DGS News “How I did It”. 300km Diamond Goal–Ged Nevisky

Looking at rasp on Fri. afternoon, its predicting 4 or 5 stars for the whole of southern England including the south west, Lasham is saying its a 500k possibly a 750k this has got to be the day for a 300k from Brentor.
Spent Fri evening getting everything ready, up at 6.30 check Notams double check I’ve got everything and off. At the airfield by 8.00, others are already here getting the kit out so get the glider guider and start putting the task in BRT-CKL-BRT 301k out and return.

Mike Jardine arrives he's going to try silver distance to North Hill so we have a quick chat and start rigging the gliders, whilst were rigging Don arrives so we let him know our intentions and I get him to sign my declaration.

This photo of Ged in the Open Cirrus was taken on a previous occasion at Brentor 

Out to the launch point by 10.30 and line up behind the K13, stuff some sandwiches down and get everything ready in the glider, K13 launches and starts thermalling over the launch point, time to go.
straight off the launch and join Don in the thermal its a good one and I take it right up to cloudbase 2500ft not very high but the forecast says it will improve later so off I go, I decide to go round the moor because of the low cloudbase even though it looks good over the moor. I need to keep topping up and have to climb twice before I even get to Okehampton but thermals are good and plentiful, this is going to be a long day. I work my way slowly along the track and its only when I get to Honiton I start to climb a bit higher, that's better I don’t have to stop as often and can try dolphining more which is improving the speed. ( only 42kph so far)

Open Cirrus on the wire

I work my way east avoiding the airspace of Merryfield, Yeovilton and Yeovil and share several thermals with other gliders, there’s lots out today and finally I can head straight for the turnpoint. Cloudbase is over 3500ft now, I can see the park to the north( I was there last week for the ICL) and take one last climb before the turnpoint which gets me round and on my way home, I’m still not convinced I’m going to make it because I’ve had a couple of heart stopping moments where I’ve got a bit low and had to scratch away again and the exe valley can be tricky to cross but at least I’m now making the retrieve shorter.

I go south of Yeovilton but as I’m over 4000ft I go straight over Yeovil and after passing Merryfield decide to go north of Dunkeswell as the sky is looking better that way.

Before I know it I’m at Crediton and the climbs are still good, I am now thinking I might make it. I have a good climb at Whiddon Down which takes me to 4750ft the highest of the task and suddenly the Glider Guider pings and tells me I’m on final glide ‘wow’ perhaps I will make it after all, but I decide to take one further climb just before Okehampton just to make sure because it is looking dark and overcast ahead, I cut the corner of the moor near Okehampton camp and sweep down the side of the moor arriving back at 1300ft a quick circuit and land.

Take off 11.01 land 16.30  5hrs 29mins. What a flight.

Ged