http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/2211328

https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:davisstraub/7.3.2019/18:15

We had two tugs with Tim and Jim Prahl towing and I was launched right after
Larry Bunner who was ready first a little after 1 PM. The wind was north east at
about 10 mph and then it would stop and be light. I took off in light
conditions. There were a few cu's around which quickly dried up.

The first climb was less than 50 fpm but I finally moved over when I saw Cory
and Larry climbing up wind of me and came in under them. At 175 fpm I climbed to
4,600', the forecasted TOL. Cory and Larry were higher.

We headed southwest to Bay Lake and found 200 fpm to 5,000'. Larry got to 5,900'
over the turnpoint.

Cory and I were lower than Larry but we headed out anyway. This second leg took
us along the east edge of the Green Swamp toward Center Hill. The lift was weak
all along the route and I often just kept going to find something better. Cory
and Larry caught up with me just north of highway 50 over the nursery. It was
150 fpm, but that was relatively good compared to the rest that I had
experienced along this leg.

I worked 135 fpm 4 km south of Center Hill to 4,300' and then found 100 fpm
right at the turnpoint after I got there first before leaving at 3,600'. Cory
was below me and Larry was off to the east a bit.

Larry and I headed east northeast toward the Turnpike and highway 33 overpass,
our next turnpoint. I was keeping up wind in the 11 mph south southeast wind
when Larry found a general area of lift just north of me along the course line.
I came over and found the core and got up at 300 fpm.

Leaving at 3,900' I found 400 fpm 3 km further east and climbed to 4,800' before
leaving when the lift got weaker. Larry was still working the weaker lift in the
previous thermal. Cory was below him. Mick Howard was behind all of us.

Took the turnpoint at the Turnpike and climbed up to 3,900'. I was reading a
wind speed of 10 mph out of the east southeast. The next turnpoint was to the
southeast at Gator field. It was after 3 PM and we had already been flying for 2
hours. We had only gone 42 km. We had had lots of weak lift and now I was
heading into a head wind. Larry was now far behind me and I was on my own. I
decided to skip the last turnpoint and head south down highway 33 toward
Wilotree Park, 20 km away. I wanted to not have to break diwn my glider and have
it ready for Friday.

Half way home I was down to 1,600' just south of the Grass Roots airfield. I
worked zero and then 50 fpm back to 2,000'. I was drifting back to the
northwest. Then I did it again from about the same location, a little further
down wind to the west, but now in 150 fpm to 4,400' drifting northwest.

I headed south toward the chicken coops which have always been a good thermal
source. Searching around at 2,500' I found 160 fpm to 3,700'. I was drifting
further away from goal as my required glide ratio got down to 8:1. I was facing
an 8 mph head wind.

Of course, I was averaging less than 7:1 on glide as I came over Mascotte and
then Groveland. I was keeping an eye on possible landing areas and then as I
came over Groveland I was looking at the fields just north west of Wilotree Park
on the west side of highway 33.

As I got down to 1,100' AGL over Groveland I stopped dropping like a rock and it
looked like I would make the fields just south of Groveland. The light sink held
on and I just kept gliding toward goal. A kilometer out and down to 800' AGL it
looked like I could actually make it into the goal field.

I came in over the trees at 500' AGL., saw that the wind was from the east on
the surface, cut over the tops of the trees on the west side of the main runway,
turned at the west end of the east west runway and landed smack in the middle of
the runways gliding into a light head wind.

Mick and Cory showed up not too long later. They had made the course taking the
Gators turnpoint. Later Larry landed just on the west side of highway 33, in one
of the fields I was looking at. He didn't have to break down his glider.

A very pleasant day in the air with a few sharp edges, but nothing to worry
about. Almost completely blue sky after the initial cu or two.. Very manageable
wind speeds. Good fun to fly with a few other pilots.