Denbigh Business Development were on point selling the forecast at
briefing but as ever on the money. A damp morning as the front cleared
but for those eating lunch at 12 the need to speed up was obvious! The
wind and sky were perfect by 1pm and launch soon followed. DD3 with Nick
and JP (Phil on brief babysit duty) were quickly followed by JB on to the
ridge with 2 clear cloud streets out to the west.
Trips to DRS secured low points, then concentration turned on using the collapsing streets to get up wind. Over Ruthin the wave started collecting its punters, and the Clwyd Valley soon had Team Essex talking their way to glory.
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| Nick Jones and John Pursey in DD3 (John Pursey) |
DD3 got
lucky and parked itself near Ruthin tiptoeing up to 14,000ft with JB chasing
Team Essex up through the levels. A radio report revealed that the ever
canny Mike Armstrong (of Enterprise and Pocklington fame) had thermal’d
his way to Betsy-C’d and had contacted the Conwy wave and was now
through 16,000ft.
DD3 burnt 7,000ft getting there and we wondered why when it
all seemed very dark and the lift broken. Mike was by now above 18,000ft,
above cloud and mentioning -26degC plus 80 kt winds.
A veil of cloud around
14,000ft made DD3’s last 3k “interesting” with the sun the best reference
for attitude and cobblestone lift of up to 6 kts + and - very curious.
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| Navigating by the sun (John Pursey) |
The near 80kt wind and shear probably helped...
 |
| 66 knots and grey outside (John Pursey) |
A sensible retreat to
blast down to Bala and back to join JB on the ground, blinded by glowing
instruments highlighted the late hour. Glider bedding by headlight and
full Disco heater settings to defrost Nick’s feet before the gin and
tonic testing -
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| Otter stocks are running critically low (John Pursey) |
Another
reasonable forecast for Saturday and the pub awaits. - John Pursey
Portmoak
And in Scotland it was sunshine and showers with some little waves..........
Portmoak
And in Scotland it was sunshine and showers with some little waves..........
 |
| Loch Leven (Wyn Davies) |
