Contest Day 2

“The fun thing about contests is you fly days when you otherwise wouldn’t leave the house.”

Early morning the general consensus was that we should be able to get in a contest day. But it certainly wasn’t a shoo-in and the grayish sky provided little encouragement. Nevertheless, we gridded at the normal time and sniffers Boris Kubrak [XA] and Gregg Leslie [SM] were sent up at 1215. They were able to sustain so the fleet was launched at 1230. No relights – a good sign! Both tasks opened with only a slight delay.

Leaving as soon the tasks opened was a key factor to success today as the better conditions were earlier in the afternoon. There were reports of 6kt thermals and 90mph+ runs on convergence lines up to Kingston and back. In general, thermals averaged 4kts but still had hot and cold sides, so some pilots just bumped through the lift rather than circling. Then the cloud cover thickened and the lift correspondingly dropped to 1-2kts at best. Everyone who finished the task was under time as just getting home became the priority.

All pilots landed back at the airport by 4pm, although there were a few “no finishes”. Ironically, not long after that the sun came out and the sky improved markedly. It was noted that a second attempt at the task was viable. No takers, though, as all gliders were disassembled ahead of Sunday rain.

Everything clicked for Erik Mann [P3] and he wins the day in the FAI Class: 53.28mph/132.86mi actual, 45.02mph/112.26mi handicapped. In Sports Class, Patrick Cernuto [OH] earns his first contest day win with 49.22mph/97.53mi actual, 45.50mph/90.17mi handicapped. Both day winners also moved into first overall in their respective classes.

We enjoyed another pleasant evening at the airport, dining on chicken and kielbasa. It is always a treat to watch the beautiful lighting against the Shawangunk Ridge as the sun sets.

Janine