Sat 9/21 Bates Social

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Big social turnout at Bates. Most pilots were hoping for stronger conditions that never quite made an appearance.

I stopped by on my way back from Sam's XC running meet at Lake Casitas via the 101. Very little wind in Ventura about noonish, but the direction was good at Bates with pilots marginally staying up on the main ridge. Came back about 3ish and 4 or 5 pilots were even with launch on the main ridge.

It lulled and got cross, which cleared the air. A couple pilots tried by went to the beach. I did a retrieve to lower Bates. By the time we got back John Greynald was putting the tips in his HG. The direction was better and the velocity picked up to about 10ish, so I suited up and gave it a try a little before 4.

Got close to 3 hundred MSL a couple of times, but also had to grovel below ridge line in the lulls. Some clouds came over and cooled down the thermal block, letting the wind come in. Got a little above 4 hundred over the beach a few times, but not nearly high enough to jump. John Greynald was above 5 for awhile, but most of the other HGs topped about 4ish. Probably a half a dozen HGs flew, and maybe 10 PGs, but most of the PGs flew earlier. Landed on the terrace below launch and packed up at Viola Fields around 5 PM.

There was some expressed concern about possible strong wind blowing through. The forecast was calling for the wind to build late in the day. it wasn't blowing very hard in the middle of the channel until late afternoon . We did have some light white caps, but it was fading after 4:40ish. It blew stiffer in SB by 2 PM, then went quite before building strong from the NNW. Some of the HG had their speed wings out, but it was a better day to be loaded light at Bates.

Saturday's weather was a bit of a curve ball, catching everyone off guard. It started overcast with a deep marine layer similar to Friday, but it started clearing quickly and the mountains likely had good XC potential by noon before it transitioned to lowering cloudbase and more wind by late afternoon.

In addition to the fall equinox occurring at 4:44 tomorrow, Sunday is forecasted to be our first post frontal day of the season. There is wind in the forecast, but with plenty of sunshine we should have a good lapse rate by 10 am or earlier, so it may block below ridge line in the heat of the day. West wind is forecasted to blow through later in the day, so there may be another opportunity at Bates on Sunday, but it is likely to eventually blow out for PGs (unless you have a speed wing?).