Lisa Turner Day 3: 2 August 2005
Well today was better than the last two days. The tactic to just follow the gaggle and accept points in the mid-range just to get back on top of things worked. The weather was very challenging all around the task but on leg two in particular. Heading into wind from West to East across the Spreewalda -- the low-lying swampy area where there are virtually no thermals was tough to say the least. At one point the gaggle just parked for about 12 minutes trying to get a thermal before crossing the worst part of this. We gained about 400m in that time, having to search quite hard for it -- a lot of time for the height gained but valuable height none the less. Without it we would have been on the ground. I am amazed that no one outlanded today. That leg was slow and tough, even in a large gaggle and I think we averaged about 50-kph for the leg.
The gaggle today was interesting, with about 9 gliders on average within 100-200m of altitude. I was cut off many times, but I also probably cut off other pilots without knowing it, it was just the nature of the gaggle today. Having said that, some pilots are more aggressive than others and will manovoure themselves in front of you before entering a thermal to give them a better opportunity to get the climb better. At home we just wouldn't fly like that, but this is not Kansas Totto.
I scored mid-field today and am feeling better about that, but will be working for the rest of the comp to make up some points and try and place in the top half at the end of the comp. My tactic is not to focus on points too much and to just put in the best possible flight each day and see where it places me. It is still a steep learning curve even after the experience of the pre-worlds.