Close but no cigar

Yesterday again proved to be a tricky task.
After a good fast start and run to the first turn and part-way up the second, the cloud started to look not so good and the sky further ahead a little dim.
Picking the point to change gear worked well for me and I took a weaker than usual climb before moving on into the mountains. My track thendiffered slightly from Allan's and the gliders we were with and I found 4 knots to get me back to base. This proved valuable as I was able to move into the overdeveloped sky quite high. Allan eventually found a climb to get him back going again. After the second turn and another slow glide back to a climb we both came together again along with a lot of club class gliders. This climb got everyone goiong again, the sky started looking good and everyone got back into racing. The track into and out from the second turn was fast again and across the Martin valley and turning south the climbs just got better. There was a bit of airspace to be dodged and then it was becoming obvious the conditions ahead were changing. A large blue hole had developed on track with cus quite a bit West on the Prievidza ridges. Allan was a bit ahead by now and was tracking west of me toward the rigdes and cus. I was with a couple of other gliders tip-toeing across the start of the blue. The cu line looked good and I decided to divert. The cus were overdeveloped by the time we got there, and only 1 -2 knots was to be had with good energy joining the climbs though. At 7km from the turn and only 300ft below glide I decided I would do better making my glide up in the cruise so I ventured to the turn and came back under the cu. Now needing 800ft to get onto glide I found the cloud dead and the energy line gone... ooops.
I dribbled on searching for lift in the sun, top of gullies, all the right things. I actually has picked the change in wind direction too,finding the odd bubble and some reasonably good air improved the situation a bit. The situation wasn't good but ahead was a small cu above 2 wheat harvesters; yes!
Well, Slovakian harvesters just don't work the same as Australian ones and I ended up in the airfield not far from there. I could have just about limped home but one patch of sink would have had me beached-as.

with regards,

Mike