A 608km Racing Task
Today the weather was supposed to be a rip-roaring Nephi day. Well, the forecasters finally got it right. At launch the first competitors were having a hard time to climb so a slight pause was called for. Once the launch resumed it looked really good. But before we cover the day, we should tell you what happened on the rest day.
In the morning crews were busy getting the ships ready when we received an unexpected notification of a rest day being called. ZO was all set to fly and we were at a loss to what to do. On went the covers and plans were made to go to Park City with Team AG, Team 89, and of course, Team ZO. So, the seven of us and Bella (a very kind and gentle German Shepard) headed off to have lunch at Wasatch Brewery. Of course, we missed a turn and it took a little longer than necessary to arrive at our destination. Park City was rocking. The Monday after the 4th of July we were surprised at the number of people in the city. After a beer at a real dive bar, we had lunch outside in a very nice restaurant. Bella fell asleep at our feet and the conversation covered every topic except soaring. Looking down from our patio we saw our current leader, Sean Fidler, walking down the street. We said our hello’s and he headed out for a business appointment. Who said you can’t make money at a glider competition? Not ready to call it a day, we stopped at a resort on the way home. We could not believe it but every parking space was occupied but the bar/restaurant was closed. Now this was a state park and we paid to park. This became a $20 rest stop but it was a beautiful day. On the way to Nephi, I decided to take a short nap since Ted (Team 98/ZO Crew) was driving. Of course, Jeannette (Team AG Crew), took a photo of me sleeping with my mouth open and drool coming down my chin. It cost me a lot of money to have it deleted from social media. This is not the end of our day. We stopped by the Red Rock Brewery for a final beer before heading home. Team 89 Crew got a beer that fit a fellow competitor to a T. More about this latter. This is when we got notified that the entire Nephi valley had a power outage. As we finished our dinner it became evident that the hotel was going to be a hot mess. We adapted and overcame because we had a Marine in our presence. Mellissa got on the phone and got us a room at the Comfort Inn. It was off to Walmart to get PJ’s, toothpaste, and a toothbrush. Everyone got crazy outfits. I came home with a Star Wars Mandalorian set that had the baby Yoda on it. Mellissa got a set of PJ’s with a trailer on it. My crew Ted selected a Hawaiian shirt to sleep in. Everyone had a lot of fun! The next morning, we found out our hotel didn’t get power until 7:30am that morning. We definitely made the right choice.
The pilot’s meeting had stories of airport RV residents getting trapped because the gate was out of power and would not open. Luckily, John the tow pilot was able to open the gate manually. At the end of the pilot’s meeting, the combined efforts of Team AG, 89, and ZO presented Evan Luneman a beer bottle with wild flowers inside it. The beer had a Unicorn on the label and it was called Rainbow White. Evan is flying an ASW-27 in the 18 Meter Nationals and doing well. He took the ribbing in stride as any good sailplane pilot would.
Now, the race. The CD decided to separate the weak from the strong and set us out on a 608km Assigned Task. That did not seem bad until the task did not open until 1430. I really did not think that was possible but the task advisors were confident it was doable. It took a little bit for the good climbs to appear, but appear they did. A few gaggles formed due to the early weak climbs and a fake start seemed to break up the leeches that hung around the start line. Finally, we were off to the races. The first leg was pretty straight forward. Two lines over the high ground seemed the best. Unfortunately, I picked the wrong line and found myself 3,000ft below 9B after we were near each other halfway down the first leg. It seemed the left side clouds had better climbs and the cloud bases were higher. Rounding the first turnpoint we were faced with a line of clouds that kept us moving towards the third turnpoint. The third leg was a 200km fast, high cloud street that had everyone talking when they returned to the ground. To say it was fun is an enormous understatement! This is why I came to Nephi. Cruising at 17,000ft and getting overspeed warnings from my LX-9000, all I could see in my mirror was a big smile. This street took you abeam the 4th turnpoint and how you exited the street and made the turnpoint, separated the top competitors. The last turnpoint was on the top of a large hill and some found themselves below the edge of the high terrain. There were climbs but they were all in the blue. Final glide was another key leg that determined the top pilots.
At the end John Seaborn finished in third with Rick Indrebo in second. Andy Blackburn scorched the field with a 171.22kph (106.39mph) which has to be a record for a 600k+ task not on a ridge. Nice job Andy! With two days remaining Andy Blackburn moved into third place overall with 5496 points. Rick Indrebo continued his fine flying and is only 100 points outside first at 5517 points. Sean Fidler has been the most consistent pilot during the contest and it isn’t surprising that he is in first overall at 5617 points. Andy Blackburn has the fastest speed during the 18 Meter Nationals and is in line for the Charlie “Lite” Minner Trophy.
We have two days left in the contest and it is still a race. The top 5 are separated by less than 200 points and the CD has told us he expects to separate the best from the very good. I have never known Marshall not to live up to his word and I’m happy to be on the side lines to watch the race. So, stay turned, watch the tracks, and cheer on your favorite pilots. Sorry I was not able to post yesterday but my computer was at the hotel that did not have power. Until tomorrow, fly fast, stay high, and come home!
Best regards,
Rich Owen
ZO