The Close

Tough day for U.S. pilots on the last day. SS got into trouble on the second leg and spend 30 minutes flying low over lakes, trying not to land--time that  can't be made up on any task, much less one this short. At 1000 feet, he started taking taking one bad thermal after another until he finally climbed out. 7K got within 30k of the finish when he ran into a zone of dead air in shadow. Just beyond were climbs, but he wasn't able to make it.
Sunday was a typical day-after-the contest--beautiful flying weather, which we all observed from closing ceremonies at the town square--on the ground.