There was quite a discussion at the briefing this morning about yesterday's task and the flying conditions. It's always interesting to me to see how differently individual pilots experience the same air. Reports came in that at the higher altitudes there were 60 km winds, some landed in 30 km winds, yet some still felt it was a perfectly safe task and a few said they really enjoyed their flights. I am hardly the one to argue this issue because I didn't fly (conditions looked way too rough for me) and I am generally quite conservative when it comes to turbulence. But as a competitor and an organizer it is an interesting discussion. What kind of hang gliding competition do most pilots want? Do we want a test of flying skill or a test of courage? While I wouldn't win either one, I have zero interest in a contest that is merely a test of who is willing to take the most changes and who can endure the most bouncing around in the air. But it appears there are people that don't mind that sort of thing.
The forecast is calling for more wind tomorrow and likely even more the next day :-( There is some chance of a task on Saturday, but it's too far out to tell really.
Jonny won the day yesterday coming in about 13 minutes ahead of the next guy, Swiss Nick and Rowan came in third. I fear that this could be the final standings for the comp.
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