA Moyes RX 3.5 13:51:43 34.5km 414.75
20. 120 Pedro Garcia ESP Wills Wing T2C 144 13:50:20 34.4km 412.73
21. 106 Dustin Martin USA Wills Wing T2C 144 13:50:22 33.9km 398.44
22. 140 maria COL Wills Wing T2C 136 13:50:09 33.8km 395.68
23. 127 Patrick Kruse USA Wills Wing T2C 144 13:51:20 32.0km 351.76
24. 105 Jay Devorak USA Moyes RX 3.5 14:12:15 29.8km 315.13
25. 139 Mike Glennon COL Wills Wing T2C 154 14:13:33 28.8km 304.39
26. 128 Thomas Lindal NOR Moyes RS 4 14:17:11 28.6km 302.21
27. 124 Nils Henden NOR Moyes RX 3 14:13:20 26.5km 273.98
28. 115 Kip Stone USA Wills Wing T2C 154 14:16:33 24.3km 246.63
29. 121 Mark Dowsett CAN Moyes RX3 14:14:39 22.3km 225.71
30. 116 Davis Straub USA Wills Wing T2 – 144 13:50:52 22.3km 225.18
31. 132 wayne osick USA Moyes 4S 14:10:15 20.7km 205.45
32. 107 Grant Emary USA Wills Wing T2C 154 14:37:22 20.6km 203.84
33. 130 Fabiano Nahoum BRA Moyes RS 4 13:50:17 20.6km 203.74
34. 125 Thomas Hylander SWE Wills Wing T2 144 14:24:25 20.3km 198.39
35. 111 Olav Olsen NOR Wills Wing T2C 136 13:50:15 20.2km 196.13
36. 131 Tommy Nilsson SWE Wills Wing T2 14:36:09 16.3km 126.17
37. 126 Jeff Johnson USA Moyes 4.5 14:09:39 15.2km 115.98
DNF. 117* Rodrigo Alva MEX Wills Wing T2C 144 0
DNF. 141* Terry Reynolds USA Moyes LiteSport 0

Total results;

# CN Pilot Team Glider Total
1. 119 Kraig Coomber USA Moyes RX 3.5 Technora 4371.35
2. 108 Robin Hamilton USA Moyes RX 3.5 4320.71
3. 103 Michael Bilyk USA Moyes RX 3.5 Technora 4235.36
4. 122 Jon Durand AUS Moyes RX 3.5 Technora 3961.66
5. 112 Olav Opsanger NOR Moyes RX 3.5 Technora 3885.14
6. 110 Zac Majors USA Wills Wing T2C 144 3697.50
7. 102 Bruce Barmakian USA Wills Wing T2C 136 3691.22
8. 137 Rudy Gotés MEX Moyes RX 3.5 3573.95
9. 138 Chris Arai USA Wills Wing T2C 154 3275.58
10. 135 James Stinnett USA Wills Wing T2C 144 3138.43
11. 114 Mitch Shipley USA Wills Wing T2C 144 3055.97
12. 101 Matt Barker USA Wills Wing T2C 144 2991.80
13. 134 Bill Soderquist USA Moyes RS 3.5 2989.49
14. 104 Larry Bunner USA Will Wing T2C 144 2802.85
15. 106 Dustin Martin USA Wills Wing T2C 144 2762.93
16. 123 Oyvind Ellefsen NOR Moyes RS 3.5 2758.33
17. 109 Greg Kendall USA Moyes RX 3.5 2698.08
18. 118 Joe Bostik CZE Wills Wing T2C144 2588.62
19. 133 Steven Pearson USA Wills Wing T2C 144 2532.65
20. 136 Glen Volk USA Moyes RS 3.5 2379.42
21. 124 Nils Henden NOR Moyes RX 3 2283.33
22. 130 Fabiano Nahoum BRA Moyes RS 4 2276.89
23. 127 Patrick Kruse USA Wills Wing T2C 144 2273.77
24. 140 maria COL Wills Wing T2C 136 2243.81
25. 111 Olav Olsen NOR Wills Wing T2C 136 2136.14
26. 139 Mike Glennon COL Wills Wing T2C 154 2135.12
27. 107 Grant Emary USA Wills Wing T2C 154 1983.69
28. 120 Pedro Garcia ESP Wills Wing T2C 144 1915.38
29. 116 Davis Straub USA Wills Wing T2 – 144 1871.29
30. 132 wayne osick USA Moyes 4S 1686.07
31. 105 Jay Devorak USA Moyes RX 3.5 1510.21
32. 115 Kip Stone USA Wills Wing T2C 154 1398.33
33. 121 Mark Dowsett CAN Moyes RX3 1355.02
34. 128 Thomas Lindal NOR Moyes RS 4 1327.82
35. 126 Jeff Johnson USA Moyes 4.5 1086.96
36. 117 Rodrigo Alva MEX Wills Wing T2C 144 1007.74
37. 131 Tommy Nilsson SWE Wills Wing T2 716.63
38. 125 Thomas Hylander SWE Wills Wing T2 144 694.79
39. 141 Terry Reynolds USA Moyes LiteSport 111.33