Task 4 : a day of task setting but no task flying.

Flying inside the rainbow

After a stressy time trying to deal with the fall-out of yesterday's not-stopped task, I wasn't much in the mood for more marginal conditions today, but the weather boss isn't playing very nice with us at the moment.
With Pepe, Denis and Seyong we worked from the time we arrived at take-off until well after 2pm to construct a task pleasing to all (and of course still failed! ;-) )
Finally, after too much discussion, too many provisional tasks and too much time 'agreeing' for the sake of keeping arguements to a minimum we proposed 2 tasks, chose one and then promptly changed it just before window opened. Too my mind it was not a professional way to carry on, but the power struggle between them 'n us is reducing the 'behind-the-scenes' work to kindergarten level.
The wind on take-off really wasn't helping matters, blowing directly along the hill from the south.
About 10 pilots had launched when yesterday's day winner, Lucas Bernadine reported 25km/h wind at 800m in the valley and level 2 - 3 conditions. Pilots launching had been making a good impersonation of 'speed-riding' on their R10's and Boom 8's. Pilots on take-off were becoming slightly wary and along with the turbulence from the small hill in front of launch we cancelled the task.

Should we have cancelled when we did? Personally I don't think that we needed to cancel immediately and certainly the local pilots are of that opinion as well as the organiser (when given a nano-second to consider matters without an emotional finger-jabbing Frenchman in his face).
But World Cup is a melting pot of personalities; which is much of the reason for its success. However some are very well established, strong and noisy and believe their opinion is the right one - always. Trying to reason or mediate in that situation is impossible. Black is white and white is black depending on what they want to do.
In trying to avoid a situation like yesterday where there were 2 camps of opinion on the validity of the task the 'knee-jerk' reaction was to cancel.
As Meet Director the final decision is mine. 'I' cancelled the task. But the reality is somewhat different.
The 'responsibility' for all, is for sure mine ... in past events i've have watched the ratty tails disappearing as the ship sinks.
But the 'power' to act is certainly not vested in the Meet Director. There is a protocol (whether official or not - i guess not, but that is only becoming clearer the less naive I become in these matters) that requires all decisions to be ratified before being communicated to the pilots.
However, when all the blah-blah-blah starts, he who wishes to be the shining wit of all social circumstances, the protaganist of the pilots, the representative 'of the pilots for the pilots', is the first to say "... its not my decision, the Meet Director is responsible"
Cynicism is becoming a way of life! ;-)

Many pilots flew, most agreeing that while it was obviously flyable, conditions were not taskable / it was turbulent / at times level 3. Others living in their self-absorbed little bubble of contrariness said it was light wind and easy flying for all and no reason to cancel the task. "The Meet Director is incompetent!" was published for the world to see! There is a theme emerging here.

Now, unlikely as it will be, I need to find some time to relax before more of the same tomorrow, though with nearly nil-wind forecast and possibility of rain we hope it will be easier!