The forecast was for almost no lift: 250 fpm (before your sink
rate). This was half the forecasted lift that we had yesterday when the lift was
so weak. The wind was supposed to be moderate again (12 - 15 knots) out of the
west south west which would send us into the lake area north of Lake Apopka.



The sky was full of mid level clouds and the satellite showed a cloudy sky north
of the I4 corridor to our south. Would we be able to fly at all?



The task committee called a 72 km dogleg course to the northeast, hopefully down
wind so that we could drift in the weak lift. We had to get around the Orlando
airspace and be sure not to land in the lakes, swamps, or urban areas found on
the course line.



Kevin Carter took off as a wind dummy under skies that were thick with midlevel
clouds, sculpted out and waving underneath. He reported good lift as did his tug
pilot Jim Rooney. The task was on.



Jim Yocom and Ollie were up next in their ATOS VR's and they stuck under the
ever darker skies. We got going. About ten flex pilots launched 20 to 25 minutes
after the launch window opened and we all spread out looking for lift. Down to
1,000' we worked zero sink for the next ten minutes.



Twenty minutes after I launched and at 1,300' I found 200+ fpm and took it up to
4,400' drifting down the course line. There was another gaggle a bit higher
upwind a mile or so but when the lift gave out I headed off behind Jim Yocom and
a much higher ATOS VR toward the continuing darkness and shade to the north
followed by five to ten other gliders that were with me in the last thermal.



Down to 2,200' and with their help we found 66 fpm over the Florida Turnpike,
then thermals of 88 and 37 fpm just north of the Turnpike as we skirted Lake
Harris to the east and got back up to 2,700'.



Down to 1,100' just south of Lake Dora, we drifted in the 11 mph west southwest
wind climbing at 135 fpm back to 2,700' at the lake's edge. There was a landable
golf course on an island in the middle of the lake if things looked bad, but few
visible landing areas to the north toward our turnpoint as we headed for the
town of Mount Dora. We weren't high enough to just float over the countryside.



Numerous pilots didn't get high enough before Lake Dora to make it over safely
and landed on its south and east flanks.



I joined up up with a small gaggle of pilots over Mount Dora as we drifted to
the east of our turnpoint to the north climbing at 134 fpm to 2,600'. I was
keeping a close eye on the possible landing zones as we drifted over the town.
Then the rain began.



I'm in a Mylar glider so the rain was a big concern for me. I pushed north
northwest toward the turnpoint with the hope of getting out of the rain or
baring that landing in a safe area.



I made the turnpoint at 1,200' and headed downwind to a gaggle of five to ten
pilots circling over a nursery. Arriving at 900' I didn't find the lift. As I
came into the gaggle I saw Jonny Carr landing in the field next to the nursery.



I still didn't find the lift as I looked downwind to see what the possible
landing fields were. It was hard to tell if there are any useful ones from 900'.
There were a bunch of trees and urban areas.



I decided to go land in the field next to the nursery having not found the lift.
I would learn later from Jonny Durand that he was 20 feet over my head at this
point and that the gaggle would continue at this elevation for the next fifteen
kilometers heading toward goal before they got up and made goal. About ten
pilots joined me in the field including Andre Wolf, Glen Volk, Jonny Carr, Dave
Matthews, and Bruce Kavanaugh (a regular British contingent).



About fifteen flex wing pilots made goal and three rigid wings.
There is a link to the scores here:
http://flytec.com/Events/2007/Flytec_Championship/Index.htm that will have
the actual results.



It was pretty amazing that we had a task at all and that so many pilots made
goal.



Ron Gleason sends this satellite shot from 3:17 PM: