Dragon Hike and Fly Race 2020

Dragon Hike and Fly 2020

Concept

A hike and fly adventure race lasting 2 days. It starts and ends in the Abergavenny area, or another local village – as dictated by the weather.

Key dates

Briefing on Friday 21st August at 1900, Start at 0800 on Saturday 22nd August, Finish at 1600 on Sunday 23rd August.

Registration is open from 01st February and along with payment must take place via the Crickhowell Paragliding website before then registering on LT24.   

The Arena

The task is flexible and will depend on wind and weather conditions.

The Rules

At the start of the race, several turn points will be selected by the Race Director depending on weather forecasts and have to be reached in order from the start.

How?

Only 2 two ways of travelling are allowed, by flying with your glider or by foot, carrying it! The race is closed at night between 8:30 pm and 7:00 am. The competitor can be followed by an assistant, although this is not mandatory.

Why?

This is a gathering of like-minded pilots in the Hike and Fly format. This race is inspired by the famous X-Alps but the rules make it much more accessible. For those pilots who are not necessarily competition minded, the introduction of this “sprint” format will give them the boost necessary to start in this adventure.

1. ORGANISATION

1.1. Organiser and Race Director

The Organiser is Crickhowell Paragliding Ltd and The Race Director is Alistair Andrews.

1.2. Hike and Fly conditions The pilots are responsible for making decisions regarding walking and flying routes; This analysis must be at the forefront of their minds at all times.

1.3. Situation in the event of postponement or cancellation

If weather conditions look to be particularly unfavourable, the race organiser reserves the right to reschedule the start of the race. Equally, they can stop the race at any time during the task. In this case, pilots will be advised by SMS and Telegram.

2. PILOTS

2.1 General conditions of participation – Be aged over 18 years – Be certified BHPA pilot rated, or suitably experienced at the Race Director’s discretion. – Have a Tandem qualification if flying tandem

Pilots have personal accident insurance. The Team Evol Paragliding Ltd or it’s directors accept no liability for any accident or personal injury to competitors or supporters during the event. Entry will be confirmed upon payment and receipt of a completed entry form. A maximum of 40 entries will be accepted.

2.2 Rules of the race

– The pilot must carry their flying equipment at all times

– The pilot is only allowed one set of equipment for the 2 days of the race. In case of damage and after application to the organiser, the pilot may be allowed to change equipment.

– The pilot must fly in conditions adapted to their level of skill and fatigue. He is responsible for his own decisions.

2.3 Rules of travel

– Pilots are only allowed to travel on foot or by air, any other form of movement is prohibited i.e. swimming or climbing.

– The Country Code must be respected.

2.4 Flying rules

– Violation of controlled airspace will result in the immediate disqualification of the pilot.

– The pilot must be able to provide a trace or GPS Live Tracking of all hiking and flights. In the event that a track, or part of a track, cannot be produced, the pilot can expect to be disqualified.

– Pilots will obey air law, and as this is a competition – cloud flying is forbidden. -. 2.5 Application of penalties

The organiser reserves the right to give penalties according to the severity and intent behind any cheating. All pilots who are suspected of cheating may expect a penalty, if not serious, or for more serious offence – disqualification. A penalty may also be given in the case that the organiser thinks the conduct of the pilot was dangerous for their health (flying in strong winds or thunderstorms). This penalty may be applied during the race or later after verification of the tracks.

3.ASSISTANTS

3.1 How?

Each pilot may have an assistant. A pilot cannot change his assistant during the race, except after asking for the approval of the organiser. An assistant can support any two pilots during the race. The assistant must perform the following tasks:

3.2 Role and tasks

The assistant is responsible for the logistics and strategy of the race for his pilot(s). He cannot carry their material specified later in these rules. If he did, it would end in the disqualification of the pilot. He is also the link between the organiser and the pilot, He must regularly advise the position and condition of his pilot(s) to update the organiser. He must arrange meeting points with the organisers and relay any safety information. He calls for rescue in the event of pilot difficulty. If the pilot needs care or is injured then the assistant must contact the organiser.

3.3 Availability of the assistant

The assistant must be contactable 24 hours during the race by mobile phone. In order to communicate with pilots, the organiser will go through the assistant (or direct to the pilot if no assistant is used).

