Task 3: (http://ozreport.com/11.092)

Don't leave your friends, especially when they are great flying locals.

Most of us leave at the first start time. This gives the three (Dustin, Jonny, and Jeff) who hang back in the start cylinder, the advantage. I and others left at the first start time because we were high and didn't want to wait around any more. Not very strategic, but an emotional decision. We'd had enough of hanging around and didn't want to risk waiting around more.

We got slowed down at the second turnpoint where the second crew caught us. But I got hooked up with Dustin at this point as we climbed fast and high in a strong thermal after making the turnpoint. The conditions had been weak near this turnpoint up to this point, and there were a number of pilots a little further up the course line but they all looked low.

I made the crucial error of leaving Dustin behind, when I should have just stayed with him. He was a little below me in the thermal, but he would have been great help in the next step. There is no reason not to get a little help and it is only the "thought" that I can do this on my own without any help that gets in the way of flying together. Dustin's strategy was to let all the folks out in front searchout the lift for him. He was hanging back.

I knew that Scott, Jeff and Mark were ahead of me to the north, but I also knew that they were low if getting up slowly. I went to them, focused on their location, and didn't pay attention to Jonny off to the left who was doing much better and Dustin, who was a little behind me. I landed not finding much lift after that.

Task 4: (http://ozreport.com/11.093)

I followed my betters and that was helpful getting me high once again at the start. Dustin had made the mistake of ignoring us doing well over town, and headed further north dragging the rest of the field with him, and getting everyone else (other than Chris, Scott, Jonny and I) low at the start. He was being fiercely independent (not pimping). Didn't work out.

Coming into the second turnpoint I have an emotional reaction to the broken and uncomfortable lift and don't stop in the thermal at the turnpoint (which I know about because I am in contact with Scott) that the other three pilots take to 8,000'. I'm able to recover from this error, but at a cost of twenty minutes and two places as Dustin and Jeff are able to catch me when I have to work weak lift.

Again, it is low level emotional reactions that get in the way of making the good decisions.

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