Central California Soaring Association: April 29, 2023 -- Contest Day 1

April 29, 2023

Contest Day 1

WEATHER
Visibility:       Good.
Wind:             Maybe 10 knots at most on the ground.
Altitudes:       Not very high.
Time Aloft:    Very few ran the task.
Max Lift:        Not much.
Temperature: Warm.
Comment: Contest Day 01--Task called on account of weak lift, due to high, thin cirrus.
Tow pilot:   Karl Kunz in Pawnee, Brian Rouska in 150.

Today's task was set to take us North of Avenal into the San Benitos, do a lap on the forecasted convergence between EL2 and Wright, and then final glide into Avenal. We set a backup task B, which was a simple O&R to EL2. The start was a 2 sm cylinder around Black Mountain.

Morgan and I launched around 12:20 to sniff and found enough to sustain altitude to 3000' msl, so at 12:45, the fleet was launched, despite the increasingly thickening cirrus layer. The hope was to open the task around 2 pm, but even after all had been launched, the highest the valley thermals were reaching was ~3500' msl. Finally, around 3 pm, a handful of ships were able to pop above the inversion and get on top of Black Mountain. With only a few ships positioned to start together, I made the call to cancel the day. 20C, 16, 2T, 9, and ZY were able to complete task B (unscored), using soft blue convergence to make the jump between Black Mountain and EL4 where the first clouds were. After tagging the single turnpoint, the gliders on task took high final glide climbs around EL4. Most contestant's traces are posted on OLC/WeGlide.

Click on any of the pictures below to bring up a slideshow of full size images, without captions.

Day 1 Briefing (Time stamp is 1 hour slow).


Assembling the Grid

Some are energetic and push their gliders.

View from the back of the pack. (Photo courtesy of Valentin Mayamsin).

Grid is assembled and waiting for conditions to improve.

Zach getting ready to climb in. (Photo courtesy of Valentin Mayamsin.)


Front of Grid.

Waiting for conditions to improve.

Rickerd Walker with Philip Lee waiting to go.

Karl Kunz is ready to tow Morgan Hall in 5H, who is going out to "sniff around."

Morgan in 5H.

Brian Rouska doing his first tow in a contest.

Zach Yamouchi also going up to "sniff" the air.

Zach on tow after taking a lap around the field.

Rest of the grid waiting, hoping to hear a good report.

Evan Simmons in Contest 3 on the roll.

Evan on the go.

Philip Lee in Contest 8 on the roll.

Philip on the go.

Thomas Greenhill in 16 waiting for slack to be taken up.

Thomas on the go.

Thomas in 16.

David Greenhill in Contest 9 on the go.

David on the go.

Peter Deane in 2T on the go.

Peter in the cockpit.

Fast working ground crew get Niv Ievy in 20C hooked up.

Niv is on the go.

Niv in the cockpit.

Karl Kunz smiles waiting a few seconds for the next glider to get hooked up.

Richard Walker seemed to get the envious task of making the connections to CG hooks.

Alex Neigher in 4B.

Chris Odonnell and the ground crew are waiting.

Chris is now getting hooked up.

Chris is on the go.

Britton Bluedorn in BB getting hooked up.

Britton on the go.

Wyll Soll gives a thumbs up to the camera while patiently waiting.

Wyll is on the way now.

Wyll in the cockpit.

Christopher Dowell in D1 getting hooked up.

Christopher on the go.

Valentin Mayamsin in HV patiently waiting.

Valentin on the go.

Kathy Fosha in OF getting hooked up.

Kathy is on her way.

Steven Wertheimer in SV on the go.

Steven in the cockpit.

David Krautter in Y3 patiently waiting.

Valentin in HV thermaling.