Day 4 Recap

Club Class Day 4

Today’s soaring seemed better than yesterday however, with some pretty gnarly thunderstorms forecasted to blow up over the airport at 15:00, it made for a tricky task. Grid time was 1130 and unlike yesterday, it was soarable at that time. With about a 2-hour window to get a task in they gave a 1:45 Assigned Area Task. With the last launch at 12:20 and the task opening at 12:40, this gave everyone a fair and safe chance to complete the task. It was a fast and exciting day to watch from the ground! Most everyone left just about right as the gate opened and it is a good thing that they did because sure enough, right at 15:00, the storm cell developed right over the airport that would have made things certainly more interesting. From chatting with contestants after the race, everyone seemed to love it. The short and fast task coupled with the excellent weather (before the OD) made for an exhilarating 1:45. By 1530 everyone was on the ground and at the beer cart and chatting about how fun the day was. It was an excellent use of resources and expertise from the contest committee to not only get a day in but also have a safe day. The terrain can be quite dodgy, so pressing with impending weather can be done if handled carefully, which it was. Sylvia Grandstaff displayed the skill she used to win Region 10 last month at Waller, TX, to win the day at 112.8 kph, 105.8 handicapped. She was followed by Mike Westbrook in second and Tom Holloran in third. Gary Ittner still has a commanding lead, but second thru fourth places are tight, separated by only 49 points. With a lot of soaring ahead of us, it’s still anybody’s race. Tomorrow looks like another possible 500k day and with a very tight top 4, I for one, am excited to see how things shake out.

David McMaster