Blue skies linked with a anticipated hard inversion meant the task committee created a circuit race around the valley. We did two laps over about 15km each, then a long downwind glide down the Little Applegate Valley.
The conditions turned out much better than expected, with light winds keeping the thermals in one place for a change. The Sprint pilots were going in different direction around the valley, meaning every thermal in the whole valley had groups of pilots climbing.
By the second lap the thermals got even better, with 5m/s climbs to about 6700ft. On the last glide down to the MuleLZ, we had to surf along a steep ridge. There were people scratching down low in scrappy lift, but I managed to stay above the ridgeline and then find a powerful thermal right where the main ridge met smaller ridges from each side. I cored up underneath four other gliders, changed my turn direction to match theirs, then we screamed up another 1000 ft in 5m/s lift all circling around each other. It's always a little surprising when you climb with others in a strong thermal, because everyone is going up fast it seems like you are not even climbing at all.
After the alert on my Flymaster went off saying goal was within a single glide, we took a couple more turns and then set off on final glide. The 10km final glide took us over a couple of ridges and I just had enough height to get into goal. The final km was super lifty with waves of heat coming off the dry grass of the landing field, so arrived with 400 ft to spare.
This was my first goal at this Rat Race so I it was a great fun days flying.
I know the format was too easy for the Enzo pilots but for me this was the most fun type of paragliding racing!
25th out of 48 pilots overall today, which would turn out to be my best placing of the comp for me.
Results
Click image below for tracklog on Leonardo
Bill Mendenhall
The conditions turned out much better than expected, with light winds keeping the thermals in one place for a change. The Sprint pilots were going in different direction around the valley, meaning every thermal in the whole valley had groups of pilots climbing.
By the second lap the thermals got even better, with 5m/s climbs to about 6700ft. On the last glide down to the MuleLZ, we had to surf along a steep ridge. There were people scratching down low in scrappy lift, but I managed to stay above the ridgeline and then find a powerful thermal right where the main ridge met smaller ridges from each side. I cored up underneath four other gliders, changed my turn direction to match theirs, then we screamed up another 1000 ft in 5m/s lift all circling around each other. It's always a little surprising when you climb with others in a strong thermal, because everyone is going up fast it seems like you are not even climbing at all.
After the alert on my Flymaster went off saying goal was within a single glide, we took a couple more turns and then set off on final glide. The 10km final glide took us over a couple of ridges and I just had enough height to get into goal. The final km was super lifty with waves of heat coming off the dry grass of the landing field, so arrived with 400 ft to spare.
This was my first goal at this Rat Race so I it was a great fun days flying.
I know the format was too easy for the Enzo pilots but for me this was the most fun type of paragliding racing!
25th out of 48 pilots overall today, which would turn out to be my best placing of the comp for me.
Results
Beautiful landing field with a big shady tree to pack under
Alex Neigher
Lindsay Holden
Rich Donovan
Bill Mendenhall
Joshua Hockett
Tavis Gustafsen
