DAY THREE IN A TWIN

Today looks good activity building and a 120km triangular task. Warahoa to Lower Waitoa up by the swamp, down to Tirau and home. I would be with Trevor Terry in his Duo Discus. Last off the grid and we found lift hard to find scratching around down as low as 1000ft before finally getting up to 3000. It took an age but everyone was struggling. We eventually crossed the start and headed north stopping a few times on the way to top up, not something Trevor approved of but we Whenuapai folk are used to taking whatever we can get. We took a big climb up by Waitoa Dairy Factory before heading for the middle of the swamp and a booming 9 knot thermal. We moseyed out the far side of the swamp and back across to the Te Aroha corner for another boomer and on to the ridge. Around high point we followed out under a cloud street catching a 4 knotter on the way and onto Tirau. By Tirau we were getting down and promising looking clouds turned out to be disappointing. Here I experienced first hand the debilitating effects of dehydration. I had not drunk anywhere near enough and my flying had become very ragged, my decision making poor and slow. Trevor had recognised the symptoms some time before and waited for me to do the same. He passed the drink and I felt better. We headed back and picked up a weak thermal around spud patch enough for a final glide home. Not my proudest moment, made worse as Trevor had spoken of dehydration effects that morning.