Well what a mixed bag experience in my first ever 'competition' and first proper thermic flights in the Alps. Wasn't sure what to expect and this was a full-on week of activity, with plenty of opportunity to learn, but also some pretty scary moments along the way: we had four reserves thrown and several helicopter rescues for tree landings in the week, plus some dramatic footage of a Delta collapsing and tumbling through the gaggle, but thankfully no serious injuries. But don't let that put you off trying it - each pilot decides their own safety margins and there is an excellent organising team to provide expert knowledge and support.
Montclar/St Vincent is a truly stunning location, sitting by the lac Serre Poncon, the biggest aritificial lake in Europe apparently. St Vincent also has a reputation as the last place in France to get blown out due to its protected situation - unless you fly in the turbulent leeside, that was reserve number 1. This take off was too small for 120 pilots, so we used a big meadow at the top of the chair lift above Montclar all week. Even so, first day really freaked me out when after waiting several hours for the briefing and task setting, 60 or 70 wings rushed into the air together at start time. Far too busy for me, so I waited with many others for a better moment. Unfortunately, unless you have thermal markers it is very difficult to get up and away as you have to launch and fly out to find a thermal, then climb up to work your way onto the higher ridge behind take off. My Scottish soaring hat did me no favours and I was very quickly heading out and down to the landing field - grand total of 86 points scored.
That evening we got a debrief, explaining how to get up and away (basically, pimp off others) then Petra Slivova, ex-World Champ, talked us through her flight and using cloud streets to gain advantage. Into Day 2, and I have a new mindset. Still not ready to go with the first gaggle, but launched with the second one and quickly pimped my way up to cloudbase. We had a task to fly up and down the ridge, darting out to take turnpoints in the valley along the way. Once I got high above the mountain, all thermic hell broke loose and I spent the next 2.5 hours literally battling to keep it above my head as I headed visually round the course - far too busy to look down at my route on the shiny new Flymaster. Several times I got low saves to keep me going on my way, and best of all I followed Petra's advice and used the cloud street in the centre of the valley to shortcut to my next turnpoint. Flew 32km of a 38km task and was well chuffed with my efforts. I was then double-chuffed climbing into the retrieve bus to sit next to Petra herself, and the rest of the Gin team pilots, who had all bombed at 15km! Probably my best flight ever - not for distance, but for all my decisions and perseverance - and even finding out I missed second turnpoint by 50m, and so scored 56 points (30 less than previous day T2B), couldn't take the smile off my face that night.
That was the high point for my flying, with varied success on following days, starting with another T2B on Day 3, but flew 12 and 15km on other days. Don't ask me to explain the scoring system - my best score for the week came from the shortest flight, go figure! - but the numbers are not that important, unless you really want to win and the unique thing about the GWO is the lack of any prizes for the winners. Instead, prizes are awarded to encourage learning and safe flying - two pilots landing to help a reserve deployment, a group of pilots for choosing not to fly when possible thunder clouds were reported. And the week ends with a raffle amongst all pilots to win a new glider, harness and other top prizes.
At the end of it all we were totally wiped out so spent the next few days chilling and swimming in the lake. It is a very intense week, mentally and physically. The landscape is stunning but intimidating and conditions were certainly 'spicy' all week, and I think pretty much everyone got some proper collapses to deal with. But that is exactly why I learnt so much - I was well outside my comfort zone but in an environment that encouraged me to go for it in a safe way. I am already thinking about the next GWO in Macedonia 2017.
