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Tue Aug 8 World Championships Day 2

First task today us Duration Rd 2. This will complete Rd 2. Reto went first and took a second launch after finding the air to the South not so good. Problem was on the second launch he missed the window by 6 secs so he was only able to get a max time of 9:54. He found easy air in the end for a time of 9:52 – 100. 

Tom took a great launch and flew all over the place in touring mode making his time with ease. His landing was a pearler and right on time for a 10:00 – 100.

Mike flew another easy flight but was a little distracted in  the landing zone and needed to delay somewhat on approach as he was very early. End result was 9:55 – 90.

Rd 3 Duration immediately followed Rd 2 Duration. Reto up first launched high and flew with the gaggle for his uneventful 10 minutes and got a 9:59 – 95. Mike flew to the tall forest downwind and for a while was much lower than the gaggle but never in trouble. His landing was a 95 with a 10:01.

Tom K flew last and specked out to return later and shoot a landing in gusty conditions. Toms spot was number 5 right in line with the sighting devices so Tom had to make a rather high approach. He manhandled his Pitbull to the deck for a 10:01 – 95. You can see the video on Www.facebook.com/teamusaf3b

DISTANCE Rd 3 was next with Reto up first in much gustier conditions than we have experienced so far here. The wind is 90 degrees from the course coming out of the valley and up the slope to our plateau. This saw Joe W launch early to do laps on the upwind side above the slope. Reto followed suit and almost matched Joes 20 to fall short by one lap for a 19.

Mike L was  in a group where the guy who launched first won and the guy who launched last missed the best of the air coming up the hill and across the course. Problem was it was Mike who launched last. He probably started a little heavy and this also made the task more difficult once we missed the best part of the air. Mike  finished with 17 laps to the winners 20 plus.

Tom launched first of the group and got a really good launch and headed upwind over the course to start basically racetracking the course. He was ballasted to approx 3.1kg which was lighter than Retos effort earlier. He was doing extremely well until on Lap 8 we didnt get a horn on Base A and he had to go back. Then it happened again on Lap 10 and Tom had to go way past on his return before he got the horn. Tom finished with 26 laps to Hansruedi Zwingli’s 28. Tom was awarded a reflight in Group 11 along with another pilot who suffered from the same problem with signals. 

Tom flew the reflight against Tim Kullack and a Russian pilot. He launched first on 1.12 line and got a great launch tested the air upwind and decided to try again. Launching on heavier line (1.18)  he didnt get such a good launch . Tom Kullack meanwhile had flown upwind a long way to join the course well away while the Russian pilot was popping laps almost overhead. Tim had 4 laps on Tom when he entered the course with just a couple of seconds to go and Tom zigzagged his way out toward the Australian for the first 4 or 5 laps. From then it was a race to the ground with Tom finishing up only 2 laps down on Tims 20 and equal with the Russians on 18 laps. 

See the video on the Facebook page

RD 3 OF speed .

Reto was the 4th pilot up in speed and he launched in great air and flew a very clean anf tight run to set the early standard for the other pilots with a 14:33. 

Mike was next and got an OK launch but the air wasnt great and he was a little low and slower than usual on the 3rd leg and he cut Base B for a 20 something time.

Tom was up much later in the order and he got a great launch in terrific air and was able to set the fastest time of the day with really, really tight turns on both bases where he passed the mark by the thickness of his tow hook. It was a blistering run and just what the USA Team needed to perk everybody up. His time was 13.74 and was the third fastest in Rd 3.

We have had some bad air dealt up to us at times but this moment was not one of those times.

Rd 4 SPEED – Granny time!

Conditions have been fairly windy across the course most of the day. It had laid down a little bit from earlier so Tom flew one slug lighter. He was first of the US pilots up in round 4 and  waited a couple of minutes into working time until he felt the air was ripe. He launched a couple of minutes into working time and got a great launch and decided it wass a keeper. He entered the course fairly high and we could see he was smoking fast halfway along thr first leg. His Base B turn was tight but safe and he screamed back to Base A for a really tight turn to return to Base B where his turn was so gookd we thought he cut. We cheered as Tom crossed the line for a 14:06 which was the fastest run of the round for the Granny in speed.!!

Mikes first launch was decent but he detected a thermal moving onto the course and relaunched to get a better bite at it. He got a better height than he had been getting previously as a result and made his run. Mike drove it clean and quite tight for a very respectable 15:14. His luck has finally turned.

Reto was last pilot to fly. He made a good launch on the other side on 1.12 line and turned straight into the course and ran a clean run but safe for a 15.62.

A Russian pilot had a heavy impact at Base B after his model appeared to stall mid turn and spun in. It was quite badly damaged but they look like they are going to repair it for Duration and distance tomorrow.