Fink, Tjaden, Tomlinson, etc.; ECC PIREPS Please,,,

[Danny Brotto]

For a number of reasons, I had to sit out the ECC this year but would love to get some reports. Sure there's the "Oz Report" but let's hear from our local boys. Yeah, Fink and Tjadens you're "ours"

Yesterday looked fabulous, tell us about it!

Danny Brotto

[Flying Lobster]

Hmmm...I'msitting near dead last and the rest of the gang are doing prtty good. We'ver has very tough conditions so far--strong winds and ripped thermals with low gains for the most part. I've only managed one glide out of the start circle so far--I let the rest tell their results.

marc

[huddlec]

PK was first in to goal yesterday holding onto his first place overall position. Dave Proctor also made goal, as did Ric Niehaus, Sunny (who has a great story about the final moments), Linda Salamone, Pete Lehmann and a couple of others. Paul was a couple of miles short, bummer. It was a pretty good day, but not a cakewalk for most. Some good stories - always the case when you have to work for it.
Christy

[John Simon]

Hi guys,
Been out at Ridgely for a few days and no computer.
Was raining Day 1 and Day 2 we got a short task. It was to the north and the sport guys were going the same place... Lift was very weak and cloud deck was low. We got blown East right off the bat and struggled low, PK, me and God knows who. Sunny was working more north and on course. I got about 9 miles in the wrong direction and PK got more. Sunny got about 12 I think but pretty straight up. Craig Coomber wins with a mile or two more than PK. I was around 8th. Lauren Tjaden is 3rd I think, sweet.

Day 3 is scrubbed for wind and Day 4 again saw PK kickin arse... ARSE Kicking I say. He wins the day with about 56 miles and goal. I get just less than 5, ouch. Sunny does well, making goal by about 20 - 30 feet or so and surfing some trees to dive into goal. Amazingly close but he makes it. Ric N. is 5th, Dave Proctor 7th and Bruce Engen 10th. It's hard to tell who's winning in Sport class because they haven't broken them out yet. Dan T, Daniel B, Mark Finc, Carlos, Hugh, Mark C.

Day 5 is 45 miles or so with a little dog leg into the wind at the end. Kevin Carter wins the day and PK is 5th. He is solidly in 1st place for the meet thus far!!! I get more than 5 miles and finally beat Sunny and JD. It won't last.

Day 6 is 55 miles or so, dog leg south. It's very hard going with weak lift at first. 20 Plus gliders fly out over my head and in front. Sunny, PK, JD and many more. I get 10th for the day with 36 miles and Sunny gets a few more. JD gets 2nd with about 48 miles and PK again wins with about 45 miles (rough). He is in first Place with ONE day to go!!!! PK.... PK....PK....PK.....PK....PK. Awesome.


We are having a ball. The lift is often forecast to be great but is modest in reality almost every day. Much fun had at night with parties, dinner, poker and great people. Not sure where the sport class stands, maybe one of the U2 mafia can fill us in.


Regards.

[Dan T]

The day I got my long flight to the beach looked promising from the start. Earlier that morning I had asked Pete about the stragegy for flying a line that isn't directly downwind. In a nutshell he suggested that we should beat upwind while high because the thermal lift will always tend to pull you downwind.

Armed with my newfound knowledge I confidently leaped into the air. The task as SE about 54 miles or so, the lift I found was almost due east nearly from the start. Before too terribly long I managed to get away from the field and under a promising looking cloud with more clouds in front of me. I noticed that I was drifting off the track, but I was getting high and staying there and saw the cloud street curve off to the south ahead of me. So I promptly ignored Pete's advice and stuck with the cloud street, knowing it was pulling me north of the course line, but figuring I could make it up later when I caught the clouds curving off to the South.

Each time I pressed ahead to the downwind side of the cloud, the clouds to the east showed promise and the sky dried up to the SE, so I stayed with the street and ignored the need to get back on the course line. Finally the pointer pointed off at 90 degress and then a little more and I knew it was time to change directions. I had hoped I could hop a ride on that famous convergence zone and simple slide on down to goal, but the convergence wasn't to be and I might have managed 2 miles or so upwind before I was on the ground.

I didn't make the contest goal but I met one of mine, the goal to be able to get a good look at the surfline from the air. The only downside was learning that I nearly got picked up in a stolen vehicle. Rich Alexander can tell you all about that one!

Dan T.

[mcelrah]

On day 3, the day Dan T took it with his flight to the beach, Mark Cavanaugh and I found ourselves together getting low about 20 miles down course. Mark had had two low saves from 700 and 400; I had gotten high and was basically dribbling out after the first one or two lucky thermals. We glided the last 3 miles without finding much. A Delaware state trooper stopped to watch me land and was interested in the sport. He said the field next door where Mark landed is the new venue for the Punkin' Chunkin' Festival... Rich Alexander, who generously drove for us, was told to get in Mark's red 4-Runner, but drove up in a burgundy Explorer! And it was packed solid with camping gear! Rich was mortified to learn that he had "stolen" someone's truck and insisted on returning to Ridgely immediately (there wasn't room for anyone else anyway). Rich called for carefully arranging the truck's contents as we had found them. The owner turned out to be Pat Halfhill from Pittsburgh; the extra stuff in the truck was Pete Lehman's. Pat thought the story was so funny he refused payment for the gas we had used... - Hugh