Badger in goal for USA on task 3

It was an ambitious 100+km long task today but with the upslope cycles of wind in the morning and blue sky visible, we hoped it would stay sunny enough all day to climb fast and glide fast. It sorta was. 

As it turned out, the sky shaded at the start and slow climbs gave way to nice climbs with sun still peeking out in places. 

Before the start 

Pre start gaggling. 

The start was spread out along a long radius arc, some in the mountains and some on the foothills with some more over the flats. I loved my start and showed up in good position for the first climb at the end of the mountains. 

The first turn point forced us into the valley, but climbs to cloud base were there and most everyone styled high there and on the way to the next turn point. 

As we crossed the flatlands in the valley and just started to meet the rising terrain, many stayed on the north side and slowly climbed up and over to the spine leading to the cylinder in what felt and looked like full shade. Some were established on the sun line of the clouds to the south of the high ground and it seemed to work there too. Maybe better?

I was behind a bit and forced myself to leave some weak lift and follow some bold pilots who dove in deep over the expansive forest below, to a point that had just pulsed earlier and was one of the few spots within glide that was in full sun. We connected with a swirling, lumpy and disorganized ripper of a thermal that drifted us to the north as we all struggled to hold on to it. Eventually we topped it out near the cloud and jammed on full bar to avoid whiting out and to make better progress. 

It seemed like from this height, a high speed glide on a line directly to the cylinder was in order. What I noticed too late was that others had eased to my right for a more buoyant line, leaving me low with a few others who took the sun line from the south. Those pilots higher and behind me tagged the point and the somewhat reversed their path to a climbed that beamed them to base while I and a few others were trying too eek out a glide in total shade to a spot ahead that was feeding those in the climb I missed. 

I noticed one pilot had already landed with his wing bunched up on the ground and another just 100 feet below me landed just minutes later. From my perspective I knew I had to make it to the fields that were just ahead in sun but now were starting to shade. 

Thankfully another two pilots arrived as I started turning in light lift. Eventually it would take us from 200 feet off the deck, back to cloud base and back in the game. We tanked up, and aimed at the big dark cloud at the end of the range taking it to the top before crossing the flats toward the last turn point where half way there we could see the lead gaggle stuck and circling in light lift over a small town. I wasn't going to make it to them on my glide and noticed some others off course line to the left in light lift too, only it was drifting quick and I had to decide how best to get there. I opted to go towards the sun spot on the ground but it turned out that the thermal feeding their climb had come from somewhere else, and I was to low to change my mind, and committed to the sunny fields near the next small village.  I landed there. 

Behind me the lead gaggle stayed together and drifted towards the few that I missed in a climb and eventually the gaggles merged. 

I packed up, pushed my spot and texted the retrieve that Rob was on the way in our team van. 

What?!!

Soon after my phone rang and Rob said that Josh, Arnie and Nick were all on the ground near me and that he was on the way. To pick us up. 

Take me with you, Badger! The gaggle took a patient LONG time but eventually drifted and climbed to base at the final turn point and I watched as the armada floated overhead in a silent formation. 

That left only the Badger to get us into goal and so he did! Our adopted Canadian representative Brett Hazlett also made it into goal. Im guessing there were 50 pilots in goal. Bravo!

The Badger!

Bret sorting gear under the Shambala tent as Arnie blogs before even arriving back to download the GPS and check in. Nice!

Disappointing day for many of us, but we are stoked for Eric and Brett. Off to dinner now. 

Cheers!

Marty

Day cancelled today, Thurs. July 18

We were told to take a leisurely trip up the chair lift this am. Cloudy morning skies were supposed to clear, which at times they did, but the sun could not heat the valley and the hill enough to block the north wind. So we sat in our inflatable chairs in the shade of our tent and waited. We finally got a task and entered it in our instruments.

The time to launch came and the task was postponed.  The new time came and the task was changed.  The new task was pushed back several times until finally canceled late in the day. 

