[LASS Soaring] "Sharon Called and She Don't Need No More LSF5 Wins! !"

[GordySoar at aol.com]

It was very warm and windy to say the least today, it was RES and Unlimited  
and the Winners of each class 'Fly Off for Grand Champion".
 
My AVA is just Super :-) and Sharon was all warmed up, so when the first  
flights ended, we had perfect scores, things were looking good :-)
 
However my last RES flight was in air from hell and it rolled up everyone  in 
the group leaving them in water, trees or bushes....mine landed on in a down  
wind yard, un hurt.
Since we were the top group, that really threw a wrench into the  
standings...and that's one of the sweet things about MOM.
 
Unlimited was a walk in the park for me and Sharon. For most of the day she  
just headed into the river of air, rising till she hit about 1900' and slicing 
 the landing line for 100s.

Rick Eckels borrowed Browns Sharon and we flew head to head most flights..I  
managed to get him by a few seconds in each battle, so in the end, my last 
LSF5  flight was in the bag.
 
In the fly off, he launched first (by the way he qualified by winning 2m,  
but you could fly anything you wanted in the Fly Off for Grand Champion flight,  
so not being a fool, he chose the Sharon, versus a 2m ;-)
 
His line broke right at the top of the launch so he got no ping.  I  got a 
spectacular launch but proceeded to fly over toward the lift with my  landing 
flap lever about half way down!  So we both started with a  handicap.  
 
It really was between me and Rick, and he hooked up and skied out for an  
easy 10min max....me I went deep trying to get into his lift but just couldn't  
find its center and was way back behind the tree line, so I worked forward and  
ended up over the pond and a pine tree that had eaten at least one plane  
today.... I was in a tight spot to say the least...
 
It was clear that Rick wanted to win this one and I sure as heck didn't  want 
to just give it to him, so I flew the flight of that fields history likely,  
literally battling tiny bubbles at tree top danger height for the whole  time.
 
I could see everyone watching my plane, I suppose to make sure it was  
spotted when it tree'd. :-)
 
When it was time to land, I was totally exhausted and stiff from wiggling  
every stick on my TX what seemed like a million times, (probably need new  
gimbles :)..and as I came in I hit the same turb as everyone...but I brought her  
in low and hot as usual but at the last second got blown off the line for a  
50....and Rick? 
 
He had a 75 for Grand Champ award.  He flew a tremendous contest in  both 2m 
and Unlimited. By the way the Sharon he borrowed is one of the rare full  
carbon versions and I think it weighs even more than the World's Heaviest Carbon  
Supra!  In any case its about 10ozs heavier than my standard Sharon and for  
the last two days it was definitely an advantage.
 
I pity the fools don't have a Sharon, for hang in calm no turn air, its  
amazing, in heavy wind return from the down wind side, she slides back like she  
has after burners.  And with the 5 degree joiners, landings are on rails,  just 
line her up and burn off the altitude.
 
Oh Yeah, Sharon took ALL of the unlimited wins!  OVSS's own Phil G,  took 
first in Sportsman for both days at unlimited (pretty sure anyway  :-).
 
Phew! :-)
Gordy
Bahamas or bust tomorrow
 
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