Nice flying day in New England Tuesday

Attempted 750km. Possibly could have done it
if I continued south past Mansfield towards
Plymouth for the last turnpoint...
See ya, Dave "YO electric"

Well, it wasn't quite as good a day as we hoped. As I
thought, the early high cloud presaged overdevelopment.
Launched first, shut motor down at 1200 AGL in a nice
thermal that took me over 4k. Headed out over Wachusset,
which was too far to the west, and wasted time in the blue.
XA took a better line staying with the clouds to the east
and got to Jaffrey first. Connected with the cloud and
started moving after Mt. Manadnock.

There were solid climbs but not super streeting.
Looked like Uvalde but the cores were not consistent.
And there was too much cloud, and minor OD and
slow cycling.

I stayed west of the course to Jay Peak to stay with the
streets and eventually crossed into the Rt 100 valley
with Hwy 89. Inconsistent lift and terrible looking clouds
up by Belvidere, plus way behind schedule for 750km,
so I turned a bit beyond Morrisville.

XA was not far in back of me but gave up near
Montpelier, maybe turned Sugarbush ?

Followed the clouds to the west of Sugarbush, bounced
past Chittenden reservoir and topped out over 9k near
Killington. Passed Rutland and found good lift for a while,
but it was really OD'd with high clag down past
Manchester center. I was thinking North Adams but
it looked bad to the south, and also along the route
home further south.

Doug Jacobs reached Morrisville a bit after me. He
stayed further east heading south, and turned for home
10 miles east of Manchester Center.

I wimped out and headed east near Bennington VT
after getting lower than I was happy with and taking
some scruffy 3 knot thermals. Followed the clouds,
hooked north by Keene NH, and DJ reports he's following
a street south past Sterling. I followed a different
street down to Mansfield, running and bumping without
turns at 8k - 9k - almost final glide home from Mansfield !
The clouds looked weaker past Mansfield and I was
freezing, so I turned north. Followed the street up to
Fitchburg, then flew on home and spoilered down...

DJ went to North Central, for a total of 399sm.

According to StrePla - OLC, I did 707km / 440 miles
(or an FAI triangle of 660km / 411sm)

2 minutes of engine run plus 7:20 of soaring.
Never saw another glider in the air all day !
First launch and last landing (again).

Where was everyone ? Sterling was deserted
when DJ and I landed ! Nobody to have a beer ??

Next time lets hope for a little less moisture aloft...

See ya, Dave "YO electric"

Sterling flights on OLC including today:
http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0... 0&sc=&sp=2010