Day 2

Day 2 was expected to be a really classic Rieti day but it kinda didn't work out that way. The 15M class had a 396kms task to Roccarsolo in the south and Gualdo Taldino in the North. Launching was delayed an hour from 1200 to 1300hrs which should have set the alarm bells ringing in the first place - and once off tow I just could not get high near the start and finally set off at 7000' amsl. I lost a good 10 minutes on the run to Celano getting stupid low on the way as the ridges just weren't working as well as I'd hoped and the lift was really only thermal generated. Just after Celano I met Roberto Romano in the Ventus 1B and followed him across Lake Flewett onto the next ridge and into a convergence therm to 10,000'. A quick nip round the turn and back then it was off on a long, long glide towards Assergi. The Gods were smiling as I pulled 11knots out of what felt like the weeds near Assergi and got into the seabreeze effect on Gran Sasso. A run up past Vittore and out to Gualdo went OK but I lost more time short of Gualdo mucking about in 3.5kts before shifting a couple of kms into the 7kts good stuff. The soft and fluffy valley of fun (I refuse to call it by the traditional name of Death Valley) was working well and once over the last ridge it was time to push the stick forwards, up to VNE over the hotel and in for a speed of 123kph. Not good enough by 44 seconds and 1B won the day. What a hoot!     

The view from final glide - spot the airfield!