Bogong Cup Day 6

The days are getting harder for me. I am a little tired, both mentally and physically, as this becomes more of an endurance thing vs. a pilot skill thing; and it is having an effect on my consistency.

Important comp. lessons I have learned this week - in a nutshell:
1. Know your instruments and know your equipment - these are things you don't want to be mucking around with on race day.
2. Hydrate and fuel your body - there is no resting in the air and no real carb. fixes and if you run out of muscle fuel you will degrade both mentally and physically and are sure to go down. The conditions may provide fuel for your glider but if you are too tired to fly it then....
3. Be in good shape - endurance is crucial!

Today's task was north to the mouth of the Kiewa Valley and then return to the Mt. Beauty airstrip via a mid-way turnpoint on the west side of the valley on the way back (around 110km). I made the first turnpoint after fighting the 10mph headwind for about an hour and a half. I was very low after tagging the turn point and was unzipped looking for a landing field in the valley floor then found a weak thermal (100fpm) that I worked until it was up 600fpm and I was at 7000ft. I left on glide to cross to the westside of the valley because that is where the next turnpoint was and got drilled all the way there seeing pilots on the ground everywhere just short of the turnpoint.

Me and another pilot are near the turn point and get another low climb. I was 200meters from tagging the turn point and made a critical mistake (because of my lack of experience), I took the climb first insted of tagging the turn point. The other pilot and myself worked this thermal and climbed back up but now I am in the middle of the valley drifting away from the turnpoint and I am now almost 4km away from the turnpoint insted of 200meters. I knew this was going to just get worse so my plan was to leave the thermal and go tag the turnpoint and try to come back to the climb - I tagged the turn point and never made it back to the climb and was on the ground minutes later (I saw jonny's red bull glider on the ground a few Km back so I did not feel so bad).

I later talked to Jonny who watched the whole thing unfold and learned what I did wrong. I should have let the other pilot mark the thermal for me while I went the 200meters to the turn point and then returned to the climb. I would have had the turnpoint out of the way and could have climbed in the thermal while drifting towards goal.

I am learning.