Gordon Rigg () writes:

Here in the UK the big news is it has been raining heavy for over a month with no let up. Thousands of people are flooded out of their houses in Yorkshire particularly in Doncaster, Sheffield and Hull - also areas in the south west along the river Severn and parts of Wales. Scotland (usually the wettest bit of the UK) seems to have escaped most of it.

Our UK based series of competitions ended up with only two tasks scored out of a possible eight days flying so we arranged to run some extra days over two possible weekends, the first of which was also washed out. On the weekend of July 7th and 8th we got a change, and despite that fact that it was still raining heavily on the Friday cloud base was over 5000ft with a brisk west northwest winds at Merthyr Common (the classic Welsh slag heap come rubbish dump hang gliding site).

John Aldridge was away so Kathleen Rigg set the task at 177km to Milton Keynes via one turn point to keep us out of airspace. This was at least thirty degrees off the brisk wind, to avoid controlled airspace south of the course line. As it was, it was very good for those who got going early but sea breeze up the Severn estuary made it difficult for those who chose a later start time.

Three pilots made the goal. And we believe it was a new UK flight to goal record and the longest competition task ever set on UK soil. Dave Mathews won the day and Will Greenwood and Justin Needham (who discovered he had unfortunately just missed the turnpoint) made goal, http://www.rogallo.co.uk/bhgs/sewales/t3res-07.htm Next day two pilots made the 70 km goal dodging heavy showers with Dave Mathews second to Graham Phipps. Results are at http://www.rogallo.co.uk/hotnews.htm.

Unfortunately no track logs.

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