The last two days

To say that I am exhausted would be an understatement. A few years ago, I remember doing 9 tasks in a row at the Flytec Championships in Florida. Conditions at that time were better and the tasks were a little shorter. This is the World Championships. This is where we go long and the wankers don't make it.

It is a humbling experience. After doing well at the Flytec this spring, I hoped to do well here. What I failed to realize is that every country brings their best. Some of the best aren't even here. The caliber of pilot is amazing.

3 days ago, they called a rest day. This was in the rules. It was also put to a vote, but it was a set up. The task committee set a 285km task on the day the vote was to be held. With people knowing they would not get back home until after midnight, it was a sure thing that we would have a rest day.

2 days ago, a "non" paragliding task was called with two turnpoints and a last leg into the wind. No one made it. Some were very close. I was behind at the start do to some poor planning. I left the start 6 minutes late but figured I could catch the stragglers. I did and then some.

Getting downwind of the first turnpoint, I flew 7 kms straight upwind to tag it. It wasn't a big deal as there was a marked thermal downwind of the turnpoint on course line. At this point, I was slowing down. The climbs weren't a problem, it was some high cloud that was shading the ground and cooling things off.

The next thermal got me to well over 3000 m (11,000 ft) and I went on glide. There was a group climbing on the edge of the shade and I went straight for them. It was the lead gaggle. Attila, Gerolf, Michi, Brett. I actually arrived higher than the top of the stack. I did 3 circles and realized that there thermal was dead. Everybody moved on. The group split. The shade was running NW to SE (course line was NNE). Half of us went NW completely off course line, while the other half went into the shade.

The sun did not work, neither did the shade. The shade however got people to the turnpoint and past while the people who went to the sun either missed the turnpoint or just got it.


Yesterday....
What a major screw up. Somehow I ended being one of the last few people to launch. There is a rule that says you can line up on launch 15 minutes before it opens. I moved out into the line at 7 minutes before... not early enough. I was still on the ground 20 minutes before the first start opened.

I got a crappy little climb over the airport that got me to 1800m. From there, about 5 of us went on glide to toward the start circle. It was a long glide and we finally found a climb at 1050m, basically 1000 ft off the deck. The climb was slow, but got us back to 1900m. But at this point, we were 1.6kms outside the start.

So I left the thermal and headed back into the 20 km headwind. Got the start on time, but after turning around, I was down to 999m before finding a climb. That is 600ft.

From then on, I was alone and the going was slow. I was afraid the day was soft, so I took every climb I could get. Half way down the course, I realized that the day was actually strong and picked up the pace.

Did a 27km final glide and kept having to speed up as the numbers got better and better. I ended up being one of the last few guys in goal. 5 Canadians made it. One didn't make it due to logistical issues.

I think the comp is over. Here is what we woke up to:


And this is what it is doing right now: