Monarca First Task

Today was the official start of the Monarca and the first task. Very busy on launch with everybody scrambling around for space and trying to get organized. The race seems like it is very organized this year on launch and at HQ. The start today was at 12:50pm with the first 15minutes free for all to launch before the highest ranked pilots had to start launching. I launched within this time. Without going in to too much minutiae about the flight... I had a very good start at cloudbase when the cylinder opened. A couple of times waiting for the start I had to big ear and speed bar to get out of the clouds. There was an abundance of lift over the start at Espina and Rob S. was there with me for some good Eagle juju. The task was from Espina 2k to Espina 400m, back to launch, then to 3 Kings, La Casa, Penon, Ramon and then LZ 1280 near the go kart track. Lots of criss crossing over the mesa and back out front. I managed to stay just behind the lead gaggle going back to launch and then to 3 Kings. Somehow I managed to get low coming back from the 3 Kings and grovelled while lots of people caught up to me. Finally squeaking out of Maguey (thanks to B. Hughes) and back in to the convergence line by myself, I crossed the mesa to La Casa. Too bad at La Casa the clouds had gotten so dark there was tons of sink and very weak lift I couldnt manage to piece together. I ended up tagging La Casa then dirting shortly thereafter near Andy P. Meredyth landed at La Casa also and we ended up near the same point via entirely different lines, funny how that works. I think about 15 pilots made it to goal and lots of people landing before La Casa or just after towards Penon. A really fun task but if you were low in the long shade cycle you were done for. We'll see what tommorrow holds for us.
SM