300Km Diamond Goal

I had been following the weather forcasts and RASP while Offshore the week i was due to return home, by Tuesday it was starting to indicate that the weekend was going to be promising. I had also arranged to meet a chap called Jon at Bicester either Saturday or Sunday to look at a trailer he had available for sale fitted out for a Mosquito. I returned home Thursday and by now the forcast seemed like the weekend would be to good to miss out on either day so i called Jon and asked if he would be about Friday, he was but not until 6pm. So we arranged i would go over to Bicester and meet him there at 6pm Friday evening that way i could get the trailer and bring it back to Tibenham and stay in the caravan ready for the weekend.
I arrive back at Tibenham around 11pm friday night with my new trailer.
Saturday weather wise was a bit of a disapointment although I flew for 3 hours which was all quite local soaring but at least it gave me more time under my belt with the Mosquito. I left the Mossi rigged over night and Sunday morning I was up and about around 8.30 am I had not had chance to check forcast or RASP and my initial thought at that time was that it was going to be much like Saturday. I wondered over to the glider and wiped off the condensation, fitted the batterys etc, then lent a hand to James and Tim rigging the Cirrus. Tim asked me if i was going to go for a 300Km today I repiled that i didnt think the conditions where going to be that great! Tim replied no its going to be a stonking day im planning a 500, Tom Smith a 750 and James a 300. Hmm...If Tim Davies and Tom Smith are planning such long XC flights its going to be good for sure!..I better get planning.
Tim advised me that the best bet was Silverston out & return. That seemed a good idea only the one turn point and heading west into the better conditions.
I ended up faffing around for quite some time with one thing or another and then when i was ready we switched runways which took a bit more time. By now it was getting late and i really didnt want to still be on the ground.
I eventually launched at 12.30pm iwas towed up into some decent lift and released early at about 1800 ft. I minced about for a while until contacted some better lift and got a good climb which took me to around 3500 ft enough to start pushing out to the west on track.
Conditions soon became better en' route, climbs much stronger and the cloud base lifting.
It seemed slow going and the wind direction more westerly at altitude. I was keeping an eye out for Chris Lawrence, James Francis and Dave Taylor who where also doing the same task but they where almost an hour ahead. As i arived near Bedford i stopped for a good climb and i think it was here i spotted Dave Taylor in his LS4 in the thermal below me. I took the climb until the lift started to reduce at around 4200 ft and set full negative flap and pushed out again on track through a bit of a blue patch. Time was getting on now and i was very aware that i could be heading back into the sea breeze front. I tried to pick the pace up a bit and not take unnecessary climbs.
I eventually arrived at Silverstone TP at 16.30pm 4 hrs after launching. I was rewarded with the best climb yet right over the track. I hauled into the thermal turn and set full pos flap the altimeter wound up to 5600ft until i was in the whisps of the freshly developed cloud. Just what i needed to set me on my way back as there was now quite a large gap of blue between Sivlerstone and the next climb on track.
The home run was much quicker and i was lucky to find most lift on track. As i passed Cambridge conditions seemed to be getting more stable clouds less defined and climbs weaker. I was looking out in the distance to the east to see if i could make out the blue line of the sea breeze front approaching and my immanent land out, but for now I seemed safe.
The Km's dropped down on the GPS and before long i found myself at Lakenheath / Mildenhall. I took a climb which was looking to be my last. I could just make out the smoke rising from the Maltings from here. I had 30 Km to go and 4500ft. the next climb was in the direction of diss which would take me off track when i was quite close to home. I started to head out that way but it soon became apparent that it was going to be no problem making it back home so i pointed the nose back towards the airfield for the final glide, arriving overhead at about 2600ft. No flashy Racing finishes but at least i had the 300k in the bag.
It was now 18.45 pm so the task took me 6hrs 15 mins.
5 mins after i landed Tom Smith arrived dumping water on a low racing finish to his 750 Awsome!