Thursday, July 16, 2009

Pre Europeans Day 5

We woke up to clouds low in the valley and when we arrived on takeoff at 12pm clouds were still below us. We were told that it would be a great day so they set a 126km race task. The task took us over many beautiful places as we had 4 turnpoints before landing back in Villamatana. Some of the Beautiful terrain we crossed today. I had a bad start with most of the top pilots apart from Primoz who started on the mountains with a gaggle of about 40. It took me half the course just to catch up to the lead gaggle. I was on top of the gaggle between 2nd and 3rd turnpoint and was pushing hard trying to make a break. It did not seem to be working as they guys that were hanging back just kept coming in higher above me. As we rounded the 3rd turnpoint I was below a handful of guys and I pushed hard and fast along the ridge. I got a good limb of 3m/sec which caught me up to them. When the joined me I left and raced off down the ridge and found a 4m/sec thermal. Blay was the only one to follow me and we climbed high and left them behind. We dove out for the last turnpoint and got drilled and after rounding the turnpoint we had to dive back low on the ridge. We were much lower than we wanted and I got a bubble that blay was unable to circle in. I climbed up above the cliff and some of the guys that hung back came in below me and above Blay. I climbed til I reached my final height and dove for goal. I could see Primoz who had hung back got really high and he flew straight for goal. He was low 6kms out from goal climbing when I went passed him on final. I won the day in a time of 2hrs 37min and Primoz was 2nd nearly 4 mins later with Blay about 1 minute after him. It will be close scores at the top now probably only 50-60 points separating the top 4. Tomorrow looks like it could be the last day as the weather is supposed to get windy. Here is todays video.