Jim Prahl pulled me to the east to where I got to climb up quickly
to 7,300' all by myself. The problem was that it was still to too early.
Searching around I got down to 5,700' near the edge of the start cylinder as the
first start window opened. I headed back to find a way to get back up but don't
find it as other pilots did and climbed to 9,600'. I've got to start with the
second clock 4,000' below them.

Marcelo Mennin was right there suffering the indignity with me as we headed east
northeast to the 5 km cylinder around Signal Peak. There was plenty of 200 fpm
lift along the course line. I spotted a dust devil eight kilometers south of
this first turnpoint and went for it. It was well formed but only provided 150
fpm to 4,400'.

I spotted another dust devil just north of Casa Grande mountain while Marcelo
didn't get up well at the first dust devil and landed about five kilometers south
of it. This second dust devil got me to 5,500' at 330 fpm which made it easy to
get over the mountain.

450 fpm got me to 9,000' right over the top of the mountain. I was back in the
game, but I didn't know it.

I passed many of the pilots who were high at the start as I flew south of
Arizona City. I was at 7,100' and Jonny was at 4,000' as I passed him. I saw
four or five pilots gravelling low over Arizona City.

It was fifteen kilometers to the Sunland turnpoint and I got there with 3,500',
eight kilometers ahead of Jonny. There were a few straggly cu's nearby.

I made the mistake of working a bunch of light thermals while behind me the
previously leading pilots still eight kilometers behind found 600+ fpm to well
over 10,000'. I climbed to 7,500' at 340 fpm, but they were zooming past me and
on final glide.

I headed back to the mountain hoping to get enough altitude to make it back to
the Francisco Grande. Unfortunately the lift was much weaker at a little
after 4 PM and after much working back and forth I got to only 4,800' 
which left me 1.7 kilometers short of goal.