Task 4 - 100km
Today we had stronger thermals and higher cloud base than yesterday and therefor a slightly longer out and return task to the south. A big start cylinder was set about 1km south of the takeoff.
Thermals proved to be quite cyclic and only five minutes to the air start a bunch of pilots, including myself, were back at takeoff altitude. But as the clouds got thinner and the sunlight reached the black mountain top we cached a strong climb which took us back to the gaggle.
Soon after the start most the pilots were together in a big gaggle on the way south. Most of the escaped pilots found themselves low soon and were cached by the group. Some pilot‘s including Michael and Torsten Si(e)gel managed to pull away at after half of the outbound leg.
Aaron and Myself were well placed in the more and more stretched main gaggle.
After the turn point the light NE winds and some shades formed two new groups. The leading Pilot‘s decided to fly east to follow a ridge while the main group with about 70 Pilot‘s stayed on the shortest route.
Aaron, Torsten and Myself pushed hard in the straight line and were able to overtake the leading group about 10km before the speed section.
Aaron and Myself finished about 1 minute after the first pilot Maxime Pinot.
Martin Scheel on Sunday, 22. January 2017, 22:45