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Tuesday, July 1st

The forecast was ominous. 47% chance of rain (in Gap, morning forecast). The XCSkies (which unfortunately doesn't show over development potential unlike BLIPMAPS and RASP) showed cumulus cloudbase all over the valley not just in the mountains like the last two days. The organizer's forecast said a real chance of thunderstorms throughout the region.

As we went up the hill to the launch at Laragne-Chabre (there was a forecast for southwest winds, so that would make the launches safer) we saw a cu-nimb explode way off to the southeast. Not a good sign.

Still it looked doable once we got on top and setup. The task committee called a task within the valley, trying to stay away from the mountains and the higher chance of cu-nimbs.

Launch conditions were good and I got off an hour earlier than the day before. There was plenty of lift and dark cu's over our heads at launch so it was easy to get to over 8,000'. You had to make sure not to go into the clouds, and again everyone was making sure that they didn't so that the organizers don't impose the height restrictions on us.

There was a cu-nimb to our west maybe fifteen kilometers away. We could see the rain and the lightening. But it wasn't moving our way very fast and we had plenty of cu's and blue sky around us. But, unfortunately, we had an hour to wait for the first start time.

The cu-nimb slowly got closer. The ground was shaded just to our west. Some folks flew over to the edge of the cu-nimb to check out the lift. There were plenty of clouds where we were  over Orpirre, and we could easily get to cloud base.

We were all reasonably high as the start window approached but a number of pilots had gone over to the edge of the cu-nimb to stay up in the stronger lift. When the window opened they were able to run fast and still not lose any altitude as they were under a general area of lift.

I found strong lift on the way to the first turnpoint ten kilometers to the north. I had to leave the lift after about three turns to stay out of the cloud, and then had to go around an area of lower clouds on the course line. By the time I could get back on course there were a bunch of pilots who started to the west ahead of me and higher.

Scott Barrett was over there with Carl Wallbank and others. Scott was defending his first place position making the first turnpoint within the fastest three.

The next area to fly to was the cauldron on our way to a turnpoint a little over twenty kilometers to the southeast. Scott again was among the first pilots there. I go lift over the cauldron and made up for lost time climbing high there in strong lift.  Jeff Shapiro was just below me, Zippy was out in front near Scott.

The rain was marching toward us from the west. As we headed out into the valley to get the second turnpoint across the valley, the shade came over the cauldron. The task would take us back to this area, and now it was looking bleak. Ali Gali, safety director, was on the radio talking with Scott, who was now at the second turnpoint. Scott was explaining to him how everything was fine where he was, and it was fine where we were just behind him.

A minute later Ali Gali was back on the radio and the task was stopped (the day cancelled effectively) and we were told not to go back to the campground LZ as there was a chance of a gust front there.

By the time I heard this information I was over the LZ, high, at 5,000', trying to get down as fast as possible. I could see the line of rain five kilometers away. I was on the radio to Nicole in the LZ. The wind was out of the south, light, away from the rain.

I was circling down hard. A few minutes later the wind has switched to the north from the rain. I dove harder. I had been the third one to the campground, but now pilots were coming in under me and landing. I was not getting down fast enough.

Down to 1,000' AGL I felt the air change temperature, becoming much cooler. I knew that this was not a good sign. Then on the radio came the words, the gust front is here. I was now finally falling out of the sky. I came in fast, but barely made it back to the landing zone as I had gone south in an attempt to get down faster.

The gust front was weak and twenty to thirty of us landed in it. Then the rain hit and we hid under our gliders.

Scott Barrett continues to hold onto his first place for six days in a row.