Many pilots opted to leave their gliders on top. It took quite a while to get everyone down. 

 

Surprisingly a few gliders were able to launch, including a tandem throughout the day, some even climbing to the clouds while we all sat knowing there was little chance of safe launching conditions for the entire 150 of us sitting on launch. 

Rob our USA team leader extraordinaire and x-pat Richard Pethigal (now a Brazilian citizen who competed in the X-Alps last time) telling stories and killing time. 

Up at the top of the hill, now loosely known as the American camp, kites were being flown by locals in the wind that was flowing over the back. 

 The view on the way down was lovely, but skies like today are hard to watch and not actually fly in. 

Wish I had my mountain bike for the beautiful trail below. 

At the bottom of the lift, beer and bratwurst were plentiful and many stayed a while and enjoyed the food, drink and conversations under shade trees on the picnic tables there. 

The good news is, we are ready for tomorrow, and have another home cooked meal tonight that we definitely won't be late to. Last night's meal inspired us to have Ana, our house host, cook every night from now on.  Unless we get home late and have to fend for ourselves outside of this little paradise we call our home, for now in Sopot, Bulgaria. 

Can't tell you how happy that makes me!

Have a nice breakfast, everyone at home in the USA. We will definitely enjoy our dinner. 

Cheers,

Marty 

Task 2. Josh 3rd in goal!

Hi sports fans!  Nick and Eric and Josh were leading the charge while Arnie and I were playing catch up on a late task after waiting on launch for hours in the wind. Josh came in 3rd  followed by Arnie and Eric and me. Nick should have been in the top 5 but got drilled and landed just short of goal after tagging the end of speed section. Props to Nick as he was in front all day.  Way to go Josh!!  Way to go team!

Yours truly killing time after making goal in my first Category 1 meet. 

Team USA is back in the game!

Gotta go, more later if I am still awake after another delicious home cooked meal at our house.  Ana is spoiling us with her cooking!

Cheers!

Marty 

No day 2 today

The morning started quiet, then barking dogs broke the silence. This was later replaced by jet fighters doing maneuvers to the south. It sounded like an air show but they flew too low to the terrain to be seen from our rented house. 

The forecast is for stronger wind, more moisture and weaker climbs. So we will certainly have our work cut out for us today. Everyone seems ready, in a great mood and happy. Go TEAM!

Update: (the above was before leaving the house) today is cancelled for a task, though they are allowing free flying later with no retrieve or rescue services. 

Calling off the day. Local weather seminar this evening. Hot springs for those who are interested. Gear tweaking opportunity for many. 

Checking lines has been a big deal here as it is possible to be selected for a line check after landing in goal. You and your team captain are transported to headquarters and they perform the check.   If you are out of trim (slow) they will tell you and if you are out of trim (fast) you will be penalized. 

To make sure we are within tolerance of trim, Arnie, Eric and Josh were working on a laser line checker here at the house. 

Josh holding the laser at the end if the line where it mets the canopy, and aiming it at the target on the other end where the risers are attached. 

Arnie manually entering data (measurements) called out by Josh for each line. 

The target for the lazer is on a moving track attached to a 5 liter water bottle in the back to provide consistent tension.  It took all day to measure, enter the data and then interpret the lengths and make corrections for Josh and Eric on their Boomerang 9s. I'm not sure if Arnie worked on his or not. 

I heard there were some Slovak pilots at headquarters who were doing line checks for 50 euros. I had them do my Icepeak 6 (23) and they found that my wing tips were slow, yet symmetrical.  Not a bad thing, easily correctable. Pete has the same glider and loves his as do I with mine. 

This is the back of the target looking toward the glider being checked. 

Peter was helping the other guy (whose name i didn't get) who was doing all the measuring. They had a blue tooth lazer that entered the measurement automatically to the laptop on the table next to the target. They already had the spreadsheet for all current gliders and it would populate the spreadsheet as fast as he could shoot the beam to the target for each line measured. 

