Bogong, reflections

A well run contest in a nice place with lots of socializing and fun when not flying (Mystic Hill)

Despite the fact that we had only four days of task flying out of eight and that one of those days was cut short due to rain, we still had some excellent conditions flying here and great fun flying.  I can't remember a contest that we've flown in this area where the lift was so consistent.  I remember lots of times in previous years struggling with weak conditions and having to be very careful not to land out.  This year the vast majority of pilots made goal on all the days but the last one.  You had to be fast, not just safe.

On the last day of the meet, I reported earlier that I went over to Mt.  Porepunkah with Lukas Bader.  We were the first pilots to get away from the launch and went by ourselves over to this area.  Lukas reported that after we got the first lift near the lookout there was no more lift there and he was surprised that I went way deep into the forested area looking for lift as it looked like there was no way out if I didn't get some.  I didn't find any lift, but was quite able to get back over the lookout and continue searching.

When I searched on the hill sides leading up to the lookout, Lukas spotted a cu five kilometers on the course line.  I was closer to the hill side and looking more for signs of lift below.  Lukas a few hundred feet above me was looking up and saw this cu and went for it.  Now we were just inside the start circle and it was half an hour to the start gate time, but it was possible in the rules to start on the task before the start gate opened, although Lukas had forgotten about this.  I knew this, but went back to get a new later start time, which would give me a better time over all (if I made goal).  This focus kept me from looking down the ridgeline to see the cu on course.

Lukas glided down to the cu, found light lift and stayed up while I slowly descended on the hillside.  Balasz came over and Lukas came back three kilometers to join up with him in really light lift.  Lukas still thought that he had to go back into the start circle.  When Balasz headed down the course line without going inside the start circle, Lukas figured that Balsz knew what he was doing and went with him.  He and Balasz flew thirty kilometers together before landing.

We had three very enjoyable days of flying here and when they weren't flying pilots were still enjoying themselves.  On the first day most of the pilots appreciated having a rest day.  On the second day, the task was cancelled before we went up the hill.  I believe that this was a mistake on Heather's part overvaluing "local" knowledge.  She was not familiar enough with the RASP model that I was using (not as the official weather guy at the Bogong Cup, but also as the default weather guys at Forbes) to use it to contradict the recommendations from Ollie and Phil Schroder and at least go up Mt.  Emu (as we did later) to check out the actual conditions.  Hopefully everyone learned a good lesson from that.

First task day at Emu launch.

Carol and Heather and their helpers in Mt.  Beauty (especially the president of the Chamber of Commerce) really get a lot of support from the local businesses, with many many free vouchers' for food, drink, and lodging for the winners.  This brings folks back for the next year.  This meet has more local support in actual freebies for pilots than any other meet that I am aware of.

This meet is in some ways more difficult to than the Forbes Flatlands, for example, because you have to make a decision in the morning about where to launch.  In Forbes you just point the tugs into the wind.  As I was calling the wind direction every morning for later in the day using the RASP, it was no problem.  Here, while I was calling the winds right every time, it still required a bit of judgment to know where to go given the little bit of uncertainty in the wind speed and direction.

I would bet that there is no chance of fires in the Victorian Alps this year.  It has rained and rained and rained for the past three days.  The mountains are not in anything like the conditions that they had been in over the last few years.  It has rained all morning today.  Cloud base is ground level at 2:30 PM.

We had an excellent prize giving last night with Jonny winning the two "big" Australian meets (and Canungra also).  So far the World Champion is just behind him.  He has won Bogong three times now, like Thomas and Oleg.  He and a few other pilots are off to New Zealand for a few local meets before the NSW State Titles in Manilla.  I'll be in Manilla also.

Corrinna won the Women's title once again.  She always gets a free room here at the Alpenhorn for winning the title, so she always wants to come back to the Bogong Cup and loves flying here.  Julia, the Russian girl who was a driver at Forbes (but flew there also, and did well, even if not in the contest), was hot on her tail.  Corinna had better watch out.

There was a fine musician playing at the Settler's Tavern after the prize giving.  Many of the pilots went there after dinner and had a great time dancing.  There seemed to be a lot more women around this meet than is normal for a hang gliding meet.  A number of them were pilots.  Let's hope that this continues.

I have already discussed with Heather and Carol possible dates for next year for the Bogong Cup and for the Forbes Flatlands (they need to coordinate their schedules and work around the Parkes Elvis festival on January 10th, 2009), We all had a pleasant after meet brunch at the Annapurna Winery on Sunday morning.

More reflections on racing and winning later.

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