EEC: Day One

The air was so hazy this morning you had to look up to make sure the sky was truly clear. Oh, it was really hot also. Picture mid-August in New England. Our task was a 40+ mile triangle that started with a leg into the wind. It looked very stable, even after some ragged cummies formed. The wind dummies sledding didn't look promising either. However, we got in line, suited up, and launch. Many pilots took several tows before the stuck, but I was lucky and managed a slow climb to cloudbase at the whooping altitude of 2700 feet. I hung around the start circle trying to avoid some of my usual start-circle goofs. I headed towards the first turnpoint slightly downwind of the course line. It turned out that Michael Williams had the same idea. Everyone else headed further upwind to the west. We got a good climb after a long glide and then moved on. I got very low after the next glide and had to drift and struggle downwind trying to get back up. I kept watching the turnpoint get farther and farther away. Crap. I finally started climbing, but I was now far off the course line all alone trying to fly almost directly upwind. It is hard flying upwind with 50-100 fpm climbs. I finally saw Michael as he was landing and I just barely missed joining him on the ground after spottting a bald eagle climbing to the south of him. I managed a couple more climbs before the sea breeze came in an shut down most of the lift. I took a smooth glide to a large cornfield next to a farmhouse. The family was very friendly and I enjoyed talking with them as I broke down under a shade tree in their yard. Brian and Michael showed up as I zipped up the glider bag and we headed back to the flight park to watch Paris come into goal.