Algo 2014 Day 14 - Duration and Spot

The sun pops up the cereal goes down and the smell of fried bacon and eggs wafts through Casa Zahara it can,t be bad.  Change of site today with a NE breeze forecast and thoughts are it could well be busy but we have a cunning plan ..........

The eater outers

the eater inners

Once more to the fountain of youth we go where the children get out and round one of the Wet T shirt competition get's underway with Julie winning by just two points ;)

Children at play

I meet up with Old Franz, it's great to see him looking so well at 77 and after a couple of pretty bad knocks, his enthusiasm is still infectious.  Off up north we head to Montallano with the car steaming up as Julie dries out in the back.  Check out the bottom landing field with the not so new newbies, plant a windsock then up the hill. Wow where to park?? there are a lot here already.

On launch it looks like a giant Duvet with canopies laid out everywhere this could be interesting.  The wind is off but this does not deter out friends from the east as they "launch" a stream of pilots into the bushes and occasionally the air, a frenchman and a Spaniard express their thoughts to the "instructor" and things calm down a little, we watch and wait.

Michel looks ahead !

Martin set to join Ollie

Julie off at the start of a long one

The wind comes on, the gliders out, and it's time to start playing.  The usual suspects make clean take off's to join those already soaring and boat up and down the ridge in an orderly fashion.  Colin makes another flight and carries out his flight plan impeccably landing sweetly in 'Gunnies" flield.  The car picks up those that are down and returns them to the top where things are getting more interesting as the wind fills.

Colin in the zone

Julie is still in the air and reporting lovely conditions so those that are keen get set to join her.  We implement cunning plan and in no time at all our pilots are off and away looking like Oasis's amongst a desert of talent, does that make sense???

The wind continues to fill so we decide to head to the lower launch with a view to flying back up onto the ridge behind.  It's busy there also and intact not too lift with very few climbing out and most going down, we wait.  Baz cracks and goes for a coffee, we wait.  10 minutes later it's improving and with info' from those in the air that top launch is still struggling Colin leads the way for us.  Simon is next and soars the ridge before making a break for the higher one, not quite connecting and landing nearby for a walk back.  I give it a shot and find a nice little thermal which soon see's me up and away to the main ridge. Martin goes for it but misses it and heads to the bottom just as news comes through that top launch is looking much better.

Parawaiting in the shade

Simon ready

and away

and up ......

It does not take long for us all to get back up there and the team launch again to enjoy some super flying into the evening.  Ollie comments on hoe nice Michels wing looks from above, Michels suggests they go to the castle on the pimple out front, Ollie lands out, gets chased by a dog and stake whilst Peachy does an impression of the italian job trying to find him with 3 pilots all directing him in different directions, oh the language.  Ollie returns and flies again joined by Kaz and the remainder whilst Colin plays on the lower ridge having it pretty much all to himself.

Peachy keep control

As the evening set in they finally came down one by one with Martin sussing that the wind was catabolic at the bottom and doing a fine up slope landing to set a trend.  Julie had to come down for a pee having spent over 5 hours in the air and been the focus of some Polish guys camera for most of it.

Landing field beers :))

What a day, guess we will not cook in tonight then, it was a slightly smelly crew that invaded the Italian restaurant that evening but at least Peachy had time to wash his arms ...........

Quote of the day "that's the longest one I've ever had"