http://ozreport.com/ozweather.php

The results are up at the soaring spot: http://www.soaringspot.com/nswst2008/

The forecast was for south east winds going northeast, light with cirrus and then cumulus clouds, perhaps a shower.

When we get up to the hill at 11 AM, the only wind is coming up the northeast launch, and then it is mostly from the north, almost 90 degrees to launch, right down the ridge line. Not too many people are happy to have to be on this launch. We'd all rather be on the west side, but it is blowing over the back there.

The general situation is that it should turn later to the west side as the sun goes over to that side, but that will be after 2 PM or so. The task committee (including yours truly) make a big error in not calling the day later, and getting everyone to go over to the west side to the safer launch. As soon as we call the task for a 2 PM to 2:45 start window, almost every one sets up, anticipating that they will have to launch on this side to make the start gate.

We wait around, which is not good, as it can only get worse. Then one novice competition pilot launches and sinks out. Then Jonny and Dave Seib launch and sink out. Jonny says this is the first time he has ever sunk out at Mt. Borah. Dave does in a downtube on landing and has to go back to Manilla to get another one.

The launches are harry with long runs and often the wind is sideways. A few more get off after they see a paraglider getting up way out away from the hill over in the valley. Scott Barrett, Cameron Tunbridge, Jon Durand, Sr., and Len Paton all get off the hill. They are able to get up and get pretty high as a few other pilots launch and land in the bomb out.

Finally I slip back into line after declining to launch after Jonny goes down. I take off in dodgy conditions with nothing coming in. After a run that was perhaps a bit too short I take off and start flying, but not fast enough. I am heading for the hill side below. Just before I crash into it I push out hard and slow down enough to keep from killing myself.

This ends launching on this side. No one wants to launch here any more. Everyone packs up and moves to the west.

I patch up and clean out the cuts on my shins and knees, pull the broken and bent down tubes off the glider and join my fellow competitors on the west side. The last launch time is coming up soon. I pop the new down tubes on, and with help from Kari Castle get ready to launch, after the last start time. The wind is coming up the west side nicely, but there are launch potatoes spread out all along the launchable area. I find a slot and take off in good conditions.

I'm off seventeen minutes after the last start window (3:02 PM). No time to spend any time in the start circle getting high without having it count against you. The guys who got up on the east side have started the task an hour previously.

Jonny got back up and launched from the west side, just before the second start time at 2:14 PM. Dave Seib launched at 2:41 PM. Four minutes before the last start time.

Jonny got the last start time six minutes late, spending 41 minutes in the start circle. Dave Seib spent 32 minutes in the start circle and headed out on course 29 minutes after the last start time. I spent 16 minutes in the start circle and headed out 32 minutes behind. Neither Dave nor I started high. I was the lowest.

Jonny went straight down the course line, over Lake Keepit, getting high before he got to the lake, low at the first turnpoint at the towers, down to 2,400' AGL, then super high, over 8,500' and staying high until just past the last turnpoint where he went on glide from 7,500' AGL going at over 110 km/h as he arrived uncharacteristically high at 1,400' AGL. His actual time on the course was 1:25:40.

Dave Seib flew the course in 1:37:07. The winners for the day (who started at the first start time) flew the task in 1:40. Dave flews fast low and did not get high until past the first turnpoint.

Cameron Tunbridge won the day, with Bruce Wynn right behind him, followed by Jonny, Scott Barrett, and Jon Durand.

I flew the course in 1:28:34 consistently finding good lift and staying between 4,500' and 7,500'. Like Jonny I went on glide just past the last turnpoint, but I had to climb in a good thermal there, while he was already high by the time he got to the turnpoint and could just go on glide. I glided in at no more than 90 km/h. Jonny's is the fastest flight of the day and mine is second to him.

Twenty five pilots made goal out of sixty two that are here. This is very high attendance.