Today was a waiting game. At briefing they set a 135.4km Polygon from start point Delta – Kolsva – Stenby – Stora – Arboga. The problem was that even though they delayed the first launch until 12:00, the sky did not look good with a relatively low cloud base and spreadout. I took a climb to the East of the airfield and was eventually joined by many others from the Club Class. I ended up circling and circling for 2 hours before it became possible to get sufficient height to be able to go through the start and reach the next climb at the end of a cloud street with the Czech’s.
I flew down the cloud street to the end and then through the still air under the spreadout round the first turning point at Kolsva. I caught up with Liz and Ayala just after the turn point (they had started 6 minutes before me) and went well South of track to another street which took us most of the way towards Stenby. Conditions were not easy – there was little in the way of lift beneath the spreadout cloud ahead. We were a little undecided which way to go following that and took the turn in still air and I then led the way towards a small cumulus cloud towards Stora. Liz called me back as they had hit a good thermal and we climbed there and were caught back up again with the Czechs.
We headed off towards Stora where at the end of the lake we could see a gaggle of gliders thermalling. Liz and Ayala were a little way ahead of me now and I was playing catch up with them but there were another 6 or 8 gliders on my tail following my every move. After taking a thermal before and after the turn at Stora, we headed off on the last leg. There was a choice of a large dark cloud under which we could see other gliders turning, or a newer street that had developed to the left. Everyone seemed undecided as to which route to take and I went under the black cloud and pulled up in good lift at the end of the run before turning for the street. I stopped in a 3.5kt thermal where several others joined me and Liz and Ayala stopped to the side – I think they got a better thermal and this is where they got ahead of me again.
We all ran under the developing street which gave us good lift and a fast run home. I hit the 3km finish ring after Ayala and Liz and it was sheer chaos as there were many finishers at once, all doing direct landings on the runway. I elected to pull up in some final lift and do a circuit on the grass side thereby giving myself ample room to land ahead which was also closer to the trailer, rather than be a tangle of landing gliders on the runway.. it turned out to be a sensible decision.
A look at the results later showed a total score for the day of 427. It also shows that it was in fact myself that physically went around the task at the fastest speed at 68.7kph i.e. faster than the day winner, but because of my glider handicap I was placed 13th. Ayala did it in a speed of 66.5kph and came 3rd and Liz completed it at 67.1kph and came 5th. Message to self…must find a Sugar Daddy to buy me a new glider…..
You can view the day’s results at this link:- http://wwgc2011.se/site/
In the Standard Class, Gill and Fran faired a bit better today, both getting back from a 162.3 km Polygon – Start Charlie –Hed – Hellingsbro – Fornaboda – Stora - Arboga . Gill came 14th at a speed of 70.5kph and Fran 15th with a speed of 69.2kph.
In the evening, a large contingent of the British Team went out for a meal at the local Pizza place in Arboga and we had a great time and some lovely food in the evening sunshine, which I can assure you goes on and on and on….
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