by Dave Moore
Link to Skysailor (includes photos)

FTTF 2016 turned out to be a fantastic four days of fun and great flying over the Easter long weekend. Twenty-eight pilots turned up, plus their drivers, and the weather really played ball all weekend, with every day flyable. The emphasis of this comp is to have fun and encourage everyone to have a go; so tasks are always simple downwind goal flights, with distances aimed at being a challenge, yet acheivable on a floater.

This year we were in a different tow paddock which only just fitted the seven teams in the narrow, but very long, N/S paddock – luckily we had southerlies all weekend.

The forecast was looking really good for Day 1, so a 70km task to the north was set. As it turned out, the day didn’t prove quite as good as forecast, however, six pilots made it in. Notably, Emma Martin received the Gloat award for a her best ever XC and wore the ‘Gloat Cape’ with pride next morning.

Day 2 did not look as promising, with a front forecast to come through. After the morning briefing and daily prizegiving, there was a rush to get to the paddock to set up, where a 43km task was set. However, the front didn’t come to much and it turned out to be a cracker of a day, with 15 pilots making it in. The Gloat Cape went to Nick Wilson for making his first ever goal.

Day 3’s forecast was looking good, so another 70km task was on the cards. It paid to launch early as the conditions started to deteriorate later, with some high cloud shutting off the sun. Seven made goal, with the Gloat Cape going to ‘Kiwi Colin’ for making goal for the first time.

Finally a shorter task of just under 40km was set for the final day as most needed to drive back home that day. Not an easy day, with high cloud cover starting to shut things down. However, nine made goal with Neale Halsall blitzing it in and taking the leader’s cape.

We all met up one last time for a BBQ and prizegiving at the pub in town. All in all, a fantastic weekend and heaps of fun.

Special thanks to Scott Rawlings for his energetic and highly entertaining work as meet head and, of course, Ian McClelland and the Birchip Cropping Group for providing such an awesome tow paddock and being so welcoming to us all. See you next year.