The forecast:

https://ozreport.com/seweather.php

Saturday

Sunny, with a high near 85. North wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east in the afternoon.

Surface winds 8 mph decreasing to 5 mph east northeast.

HRRR 3, 2 PM:

Updraft velocity: 600 fpm

TOL: 5,000’

Wind TOUL: 8 mph, east northeast

B/S: 9.8

Surface winds 5 mph east northeast

Cu’s unlikely.

The task:

A 15 kilometer exit circle around Center Hill.

The flight on-line:
https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:davisstraub/27.4.2019/17:30

https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/ranking-hg-national:US

http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/2257915

http://wxc.fai.org/module.php?id=22&date=20190428&gliderclass=hg1

The narrative:

The idea is that we would fly west to get away from the lake effect with the
northeast wind to the 3 km turnpoint around the Gross airfield. Then back east
to Center Hill against the east wind. There is a 15 km exit cylinder around
Center Hill so you have to get anywhere outside it to get this next waypoint,
then back to Center Hill before heading back to Wilotree Park.

Again pilots were reluctant to launch until they saw a few pilots in the air,
and some of the pilots did launch in their original order. When the launch
organizer when around again calling upon us to launch, we all launched in our
order.

The lift was indeed suppressed by the lake effect and I didn't find anything at
first. Then I drifted down wind to the Mickey Mouse lake and with the help of
the "locals" skimming over the lake, I found 200 fpm that took me to over
4,300'. And then after every one joined me we went over and found another
thermal to 4,300', but this was 8 minutes before the start window opened and
with a 7 mph east southeast wind.

Unfortunately I lost a bunch of altitude when this thermal gave out and was down
to 2,800' at the start which put me in a bit of a deficit. Others had managed to
stay near 4,000'.

Managed to find 200 fpm over Mascotte and was soon back to 4,200'. I could see
the lead gaggle ahead and we found reasonable lift going west toward the Gross
airfield, at one point averaging over 300 fpm, and getting to over 4,000' so
even though I was behind things looked good.

Three kilometers from the Gross turnpoint I came over the lead gaggle. I found
the better lift and they all came in under me. I was back in the game.

As I was on top I lead out to the turnpoint, but instead of heading to the east
north east headed back toward where we were previously climbing. This turned out
to be an error as the guys that were below me were now above me climbing up
over a small fire that was now to my north. I quickly got over there but now I
was on the bottom instead of on the top. It took a while to center the
smoke thermal from 1,800' but I was finally in the 300 fpm core to 3,900'.

South of Bushnell I climbed to 3,800' but only at a little over 200 fpm. I
hadn't caught up with the lead guys yet. I saw a few pilots further north higher
and turning but didn't go to them thinking that I would find lift to the east
toward Center Hill That was my second mistake.

The lift along the east/west highway going to Center Hill was very weak. The
first three thermals: 140 fpm, then 50 fpm, then minus 22 fpm. Leaving the last
non-lift at 1,600' I thought for sure that we were going down. At 600' AGL as I
looked at fields to the north for landing opportunities as we were over
intensively farmed nurseries, we found 225 fpm that took us to 3,800' drifting
back at 5 mph.

This made it possible to find lift to 3,100' at 284 fpm just before Center Hill.
I headed northeast and found 100 fpm then 180 fpm over a very small fire which
got me to 3,600' over the forested area on its southeast corner. A kilometer
further north Jeff Chipman and I had the help of two bald eagles as we climbed
to 4,300' at 250 fpm.

I went further north past the Florida Turnpike to get past the edge of
the 15 kilometer exit cylinder. The wind was 5 mph due east. Coming back from
outside the cylinder around Center Hill I started at 2,400'.

Down to 1,700' I found 240 fpm just east of the prison. As I drifted over the
prison I climbed to 3,900'. I hoped that they didn't think that I was going to
drop anything.

Heading south directly across the center of the forest I found a couple of
thermals to get me to the south side, north of Center Hill. There I found 190
fpm to 3,900' at 5:49 PM. After that it was a 12:1 glide for 11 kilometers into
a 6 mph head wind to one of the most beautiful and friendly landing fields near
us, but 4 kilometers short of the chicken coops where I hoped to get back up.

Raul would land at goal about 5 minutes after as the last one to make goal.