Hurstbourne Tarrant HUR – 10 pts

Membury MEM – 10 pts

Cirencester North West CNW – 10 pts

Birdlip BIR – 10 pts

Moreton-in-the-Marsh – 10 pts

Edgehill EDG – 10 pts

Daventry DVN – 10 pts

Husband Bosworth HUS – 10 pts

Northampton South NOS – 10 pts

Towcester TOW – 10 pts

Oxford – 10 pts

Didcot DID – 10 pts

Chievely CHV – 10 pts

a) Fly either way round

b) Change direction once

c) Fly a smaller triangular based on the TPs

Scoring Parameters:

1 pt per kilometre

1.5 pt per kilometre in SW direction

10 pts per TP

30 pts Finish at Lasham

It is very difficult to believe a weather forecaster telling us of 300k or 500k flights when outside there is rain! But David Masson was adamant that conditions would get good. Sure enough, by midday the cold front had moved far enough away to allow cumulus cloud to appear. Those that launched were soon back on the ground but eventually conditions started improving; not before some had more than 2 launches or re-started their engines within the start zone.

But the day did not live up to expectations with thermals not very strong or far apart. At Justin’s de-brief the following day (an Enterprise tradition) it was evident that wave was proving a major factor in the thermal structure, providing lines of lift but, as ever, areas of sink. Nevertheless, Simon Marriot’s Nimbus 4D managed 330k, next farthest was Justin with 253k, plus 7 other pilots exceeding 200k. Sam Fisher flying an LS4 final glided from Didcot, just making it home!

Simon’s account of “How I Did It”, as he collected the Day Winner’s prize, proved very entertaining; particularly the mention of spotting 2 Asda lorries on the M4 when very low and deciding to follow them as they would provide sufficient heat to keep their Nimbus 4 in the air!

Total distance flown by 22 pilots was 3,851k (averaging 175k per pilot) with 17 getting home.