3.4 Media

Assistant or the pilot should send the organisers news as and when possible. This news can be sent via Telegram or E-mail and be in the form of a few lines of information about the pilot (text, thoughts, strategic choices …) and or photos / video.

4. REGISTRATION

4.1. How to register

Register your entry at http://goteamevol.com/dragon-hike-and-fly-race-2020/ and then once you've bought a ticket via https://www.livetrack24.com/events/DragonHikeandFly2020/register/en. Any registration questions can be forwarded to alistair@goteamevol.com

4.2. Registration fees

The registration fee (£50) includes: – Safety Management – Contribution to prize fund – End of race party.

4.5. The safety reporting

All registered pilots or their assistants must, by SMS or Telegram no later than 30 minutes after the finish of the race on Saturday and Sunday report with location in dd.dddd format and a short update of the pilot’s condition. This will prevent the organisers from needlessly launching SAR Ops. The absence of a safety report will be considered a serious rule infringement resulting in the disqualification of the pilot. Procedure for pilot withdrawal: If a pilot wishes to withdraw from the race, they must immediately inform the organisers who will then remove them from the pilot list.

4.6 Deadline / Time Race / Night rest time / Rest Time

For safety reasons, pilots cannot fly during the night hours and must always stop the race overnight. Race times will be confirmed at the briefing.

4.7 Emergencies

Upon landing, the pilot must pack up immediately. An unfolded paraglider means: “I NEED HELP”. A pilot flying near a pilot in difficulty should give assistance or warn other pilots and the organiser ASAP. Any assistance given will be rewarded in kind by the organiser. Police must be notified on 999 and the race organiser will decide whether or not it is appropriate to continue the event.

4.8 The ranking

– Each pilot should have at least one tracking point in each cylinder.

– In case of non-validation of the turn point, the pilot must return to the missed point in order to progress.

– The final ranking will be in the order of arrival of the pilots at the ESS. The winner is the one who has completed the course the most quickly.

– In case no pilot makes it around the entire route, the ranking will be based on the remaining distance to reach the goal. The distance will be taken if the pilot is on the ground or in the air at the deadline.

– A provisional classification will be available at the end of the race, pending checks of all pilot track logs.

4.9 Doping

Any doping is strictly prohibited.

4.10 Respect for the environment

Each pilot and assistant must leave no trace of their passage over the ground and respect the environment in which they operate. If pilots are caught dropping litter they will be disqualified.

5. FLIGHT EQUIPMENT

5.1. Mandatory Flying Equipment

Competitors are responsible for their equipment choice and must fly a certified glider within its recommended weight range.

Whether flying or hiking, the following must be carried:

– Rucksack – Reserve parachute – Helmet. – Mobile phone charged and turned on – GPS – Paraglider – Back Protection – Survival kit (blanket, lamp) – Map(s) All of this equipment must be in possession of the pilot at all times during the race. The race committee may inspect the equipment at any time.

It is not possible to change the flight hardware, except in cases of damage to the equipment declared with permission of the race organisers. 5.2 Strongly recommended hardware

– Gloves, telescopic poles, extra clothes, compass, knife, sunscreen, first aid kit, VHF Radio.

5.3 Live Tracking

Pilots are encouraged to carry a live tracking device and inform the organisers of their Livetrack 24, Delorme, Spot etc ID.

All pilots and assistants must install and become familiar with the Telegram Mobile App as this will be used for most tracking, comms and pilot monitoring by the organisers.

5.4 GPS

Each pilot is responsible for his GPS and batteries. GPS: The GPS trace format IGC UTM WGS84 format, must be provided to the organisers for evidence
of the journey made by the pilot. The supplied GPS track must be at least: – 1 point every minute air – 1 point every 200 m on the ground Each pilot must provide the appropriate cables for unloading their traces to the PC.

6. COURSE

6.1 The itinerary:

The course is completed by hiking or flying through the turnpoints defined in the briefing by the race director. The route will be selected based on aesthetic considerations and weather over a distance ranging from 75 to 150 km.

6.2 The Turnpoints:

To be considered tagged, TPs must be passed within the radius given at the briefing. The list of TPs will be given during the pilot briefing by the Race Director. Each pilot must be able to enter GPS coordinates in their GPS units.