Day 3 Task 3. The 'torta" task - for those completely confused you need to keep reading! ;-)
We needed to get started pretty early today as there was rain forecast for the afternoon. The task committee agreed with the requests from the pilots for a short today - everyone is tired after the constant flying over the last 10 days.....its not a bad way to become tired!!
A 'short' 83km task was set using a new turnpoint arrangement where the pilots had to enter a turnpoint at Tulua airport, then make a 15km radius point in any direction before goal back at Tulua. It has become known as the 'torta' task because the pilots were coming in and out in the shape of pieces of pie!
The idea was to give an opportunity for different decision making, I guess it worked since 108 pilots made goal. Although personally, I think it would be a more tactical in flatlands with wind and the need to deal with crosswind flying instead of on a nil(ish) wind day. Even so it was fantastic to see so many gliders landing at goal.

Goal at the airport

As I drove down from take-off to Roldanillo the cloud above us burst its sides and rain poured down behind the mountain and all the way down to the outskirts of Rolda. I was becoming slightly concerned if we woudl be able to run the task to its finish but as we reached the valley floor there was a line on the road - rain and shadow on the west side and sun and fluffy clouds to the east :) Certainly a 'usual' mountain task would have been stopped very early.
The gaggle were really racing in the great valley conditions - i arrived by car just 10 minutes before the leaders made the turnpoint at the airport!
First to cross the line was Yassen, followed by Jack Brown, Russ and then Pepe.

Just 5 minutes before the leaders crossed the 200m goal cylinder the Military Police told us that they were going to take-off in their plane crossing our turnpoint, its a good thing that we hadn't put the line out at the tp! ... after some ' discussions' we agreed their launch plan so that we didn't scatter the gaggle on final glide! Each day has its challenges!

Its nice to get back to HQ and have the download done and the results published before dark. Most pilots took advantage of the swimming pool and spent the afternoon splashing.
The west wind is now blowing a hoolie and the valley is ringed with storms.

Task results:
1. Yassan BUL
2. Jack Brown USA
3. Russ GBR
4. Frankie Brown BRA
5. Pepe DEU