Let's take a look at the recent competition and see what what was going on and maybe what worked. You can look at all the IGC files yourself and see what was going on. Just go here: http://ozreport.com/2007santacruzflats.php and bring up the task results. You can download an IGC file for each of the pilots by right clicking on their names in the daily results and saving the resultant IGC to your hard disk.

First Task (http://ozreport.com/11.090#3):

No need to go out in front and expose yourself to all the risk.

I was with Jonny, Jeff, and Chris. We were at 7000'+ at the edge of the start cylinder as the second start time went by. We were working some weak broken lift, but were the leading gaggle. Still we were 3,000' lower than I had been 25 minutes earlier, so it was not looking as good as I would have liked.

I wanted to get going as the start time had already passed and the lift was weak and broken. I had an emotional voice inside of me yelling for me to get going. Rationally that was stupid. I needed to stay with these top pilots. I was high with them. But the emotional voice pressed on and overcame the rational part of my mind keeping me from concentrating on the broken lift. When I lost the lift I headed out in front alone.

Jonny left a minute behind me and had the advantage of watching me fall at 450+ fpm. I headed for a small range and drove up the top of the spine. I found 300 fpm and started climbing. Jonny a little above and less than a kilometer behind me, turned away from the spine (which he had also been following) while I started climbing (when he saw he getting slapped around).

Jonny found lift a short ways away from the hill, but I didn't see him less than a kilometer away and below me (as I was so focused on the lift I was in). Jeff had come in under me and was working the broken lift with me, but the lift was not the slightest bit pleasant. At 4,000' that emotional voice was having its way again with me and telling me to leave the lift. I headed the wrong direction, away from Jonny who was then less than a kilometer from me at my altitude.

I didn't find any lift after that and landed. Jonny went on to win the day. Because I lacked a good view of where Jonny was I wasn't able to overcome my fears of the bad lift and find Jonny who was in smoother lift. The little emotional voice was in command, not the rational self.

Second Task (http://ozreport.com/11.091#1) :

The key to this day was getting to the north of the course line while still inside the start circle. I did this, not by remembering or figuring out that this was the trick, but by following Jeff and Jonny. Throughout this tournament I had no problem getting up high and staying with Jonny, Jeff, Chris and Dustin in the start cylinder and on this day it was just us who are high.

Getting in the right position was key. The four of us headed out and found good lift while many others struggled in weak lift to the south. I followed Jeff at one point and we both got low, but I was above him and that helped and we worked together to get back up.

It was easy to stay in the next thermal as it was smooth and strong and only when I got to 11,000' did the fact that it was cold bend me toward leaving good lift. It was an emotional struggle again as we had seen Jonny and Chris leave a few minutes earlier for the turnpoint. Fortunately we got a bunch higher than they did and that helped calm the inner turmoil.

I was able to get the turnpoint and ignore all the good lift while on glide (except to slow down) and get back to the same spot to find that lift again. Sure that worked out as I got ahead of everyone, but I glided through some really strong lift that I should have turned in. Sometimes I just don't like the lift and have in my head a destination where I have to go before I turn. Not a great strategy.

I did find the strong lift again, but Jonny came in just over me, while Chris and Jeff came in way under me. The next lift was just past the next turnpoint, and Chris, who was quite a bit lower, found it. We all stopped to find the lift over him.

The lift was only 200 fpm and very broken up. Jonny made his error and after a few turns headed on. The rest of us decided to stay. Now in front of us was a stretch of irrigated territory and I did vaguely remember at that time that we had to avoid this area, i.e. get high first. So I hung on in lift I didn't like and didn't do well in, as Chris, Jeff and Dustin gained altitude on me.

Finally, as they caught up to me, the emotions again got the better of me and I left and headed out in front alone (Jonny was out there but unseen). This was misguided. Jeff and Dustin stayed in the lift and gained altitude on me. Dustin was just climbing a lot better and with more focus than I. I was out in front again with no one to help me or to judge my glide against.

On glide I did see a dust devil at the edge of a green field, but it was off the course line and I just didn't go off course line enough to actually get over it. Sort of half way between two bales of hay. Getting off course line, allowed the pilots behind me to catch me by taking a more direct route.

Dustin with his extra height, Jeff and Chris with their more direct line were able to get out in front of me. Their extra height made it so they didn't have to turn as much on the last bit of lift going into goal (Dustin didn't need to turn at all but made a mistake and did), so I was fourth only ahead of Jonny.

The major issue for me was the emotional irrational voice that kept insisting on getting its way. The rational parts of my mind just were not up to the task of arguing with this emotional part of my brain. This is my brain on hang gliding.

Discuss SCF at the Oz Report forum
   
 
 
del.icio.us