BP_Club_Class_Nationals18

Title says it all. Steady rain, we took the precaution of gridding in covers. BP came a sporting last yesterday. All we have to do is pay for the a/t retrieve, and the relight. Went off to Turweston to take the tug flarm for repair quote. Returned for Rat n Rice. Weather may be ok tomorrow. Crew out

No thunderstorms last night, but much more wind today and temps down to 21°C. BP grids with me today, not much quicker. By 9:30 a rather sporting 400km task out east was published and BP had marked her chart and loaded her Oudie. Briefing produced two more in addition the military published a surprise Notam Class D at Marham, and another a bit later also at Marham. The annoying thing is that they must have known about this days or even weeks before. BP is near the back of the grid today so I can relax a little. Then just before 1100, a rebrief at the front of grid is called with an instant fall back to Task C. BP only had to do a bit of colouring to redo her chart. The wind gets windier, and the EB28 self launches up hill. Turnpoints:Leighton Buzzard NE - Spalding - King's Lynn - Buckingham - Dunstable Airfield Task distance: 295.38 km BP launches at about 1240 and is milling about, the start gate has opened. BP is down to 1200 feet, so a relight is on the cards. Just

A bit cooler today, we both took some rehydration salts yesterday as there is a lot of sweating going on, some not too visible as it evaporates quickly. BP has her 2 litre waterbag, but seldom gets through 50% in flights of 5 to 6 hours, cockpit temps are high especially on the blue days she is flying in, so this is not really enough drinking. Short racing task today Speed Task A: 233.0km Lei Leighton Buzzard NE Wis Wisbech 33° 97.8 km Ely Ely 167° 30.7 km New Newport Pagnall 243° 77.3 km Dun Dunstable Airfield 150° 27.1 km Yesterday BP had a very fast run at over 100kph for 2 hours in just this area, today they are a sending them round Eley as well. BP is on the front row but had her chart and Oudie ready before briefing as the task was available at 9:30. AHA BP comes back from brief with a full house of tasks A to D. First launch not before 11 Task A. BP elects to lurk in the GWV. 15mins before we drive out only for thete to be a fall back to 1230 task B. Back to t

BP not slept well, so let her snotter on, took the covers off and moved to the grid which is the same as yesterday. As clever clogs crew prdicts BP is on row D. 3rd tug wave. Task is an AAT Lei Leighton Buzzard NE Gra Grafham Water 31° 46.2 km Oln Olney 241° 32.3 km Ban Banbury 259° 42.7 km Sto Stony Stratford 91° 30.3 km Dun Dunstable Airfield 135° 30.7 km Total: 177.81 km / 512.77 km (182.59 km) Distances are min to max, the figure in brackets is what you get going to all the points. The first area stops just short of Kings Lynn in the east and west of Hereford. Time is 4 hours BP is aiming for 320km to 350km. Crew busies himself with rat(atouille) for supper. BP returns from briefing in a bit of a mood as she is slooow at planning AATs and first launch was called for 11.00. Still she is in the middle of the grid so loads of time... Actual first launch at 1130 BP trundles off by 1255 The startline opens at 1236 max height 3800 QFE. Any higher and there is a r

Another hot day, but with a few bijou Cu scattered modestly about. Crew towed out to the grid, a different one from yesterday, to find that BP is now on row F rather than G, as she was yesterday. The grid is also a different shape. The Oudie needed the airspace updating for the day. Work work busy busy work work, and it is only 9:30. The pilot who had a tug rope strike and a fist sized hole in the canopy has had it patched and polished and is flying. Current day with task overlay. You may have to click on the grey button with 3 bars and select club http://clubclass.onglide.com/current-day.xml?class=club. BP disapears up the undulating field and down the other side only to reappear still behind the tug but off the ground. Todays tow was requested at 70 knots, as yesterdays tow sank to 60kts which is all a bit marginal as the LS7 starts to wallow and sink. Crew heroically makes pizza and BP starts at 55 and is 80km from TP2 at Burbage. She is on fairly familiar territory a

As expected, we got up late and fiddled about. We took the covers off the LS and waited for the text or bing bong to grid. None forthcoming so we all went any way, BP is on row G one from the back. A good place as there is not too much time to wait after launch. After a bit of shuffling Crew gridded on a steep down slope leaving the towbar as a chock. We are gridded just in front of ex DGC Libelle, now belonging to Finn Sleigh comp number 5. Tracking and task info can be found here http://clubclass.onglide.com/current-day.xml?class=club https://www.soaringspot.com/en_gb/uk-club-nationals-dunstable-lgc-2018/results Turnpoints:Leighton Buzzard NE - Bottesford - Earith - Bicester North West - Bletchley - Dunstable Airfield Task distance: 348.52 km First Launch fallen back from 1130 to midday. Reports from sniffer show 3kts to 2800, so launch likely to be 1200 or soon after. Sho' enuff launching starts and goes well until one of the competitors has to teturn with a da