The first day of the Ozone Caribbean Challenge got off to a slow start due to a strong SE wind. Timothy and Anthony Green, the acro twins, kept everyone entertained on launch by soaring up and testing out their new acro prototypes in front of the start area. By about 2pm the wind had decreased to a tolerable level, with nice lulls. Thermals were slightly windblown and disorganized, but several pilots were able to make respectable distances along the ridge, and a few chose to maximize their points by flying triangles (2x points) or out and returns (1.75x points). However, due to the stability of the conditions, most of the field landed close to launch.

DAY 2

Today was far better. Although cirrus and lenticulars on the horizon in the morning made it seem as though the wind would increase, the afternoon brought only an increase in cumulus activity and relatively light winds aloft. Most pilots got away from the hill and flew XC under a classic sky, with cloudbase at 2200m and beautiful cumulus stretching along the ridges and sparsely covering the valleys. Crop fires are plentiful here and make for good wind indicators, which is a crucial benefit due to the fact that the wind speed and direction varies widely throughout the region. The main launch is situated near a line of convergence that typically sets up just to the west, and provides excellent opportunities for crossing the wider sections of the valley. As of now the results are not in yet, but will be posted the moment they are final at www.CaribbeanXC.com