First competition day at Pre Worlds SA Winelands in Porterville

The bus up

Task committee at work

Pampoenfontein take off

Handing out the trackers

Task briefing

Gaggle over the flatlands

Adi and Johannes giving me a ride

Yesterday we started the competition. The wind was not cooperating to start with, but around lunch it was finally possible to take off. I had a decent flight, but when we had to head out over the flatlands I was drilled to the ground by the strong winds. Pilots with faster gliders (and higher skills) managed to penetrate the wind and continue the task.

I landed in a huge field in the middle of nowhere so had to walk three kilometers in the scorching sun to the nearest farm. There, I waited an hour before hitching a ride with a quad bike driven by two young guys, Adi and Johannes. Thanks! They drove me to the main road where Bonen picked me up.

Ended up fourth out of ten in my class and 93rd out of 113 in total. Numbers I hope to improve.