My second trip to Nympsfield in 2 days could not have been in sharper contrast to the first. Sundays disappointment was soon forgotten as the forecast for good conditions in the south on Monday seemed to be holding and by 10am the first Cu were popping in the gin clear sky.
I had managed to persuade JB to take up his ventus and give up his seat with Trevor Stuart, allowing me to join in the fun as the turbo option would likely be brought into play to get back to NYM. Trevor had set the 413km task of Nympsfield-Sturminster-Okehampton-Sturminster-NYM and challenged JB to do the same, turning North Hill rather than OKE for a 300km task.
Trevor contemplates his next move
We set off at 1130, tiptoeing south under the 2000' QFE cloud base with the thermals tantalising us with good surges but not really delivering lift all round the turn. Once down abeam The Park it really got going and climbs were reliable and strong. The westerly windflow was organising the clouds into fantastic streets and we were able to run from STU to NHL without turning. The visibility was brilliant, providing spectacular views of both the north and south coasts, Dartmoor, Exmoor and west into Cornwall.
Abeam North Hill at 3300' QFE
On the way back we passed JB just running in, to turn North Hill where Steve W was labouring in the new showers and Ian M was working on the tug's annual. In the distance a great convergence line was visible going east from Axeminster and this provided another long run without turning.
Going east past Honiton
Below JB near the Park looking north
The sea air by now had come up the Bristol channel and it was totally blue for the last 60 km north to NYM. We climbed in the last thermal just south of Westbury together with JB and set off into the blue towards Bath. Our instruments were calculating the wind at 270/17kts and we were counting on the ridge at Bath to work to get us home. From that distance though the legs of the Nimbus were only just long enough to let us get to Bath race course and JB elected to fire up his iron thermal short of Bath rather than risk getting very low over the town with no where to land and then trying to start it.
Scraping onto the ridge at Bath race course
....and jb's story
It was good! Matt went with Trevor Stuart in his Nimbus and I tagged along in Ventus JB. They did Nympsfield, Sturminster Newton, Okehampton, Sturminster Newton, Nympsfield and My mission - which I chose to accept - was the same except turning North Hill instead of Okehampton. I did think of Steve and Mitch down there slaving away when I turned NHL - and the feeling of guilt was almost unbearable! But I resolutely resisted the temptation to land and lend a hand and pressed on back to Axminster to address the urgent needs of the sea breeze front - well somebody had to!
Although conditions were pretty good we did have the odd scrape around in the weeds, but generally all went well until we got into the sea air approaching Bath on the way back. Trevor and Matt made it over Bath town to the racecourse and on to the the ridge for a 300ft ridge run home and I stoked up the iron thermal just south of Bath to avoid landing out. - jb
