16 April.
Weather: Blue day with 20Km easterly winds.
Task: NNE 57Km to Diamons and d then WSW 49Km to Warra.
The first blue day at Dalby and with winds a bit stronger than forecast, it made for a difficult day.
Towing started for the main launch at 11:30 and with slow climbs to 3000ft, an early start was a bonus. The thermal strength increased above 3000ft but they drifted to the west and pilots who got too far downwind, had a fight to get back upwind to the windward side of the start circle to get in the best position for a start and a cross wind leg to the first waypoint.
Those pilots in the lead gaggle at 6000ft found good thermals for the first 20Km on the way to Diamons. But progressing further on, the terrain became very green and thermals very had to find.
Unfortunately with the wind strength up to 25kph and the weak thermals around Diamons pilots going too fast paid the price and found themselves landing short of Wpt 1. One Pilot made it to goal and that was Niles Vesk, making it in a time of 3hrs 22min and putting Niles into first position overall.
Guy Williams had the best day of the Kiwi team coming 8th for the day and Hagen 10th.
Geoff Robertson was the only other pilot to get around Wpt 1, landing 30km short of goal
Lisa’s Log: The girls flew 45km downwind to Warra planning to give all the pilots who made it to goal a warm welcome. Niles got it all.
Captains Flockhart’s Log: On a blue day Always take the climb to the Top otherwise you will end up in Deliverance country.
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