Brasilia Day 4
Today was looking better again so a 133km task with 5 turnpoints was set. There were many crosswind and headwind legs so an early start may have been a good choice. Andre and I decided to launch early as we had a 10km entry to the first turnpoint and we wanted to fly around the other side ro get upwind.
I got up high and headed out into the valley and it seemed a whole gaggle was following us with the same idea. There was a gaggle of about 15 or more at the 1st start and noone left they all turned back.
We waited for the next start and I managed to not be in the best position so I decided to wait and Andre turned around to join me. Most others started apart from about 6 of us. We finally started and glided all the way to the first turnpoint and hit a slow climb there.
Andre and I dove off onto the platau to some other gliders turning and hit a 2m/s climb. I left it early as we had been getting much stronger climbs and found a 3 m/s climb further along. 13kms out from the second we hit a boomer and a whole gaggle of us climbed up in a 4m/s climb to 2800m.
Just before the 2nd TP we hit another good one and topped out as we had a headwind leg of 21kms to the 3rd TP. I rounded the TP and glided a little to the right and got a good line and hit a another strong climb.
I managed to gain a little height on the guys I was flying with here and pushed on catching most of the starters in front of me. I rounded the 3rd TP not to far behind Betinho and Boca who were leading the pack.
I got slowed up near the forest and the others caught me back up again. We all then headed off and hit a climb under Betinho about 8kms before the 4th TP. We topped out there but not as high as we should of.
Once we did the 4th TP we had a long headwind glide which put us very low and we spent some time trying to get back up. It was getting late in the day now and good thermals were getting harder to find.
We all pushed low into the forest and I spotted a bird circling downwind so I headed there and called Andre over. We hit a 3m/s climb which got us back up to about 2500m. I was now just below Betinho with Andre and Nene below me a little.
We all glided off to the last turnpoint and hit a lot of sink. I went a little more upwind just before the turnpoint and hit a light climb which I called Andre back to. Nene and Michel were lower and hit a light climb downwind of the turnpoint.
I decided to leave my climb and get the turnpoint and then dive back in on top of Michel and Nene. This worked well as Andre and Hakan stayed and when the arrived into our thermal they were low.
Betinho and I left once the thermal died and Nene and others had to fly back headwind to get the Turnpoint. Betinho and I hit a 3m/s thermal and I stayed in it untill I reached 3000m.
Climbing out in my sexy Moyes Matrix Race.
It was now 5pm and I wanted to stay high as we still had a crosswind of 35kms to go. Betinho kept pushing and I just sat high and turned in any reasonable lift I could find. We both got low just before crossing the lake 13kms from goal.
Betinho found a light climb which was enough to get us into goal. I was second into goal behind Carlos who had gotten high before the 4th Tp unlike us and went past us without us knowing.
I will win the day 7 mins faster than Carlos and betinho will be 3rd about 20 mins slower than me. It was a very tough day and only Michel and Konrado were the last ones to make goal. Andre and many others landed about 15kms short which was easy to do at this time of the day.
I will move into 1st place and Andre will got to second and Betinho will stay in 3rd. The weather is improving everyday so hopefully tomorrow will be another good day.
Here is the video from the last 2 days.
posted by Jonny Durand at 8:52 PM
<< Home