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

The forecast called for the overcast skies to clear up a bit and the wind to blow out of the west then southwest at 15 to 20 knots. With the top of the lift supposedly rising from 3,200' at 1 PM to 5,000' at 5 PM, we figured we might as well go flying.

We have goals directly to the east, but as this is a thin peninsula they aren't that far away. Still I should have at least called a task to the east maybe with a turnpoint due east out 30 km and then a cross wind leg somewhere else. But with the wind forecasted to be southwesterly later, I came up with a task to the north northeast. Bad choice.

I was off first just as the sky got clear and worked poor light lift in strong winds until I found strong lift at the end of the runway as I was coming back for a reflight. I held onto this lift for the rest of the flight, drifting and circling constantly. Larry Bunner, Paul Kelley, Kraig Coomber, and a few others came over to my thermal and we all hung out together for most of the flight.

The drift took us way east off course line and toward Delaware Bay. We just kept hanging on not getting much higher than 2,000' over the ground, and spending lots of time lower than that in zero or minus sink.

Finally, Kraig and Paul drifted further back to the east and stay up while Larry and I headed back to the west to try to get closer to the course line. This put us down. Kraig and Paul drifted further away then made a quick glide to the north to keep out of the airspace at Dover and landed.

Meanwhile Lauren Tjaden launched late and hit at good thermal just outside the start circle, got higher than anyone else at 3,400' and went on glide to the north to get fourth for the day. Kraig won the day with a flight of 21 km (along the course line), Paul was just behind him. Sunny Venesky stayed closer to the course line and was in second.

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