The 2009 National Sports Class Competition has kicked off today with a good solid day of flying.
We have 7 competitors, with a couple only doing a few days due to other commitments. All are flying PW5s except for Robbin in the Ka6. A few turned up for practice day yesterday, which was an even better flying day than today.
This morning we woke to a not-very-promising sheet of cloud covering the Waikato, Finn the task setter optimistically giving a 51 to 49 percent chance of flying, in favour of flying. That one percent of optimism was worthwhile however, around 12:30 we were ready to launch with wisps of thermals starting around us, and good looking stuff in the distance.
Unfortunately we had no tugs. A slight flaw in the competition plan one might say. Tauranga's tug was on it's way still, and Piako's tug was away being fixed in Hamilton. Fortunately 10 minutes later they both turned up at the same time, and away we went.
Fin set a 158km 2.5 hour AAT distance task with 10km turnpoints, which turned out to be a good task. Everyone but one made it around, with Paul Schofield in GSB landed out at the second turn point.
All the way through the afternoon the high layer of cloud would block the sun, then partially break up, then reappear, just giving us enough convection to get some thermals working well. It wasn't too easy, and not too impossible, so everyone was happy.
Congrats to Maurice Honey for winning today's task for 1000 points, Tim Bromhead second with 935, and Robin Britton third with 781. Full results and a view of the task available on soaring spot.
Thanks to all those volunteers helping out with this contest, there are almost more volunteers than pilots, so it's really appreciated.
For anyone in Piako club, tomorrow's weather looks similar to todays, and there are 4 gliders available to fly, NI, XP, PK and PC. If you have QGP you're welcome to launch at the back of the grid.
Until tomorrow...
