Ditch the gaggle
Going into the last day at the 2010 WGC I was in the top 10. Ron Tabery and I were flying very well together and our scores proved it. It was pre-start and probably 20 Minutes before our thought about start time. I was on the top of the gaggle, let’s say 500 ft below cloudbase... but I was on-top and it was glorious. Ron was right below me and all we needed to do was wait. However, the entire open class was packing into the top of that gaggle. A few left but we were waiting. I did not want to keep doing this for the next 15 min. So I left to find a less occupied thermal. The sky cycled, everyone left and I could not get a climb. Now I was frustrated and there was no lift to climb in. I had gone the opposite direction of the course line so even getting a low start was impossible.
With a way too late of a start, I pushed it too far in the turn areas and the day died before I had final glide. That is how leaving the gaggle cost me a top 10 finish.
A previous day at the same WGC, I had gotten behind the gaggle while Ron was with the gaggle and calling out climbs and locations. I was catching up because the weather was getting weak and most everyone was shifting into survival mode as we all knew we were not going to be landing at home today. I took a different path that leads me to better air and found a climb that was double what they had. Ron made a run for me, we climbed together and got a huge height advantage on the gaggle, when we all met up at the next turn Ron and I were on top of the fast gaggle (ahead of the main group). It was glorious, all of a sudden we were surrounded by pilots with IGC rankings in the single digits (the International Gliding Council ranks pilots based on their performance at the contest). With that extra height, Ron won the day.
Sean Franke and I were at the club class WGC in 2014 and we thought we had a good opportunity to ditch. But we failed the key rule to ditching the gaggle. If you ditch the gaggle they better not catch you again... I thought it would be a clean breakaway but the group of clouds was not as reliable as the deviation under the cloudstreet. The next time we saw the gaggle they were a lot higher than us. It was sad and frustrating. We eventually caught back up with the tail end of the gaggle but we were no longer on the top leading out.
If you just push out of the gaggle trying to make a jump, you can almost count on the gliders behind finding the thermal you missed. Now with FLARM, you can even see them climbing. Then you just make sure you find a better one and all is good. A few gliders can be fast because they can search more air, center faster, and have more ideas.
Gaggles can also be very inefficient because the climb rate is decreased with everyone getting in each other's way. Centering the thermal takes longer because there is someone in your way. People have a fear of leading out so they hold back and let the climb rate dwindle to something low.
What I have found is other like-minded pilots will also get frustrated with this and will leave at the appropriate time. Generally what happens is a few pilots can break away, as the gaggle is less efficient each time the gaggle catches up you are higher in it, eventually breaking free. But this is a multi-hour en-devour. Ideally perfectly timed to happen before final glide. Or at least you are near the top of the gaggle when it comes to final glide.
Remember Pez D. Spencer great sailplane racing pilot LLL, Leave Last and Leech.
Banner Photo: Chris Hiller
Garret Willat holds a flight instructor rating with over 8000 hours in sailplanes. His parents have owned Sky Sailing Inc. since 1979. He started instructing the day after his 18th birthday. Since then, Garret has represented the US Junior team in 2003 and 2005. He graduated from Embry-Riddle with a bachelor's degree in Professional Aeronautics. Garret represented the US Open Class team in 2008 and 2010 and the Club Class team in 2014. Garret has won 3 US National Championships.