When finished measuring, they would both discuss the results and agree how to trim it to make it within spec for fast neutral or floaty (slow) all within legal tolerances. 

They were very pleased with the overall tolerances and trimmed the lines to be spot on trim. I was not the first in line so I watched 3 or 4 gliders get measured and trimmed before me, and I was very impressed. It turns out they do line checks for Nova paragliders, and are real pros. 

The checking of the final trim lengths on my wing after trimming at the quick link of the risers. 

Notice the extra looped part of the lines where they attatch to the quick link. Extra loop on the middle lines and double loop on the outside A-lines to speed up the tips.  It worked great on day one. I can rest assured my glider will pass if checked now too.  Priceless. 

7:30 tonight iwe are having dinner prepared for us at the house by Ana the host. This should be a real treat. I love the food here. Fresh vegetable salads (surprisingly little or no lettuce) with ham, cheese hard boiled egg etc. Entrees include  lean chicken, pork or beef or fish and sized to fill even ME up. Nice. 

Tomorrow is another day. We will charge then. Weather is as weather does?  

Tune in for task 2, hopefully soon. 

Cheers,

Marty

Day 1!

It was windy all last night so it looked great this am with light wind forecast and puffy clouds in the sky.

We took the early  lift to launch and set up our shade tent thanks to Rob. The sky clouded over and we wore all our flying clothes to stay warm while waiting for the 2nd group to come up.

Eventually some sun came out and 65 km task with 3 turn points was called. By the time the start rolled around it shaded hard, forcing those who launched early to land and the rest of us to wait 45 minutes after the official start to finally launch into slow climbing giant gaggles. It was spectacular. 

Eventually we got to cloud base at 7000 feet or so and pushed east along the range to the first turn point.

The gaggles split up and I was behind the leaders as they tagged the first TP and groveled back under me as I cruised to get it myself.  The gaggle split again and some flew to the valley to the next TP. The rest patiently climbed back to base and Arnie and I were were among them. The gaggle unwisely chose to retrace our path back and we flew into shade and everyone scattered and landed. Turns out 25 or so made it into goal and they chose the valley for the whole flight. Maybe I wasn't with the leaders after all!??  Rob was there to pick us all up and rolled up to me and Arnie just as I finished packing. Nice!

Rumor has it I went the farthest today, a mere 600 feet farther than Arnie. Woo hoo!  Tomorrow is another day and I hope to make goal. Having the time of my life. Grateful does not begin to describe how I feel as I sit here chowing down with the team right now. Yum!

 Gotta finish my food, so hopefully more fun news tomorrow. 

Cheers,

Marty 

Opening ceremony

Having seen and watched opening ceremonies at other comps or on you tube, this one was similar in many ways.  The local traditional dancing was reminiscent of several other cultures but did not disappoint.  It was hard not to want to dance along with them as did most of the local and visiting children. 

Ladybug girl 

Our team sign and flag bearer lead us with all the others in the parade. 

Everyone was in a festive mood and the locals lined up along our path. 

The parade took us up to the chair lift station (about a mile walk) as the sun went down. Once there a circus troup with mimes and performers on stilts entertained us as we enjoyed bratwurst and fries with beer. 

Eventually the sky grew dark and the stilt walkers performed with fire and smoke. It was really enjoyable to watch. 

The windy forecast was all too accurate and the wind was blowing early the next morning, taking away our official practice day. The extra time we have had has allowed for pilots to put the required numbers on their gliders, put stickers on our helmets and tweak our gear. 

We have quite an assortment of animals living at our house we rented. There are two cats, one black, and one gold and white. Two small turtles roam free and a coop full of pigeons too. 

Thanks for tuning in. If the weather becomes flyable tomorrow we will start racing!  

Thanks for all the love and support. It's been really wonderful. 

Cheers,

Marty