28 July - Nordic Open - TASK6 - the day's task commentary

Well, the over development did not come, not in our valley anyway. Lucky for us. Blue skies and cunims were brought to us on a platter. Naaice...
It was interesting to have an elapsed time for a change which was exciting and meant that we did not know our results until just now - they have just been posted on the website.

Beautiful scenery today

The beginning was a little slow after the start gate, but not wanting to go back and have another go for fear of falling too far behind the lead gaggle, I battled on and once again, caught up by blatting full bar along the ridge. By this time small cunims were forming along the ridge and out in the valley making it easy enough to find strong climbs and generous lift.
TP2 was the tricky one, far over the river and tucked on the side of a mountainous plateau, it meant commitment or a very long walk out.
Full concentration as a grey IP6 and I found the climb, clipped the cylinder and with a tail wind headed towards the ESS and GOAL some 25Km's or so away.
Finding a great climb just before deciding to "go for it" over a few-options zone with power lines, trees and a large flat wilderness expanse (the one which had forced me to land on the only other day I didn't get to goal this week), I made sure I was not going to let this one get the better of me again today.
Cunims forming from time to time but blown from  the South East sidewind meant "drifting with the lift". (words from Jocky Sanderson). Thoughts of the previous weeks'  task when I hadn't managed to do this successfully were "filed in a drawer" as Mads Syndergaard would say, and I concentrated so hard with the ESS in sight. The goal was almost mine.
Eventually my C-Pilot told me that with the altitude that I had, I could go for goal, so swinging my glider out of a windy climb, between 1/2 and 3/4bar to maximise the speed to fly, I headed for my moment of glory.
A lovely cool beer and congratulations at being first woman in goal welcomed me.
My flying mentality has changed this week - something has happened, I feel more confident in my ability to: climb, make my own decisions, fly faster, get a low save.
I'm very very happy today :-)