Click image for more pics!Lee and Cornell soar again

We thought we'd try a new site today and made the 40min drive from Timarai to Jaco.

Jaco was Costa Rica's first developed beach resort, when it was put on the map by wintering Canadian charter groups. Everything lines the main strip which parallels a three-kilometer long beach.

Overlooking the town is an abandoned housing development site with bare plots dotting the side of the 600'+ ridge, complete with a paved road clear to the top!

Just as we found the launch area, a rare, beautiful scarlet macaw flew past - another good sign? Again, the takeoff was flat but the cycles were stronger than the other sites so that was good. Since it was our first time at this site, I elected to fly first and check out the conditions. The multi-fielded LZ was within easy glide range but the main body of the ridge extended parallel to the wind, so there were definite areas to avoid once away from the takeoff.

After an easy reverse launch I flew for about 10mins, finding some punchy lift out front as well as in a bowl further towards Jaco. There was a good wind blowing through the valley behind the LZ which made landing easy.

I radioed up for Lee to launch and he was soon working the same bowl that I found lift in. After about 10mins, he too, landed.

Cornell's turn but he took a bad line and, no sooner was he off the ground, but a papaya tree got in the way! Nothing hurt but his pride and he was all ready for another attempt by the time Natalie had retrieved Lee and I (nice short turn-around!). Natalie and Brett had decided to take the day off from flying.

Click image for more pics!On his second attempt, Cornell again took the same line but luckily missed the papaya tree, and was away! After some guiding on the radio, he was making multiple passes in front of launch as the conditions improved, and soon he was looking down on us.

Lee laid out and joined Cornell in the air and they both soared together, with Lee at one point getting over 400' ato. Once they had both landed, I had the last flight, also climbing well over launch, and landing about 30mins later. Lee was kiting in the fresh LZ breeze when I touched down, happy with his flight.

We still had plenty of daylight left, and decided to give Jaco a try where we enjoyed a nice lunch and a quick peak at the beach, before heading back to Timarai for our now standard sunset surfing.

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