http://ozreport.com/2007santacruzflats.php

The forecast was for south winds turning later (5 PM) to west or southwest. The local ground forecast had a large margin of error at 5 - 15 mph south southeast winds turning west southwest. No one was going out on a limb on that forecast. The call for possible gusts to 23 mph seemed strange as there was no chance of over development or any clouds at all for that matter.

The top of the lift forecast was down to nine or ten thousand feet, which would indicate it might be even lower given that the forecast the day before was 14,000' and we mostly never got about 6,000'. The lift was supposed to be 100 fpm lighter than the day before, which didn't bode well.

We discussed a number of tasks and the pilot chose to go to the northwest and back in a box shape to get around the irrigated areas. The idea was that the south wind would help us go north and work against the west component of the wind. The wind wasn't supposed to go due west until later, which would help with the return leg.

I was off third after Jeff and Scott and there was lift right away. Russell took me right into a thermal and I climbed out at 250 fpm to 3,500' AGL. It look like it would be a doable day.

Scott and I pushed into the wind to the southwest and I found a little less than 200 fpm three kilometers to the west of the tow paddock over the culvert factory (I was looking for dark ground, like asphalt). Scott, Jeff, Dustin, Chris and Jonny came in under me and we climbed up to 3,400' AGL.

Still on top Scott said let's go into the wind again to get nearer the edge of the start circle. I figured why not, we could get back if we needed to. I went for the dark feedlots, then the dust in the air over the alfalfa fields, then the bit of lift at 200' AGL before I landed. Scott came back and landed next to the culvert factory.

Others were clever enough to stay together. Jeff, Dustin, Jonny and Chris headed southwest and found lift from low on the south side of I8. The lift was strong there and they were able to get to 6,000' MSL. But for Jeff and Dustin that was the last good thermal and they (and many others) went down by the first turnpoint, a turnpoint that was just 4.5 kilometers outside the start cylinder.

Jonny and Chris held on and headed northwest against a 15 mph west wind. It was hard slogging. There was a small range up ahead that if they could just get upwind of it they could surf it to the north for a chance to run out and get the turnpoint.

After a few attempts they decided that they could make it back to the Grand Francisco without getting the turnpoint. Chris came zooming back and Dustin couldn't believe how fast he got there. It was only later that the jig was up. Jonny landed a little short in the tow paddock.

http://naughtylawyertravels.blogspot.com/

http://jonnydurand.blogspot.com/

http://hang6.blogspot.com/

http://canadiannationalteam.ca/blog

http://scottgravelle.blogspot.com

http://www.mullerwindsports.com/subpages1/subpage/endless.html

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