COMBAT AND COMPETITION.pdf - Lakes Gliding Club

CHAPTER TEN CHARIOTS OF FIRE
crackled with ice. We derigged quickly in the clear moonlight - and
the family, hospitable to the last, insisted on a bowl of soup all round
before we rolled for home.
After the evidence of my flight had been submitted to the EGA it
was 'poor Steve 1 all over again! That splendid thermal over Stroud, and
my late change of plan, had beaten his flight three days earlier by just
14 miles. Such is the luck of the game.
The Cottons lived at Madley, near Hereford, where Doc ran his
country practice. They had been appearing regularly at the Mynd over
the previous two years. Doc himself and his children, John, Ann and
young Peter. When the Nationals came round again they were a ready
made crew, and a very sound and well organised one at that. Which
was just as well. In 1951 the competition would be tough. Five 18
metre gliders were entered in the individual class, including two of
Slingsby's new Skys, and all to be flown by top pilots.
I got off to a good start on the first task by going early. Taking a
calculated risk by creeping away at low level towards a cu-nim which
was building over the Ladybower reservoir. Most of that flight was in
cloud and it ended near Ripon when the ground became visible at less
than a thousand feet in heavy rain. Fortunately there was a convenient
sports field straight ahead and I scored third for the day.
This was followed by a race to Dunstable. Although slowest of the
seven finishers it moved me up to second place. When the
Championships were over Nick Goodhart, with access to most of our
barograph charts, carried out a revealing analysis. Everyone had
experienced a bad moment within the first hour, and mine alone had
lasted for a further 90 minutes!
The next two days were hard going against the 18 metres, although
handicapping helped. But the fifth contest day was an absolute
disaster. There was a very strong westerly wind with a low cloud base
and no thermals. So I went ridge hopping downwind, via Froggatt
Edge, trying to score a few points. The outlanding was only eight miles
away and the retrieve overshot. We arrived back on site to find that
the rest of the field had found wave soon after my departure and many
of them had got away. There was just time for another launch and I sat
on the hill, furious with myself, until it was nearly dark. But the wave
had gone.
Doc pulled medical rank and packed me off early.
"Time you were in bed sir, for a good night's rest. You'll be
competing again tomorrow, and just remember, tomorrow is another
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