Poor piss planning

Having been on duty on Saturday while nobody at NGC was making use of the weather that allowed huge flights in the rest of the country - nothing was going to stop me flying on Sunday.

I arrived at 10 and was rigged pretty quickly thanks to Jo Hoy's patience. The forecast wind and the actual wind suggested pushing straight into wind was the best option so I declared Crowland Bridge o/r for 189km as RASP had looked "a bit funny" - I think this was probably a sign of streeting and occasional over development and later wave influence as the wind went more NWly.

Launching at 12:15 into a 2kt climb to 3,000 was enough to call a start and begin pushing up wind - as always the first good energy line ran straight towards Old Buckenham - so I called them on 124.40 and was allowed through - obviously too windy for meat bombs.

The fist need to climb came a few k short of Scoulton where 4kt average took me quickly to 3,500 and then it was off following the energy with the pull ups and slow downs under the cu keeping me high thought the 20kt head wind was knocking down the xc speed. At this stage I realised I should have put water on and thinking of water - oh f**k no pee bags!

At Wisbeach I had enough height to run in and make the turn lowish at about 1,500' and start what was promising to be a quick romp home - but 5kt 12km out had to be taken so I turned at a very conservative 3,500' - making the first leg 1hr 30m for 62kph.

The return leg was a breeze - after topping up 15km after the turn to 4,700' the next glide was 50km to the edge of D208 with an achieved L/D of 100:1. Arriving at the Danger area at 2,700' I needed some extra to take me over the top, and another 5kts to 4,000 left me 1,000 over a 3kt M/C final glide - most of it at Vra as it was rough - the leg taking 40m for 152kph and an overall speed of 88kph.

Any lessons to learn?

1) Preparation - there were pee bags in the trailer
2) Water - you can always dump it - can't dump it if it isn't there
3) Optimism - I feel that the minimum I should have declared was 300km

Ladder Posting here