Thursday, April 26, 2012

Flytec Race and Rally 2012 - Day 4

Day 4 Task


Day 4 started at Quest with a 90km triangle south then north and back to Quest. The ordered launch was the same as the day before, but the lines shifted which put me in the middle. It was another blue sky day and it didn't take long before a death gaggle formed in the start circle. I laughed as an Eagle angrily flew upstream against 50 gliders turning the opposite direction than him. I took the first start with a big group of people and tagged the first turn point after two short climbs. The group splintered on the way to the second, but I did a good job of hanging with a smaller gaggle. I took my turn leading out glides when I was on top, knowing full well that the faster guys would catch me. After the second turn point we got really low, but there were enough of us to bag a good climb back up above 5000'. I took that climb a little higher, which turned out to be a good call because I entered the wrong radius for the last turn point. It meant I flew about 1.4km past the cylinder before I turned around, but I used the extra altitude to catch everyone. It took a few more climbs to get Quest within glide. My instrument wasn't giving me numbers to goal because it never thought I tagged the third turn point and I didn't know how to advance to the goal (second time flying with it). The good news was I was with a fast group filled with talent. I navigated visually and did my best to keep up and fly fast. It worked and I made goal just behind Paris, Joe, Edoardo, and Glen. Time was 2:12:47 it looks like I'm 13, which is a first top 20 finish. Stoked!!!! 

The Phoenix at Goal

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