SAFA Skysailor Magazine

22 SKY SAILOR September | October 2023 PWC Aksaray, Turkey – 30 July to 5 August 2023 by Ruth Jessop Aksaray is near Cappadocia, in the hot dry plains of Turkey. With strong thermals, Aksaray is an exciting competition and a truly stunning venue, with take-off on the flanks of the spectacular Hasan Dagi (3270m) dormant volcano. Apart from the rugged, conical mountain launch, the flying is mainly over hot, dry, arid flatlands, with small hills and some impressive gorges. Task 1 – 30 July With blue skies and a forecast of strong winds on the plains, a 74km task with two TPs was set. The route took pilots south, then east to goal over the arid plains. Pilots struggled to get high above the famous Hasan Dagi volcano. Between TP 1 and 2 the wind really picked up, giving quite a few pilots a bumpy landing. Some pilots went closer into the slopes of the volcano, others stuck more to the optimum line. The microclimate of the volcano, with the wind going round it, meant the initial north wind changed to a SE headwind by the time pilots arrived in goal. This created a lot of sinky lines for the last 15km of the race. A challeng- ing task due to the constantly changing wind direction and speed – 66 pilots made goal.