Next week is the last round of the British Paragliding Championships in St. Andre, France. This comp is well over subscribed with around 150 pilots attending, also the Dutch Nationals will run side by side at the same time. There will be many good pilots looking to secure their places on their National team.
I’ll be writing a run report daily as it unfolds, together with pictures and results…
KF
I’m currently in Spain for the first round of the British Championships. I’ll be posting run reports for the week as it happens.Task 1.Yesterday was the first task but was stopped on course due to rain in the goal field. I was in around 6-7th position when the task was stopped and really like my new Mercury 2008. :)Task 2
72km race to goal
cloud base around 2200m
Mark Watts, Craig Morgan, Jamie Messenger, South African Andrew Smith and myself led out at a fast pace towards the first turnpoint, some 20km to the south. We needed a climb near the turnpoint as the 2nd group were hot on our heels. We all climbed close to base and it was a pretty straight forward race to the next turnpoint (18km to the west). There was very little wind in all levels and the gaggles started to converge on the last but one turnpoint.
The lead and 2nd gaggles kept leap frogging each other until it was a long glide at base to the last turnpoint then off to goal. With just Craig and Mark low in front me I thought I had it in the bag, what I didn’t see was that the gaggle behind had gone off course and topped up with an 8:1 glide needed, I still needed 14:1, a 2m/s climb slowly got me to 9,8:1. With nothing to lose I pushed on, not wanting to lose anymore time. It nearly backfired when I made the 400m cylinder by just 3m. But in is in 
2hr 40mins.
Kai Coleman won the day with Craig landing just short on a risky final leg into goal although he should have taken the win. Mark Watts got stuck for a while though he had been leading out in superb form all day and arrived a little in goal.
Task 3
75km race to goal
2300m cloud base
After a scratchy start most pilots were away but with a cross wind and inversions it was tricky going towards and over the high ground, finally the lead gaggle got to base with Mark Watts again controlling the bulk.
Things were getting faster as we approached the dam around 30km out then I failed to connect with the climb a little too low and pushed on over the dam in 5m/s sink, after a few bleeps on the other side I pushed over the town and again nothing. Bernie Kelly and Andrew Smith got a weak climb but yet again I missed it being too low I landed, bummer!!!
After that blue whole it was pretty straight forward with around 60, yes 60 pilots in goal. Mark Watts came first over the line in 2hrs 30mins with Craig Morgan a very close second.
The forecast is unclear for the next few days. I have totally destroyed any chance of a podium place and slipped from 14th to shitsville, so have now nothing to lose the next days so will be pushing on as hard as I can for a task win.
Task 4
63km race to goal, zig-zag across the flats
few clouds, north wind and blue in flats
A very fickle start conditions just as the window opened created some dodgy launches but when the wind finally came on the hill I was off with only around 9mins until the race started, a good 7km away.
I managed over the next few climbs to find myself in the second gaggle of Mads, Adam Hill & a Spanish UP pilot. We quickly progressed towards the 1st & 2nd turnpoint before getting stuck and a 3rd larger gaggle came slightly over head. Then the race was on properly.
Out front and untouchable was Craig ‘the Craigl’ Morgan and Spanish crack Cecillio. Every time we closed the gap the climb would die and we’d be left scrabbling around in shits-ville 1’s and Zeros.
The crux of the flight was at around 10k out when the gaggle all together and just looking for one last top up before gunning in. The climb was weak at first but turned into something more substantial as pilots fought hard for every metre to get on glide slope.
With 8:1 needed Jon Chambers followed by myself left for goal, Wagga, Jamie Messenger and Kitt Rudd took a line further to the right. I went over a forest to the left. The gaggle stayed on in the climb. I managed to bounce into goal easily after another small climb. Kitt and Jamie landed short. Craig had been in for nearly 20mins before Wagga and I arrived. The gaggle gunned in 5mins later still.
Craig won the day followed by Cecilio, Wagga and myself in 4th place, not the task win I wanted by I’m happy with the decisions made and my performance.
Tomorrow is also looking good
The scores now showed that due to the PWC scoring system we are using Craig got 1000pts and myself and Wagga scored just 720 & 740pts, very harsh!!!
Task 5
63km race to goal
weak climbs in beginning then better later on, some clouds.
The wind was well on the hill early and an 22km start radius was set around the first turnpoint, 33km in the flats. After some scary gaggle moments over launch we left the mountains to head into the flats. Nothing was working as we were just a touch too early. I spotted Dave Snowden off to the left and climbing on the higher ground. It was a long way off so we carried on towards the lead gaggle over the town, just at the start gate. The climbs failed to get going so in desperation and only 250m above the ground the 20 strong gaggle headed left to the higher ground. We connected with something but it was very small and very weak.
Adrian Thomas went down here and it wasn’t looking good for us. Myself, Bernie Kelly, Wagga and Jamie Messenger wound up under a strong cloud and got away from the main gaggle. With only 6 pilots now in front of us and the flats working it was looking pretty good.
Then disaster!! 20km out from goal with only 6-7pilots in front of me my speed bar broke so I just glided to the final turnpoint with a good line. Everyone apart from Wagga, Mads, Craig, Mark Hayman and I down low and needing a great low save to get back in the game.
At the final turnpoint I hoped for the same buoyant line in but was met with only sink, 7:1 needed but NO chance at all. And without extra speed I just ate up all the sink. I landed 150m short of the line behind some power cables guarding the goal field. Bummer I would have been in 5th place and well on the pace. 75 pilots made goal, Wagga, Craig then Mads.
My fault for not replacing the line before it broke really so I wasn’t angry as I’d been on the money for most of the task. Pretty happy considering I had no airtime on my new AXIS Mercury 08 before the start of the comp.
Summary.
Pedro Bernardo was a fantastic comp, easy launches and very safe conditions. I’d love to go back. The climbs were on the whole were safe and organized without the huge sinky areas associated with Piedrahita plus hardly any airspace restrictions. In brief a poor result for me, 41st, but I had a great time and felt I was a little unlucky with the bomb on task 2 and just landing short the last day.
The standard of the guys in the lead gaggle has stepped up yet another gear this year with many pilots doing the PWC and it really showed. I probably won’t go to the Mynd as I have used both my discards and can’t justify the money to potentially sit in the rain/wind. However I’m really looking forward to locking horns with the boys again in the mountains…
KF