I was winning until I landed short.

I love hearing stories that start like this..... lol

I got into the launch line 2 minutes after it opened and then I got to stand there for a looooong time. Everyone in front of me in the staging got in line so I didn't get to a tow until 18 minutes before the first clock. A little front was moving through with a east west line of high cloud that really softened things up. Most of the pilots headed down wind of the front towards the only cu's but when I towed up I was in no position to even try this so I headed west towards some sun and the upwind edge of the start circle. I got close but with only 2 minutes until the first start I was way too low to even think about starting and I was again completely alone so I decided to take the next 20 minutes to climb and hopefully get some friends. I got all of the altitude I needed but.... sob, sniff no friends. The cloud line was moving north and a little street right towards the first turn point was forming up in front of me. I had heard on the radio that both Mark and Berrnie had taken the first clock with most of the other pilots. I was hoping that I could hook up with some of the slower pilots at the turn point if I could get there soon enough. I crossed the start line just a few seconds after the second start and headed on a rough and bumpy glide under the street toward the first tp. Alone the whole way I stayed pretty high until 5 km out where I had to stop in some weak stuff that turned on at 1600m and got me back to 1900m and into the turn point. I looked around and didn't see a soul. I had heard that both Jon and Mark had landed already. I thought I was behind the main gaggle. I glided north, found another climb when I heard Brett say that he just got the tp. I was 15 km ahead of Brett. This is when I really screwed up. Instead of finding out their position and the position of anyone else I pressed on asuming I had to go. The problem was that I was now chasing down the front and all of the lift was shutting down under it. I could have and should have slowed right down, hung out in anything I could find and waited. Instead I glided on course and eventually landed 67 km from the 2nd tp.

Here is the bitch....
20 minuts after I landed the lead gaggle few over my head.
I had started 20 minutes behind them but had gotten 20 minutes in front of them in 65 km. They were definatly on the wrong side of the front as they had to go down wind to find lift and then cross wind under the front in really weak conditions to the first tp. As I was up wind, in the sun with lift I was able to make up all of my lost time and then some. I just read on David Glovers face book that no one had made goal. Brett, Berrnie and Ross had gotten close to the second tp. Great job guys!