A very late start due to rain in the morning. The forecast clearance became later and later. Just before lunch the drizzle stopped, the North Hill mob were found to be shammying and readying the DG-505 and Junior.
Dan Johns re-rigged his ASW20, the Cirrus brothers, Paul Summers and Muggles, readied their gliders.
After lunch, with the cloud barely off the hill, two seat launches started. MC instructing with Mike Sloggett (Who flew up from Exeter last night) waited until the course instructor had dipped his toe in the water before heading for the ridge, with the cloudbase barely above the top. Mike was duely cleared to fly P1 from the front of the DG-505. He handled 40 kt winds on approach, that was good enough.
Next in the hot seat was Ian Hunt for more extreme ridge soaring with the cloud base gradually lifting. Within 30 minutes conditions were suitable for the single seaters to launch.
Simon Minson went straight for the ridge, then stepped out into wave and eventually climbed to 14,400+ ft above Loch Leven.
Nick Harrison flew the Junior and was suitably exhilarated! The upper winds by now were reported by Simon to be 60+ kt at 10,000, this was causing rotor at lower levels.
Mike Sloggett then Muggles took the Junior for a wild ride.
Muggles then got himself cleared to fly the winch, allowing the NH mob to continue launching after 17:00, horrah!
Mark also flew with Nigel Everett and Ian Foster, both pilots coping well in the very rough conditions. Mark then dissapeared for a loo break while James and Henry stole the DG-505 from under his nose, climbing away after just two beats of the ridge then climbing to 7,000 ft over the lock in wave.
Ron briefly flew the ASH with Rowan, but didn't like the washing machine conditions citing extreme winds as the problem.
Tomorrow, with the winds lighter, 1000 ft final turns might be a thing of the past.
In the evening talk by the local pundits of 1000km tasks fired up Ron and Simon to plan 300s for the whole group, themselves planning to fly a double 300 (That should bring the rain). With GPS and logger batteries charging the group headed for bed.
