Day 6

Tough day yesterday.  After Mick's mix up with the dust devil, we discovered we were down yet another tug - the other trike.   Arrrrrrrg.  Getting so many gliders up and on course with only three tugs was going to be slow.  Miraculously, the universe placed a nice house thermal just downwind of the tow paddock and left it sitting there for the entire launch cycle.  Bobby, Luke and Jim could just drag each pilot to it, drop them off and quickly head down for another.  Launch went unbelievable quick and in fact we ended up finishing earlier than normal.  What luck!

The lift on course didn't cooperate quite as nicely thought and much of the field landed between the first and second turnpoints.  The sky shaded over in many places and we worried that no one would make it in.  Kraig and Filippo racing in nearly side by side was a very welcome sight.  They were followed just a few seconds later by Pedro and Jonny.  In the end, only two more (Davis and Tony Armstrong) made it, for a total of just six.  

After having rain the first few days of the comp,  I think we had all forgotten how dusty things can get out here in the desert.  Yesterday was absolutely filthy and with little wind, everyone had the pleasure of browning-out for a few seconds on tow.  Gotta love the desert.

Luckily, once they're up an on course, the sky is bright blue and the air is fresh and clean!

Here's maria eating a bit of dust (photo by our best cart retriever, Mike Degtoff).

But see how nice and bright the sky is once you get out of that dust!
(photos by the Wolfman)