7 years ago (2017-01-21 21:53:39) :
     Its been a great task and the last pilots are now back. The scores are ready.

In the end we had an amazing 94 in the goal. So far we have had 4 days and 4 tasks - lets hope the weather continues to favour us

The results are now available to view online - we start again tomorrow morning.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 19:41:58) :
     L

7 years ago (2017-01-21 19:21:02) :
     Big commiserations to Benedicte Saury who landed just short of goal - very not fair on your birthday. Her partner Olivier Henry got to goal so he'll definitely be cooking dinner tonight!

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:53:55) :
     The next 2 ladies have just made end of speed: Keiko Hiraki and M

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:45:50) :
     Maxime Pinot has just made it to goal after a long task and a bold attack on the end of speed section. One of the most difficult decisions to make is when to go for it at the end, Maxime got it right today.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:42:09) :
     The first 50 pilots have just landed in goal - that's a lot of paragliders!

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:37:13) :
     The first 10 pilots have now landed in goal.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:36:35) :
     Maxime Pinot is now at 823 m so he should have no problems getting to goal from there.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:35:40) :
     Adrian Hachen has just landed in goal after 101 km. Well done.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:34:04) :
     Nicole Fedele has just made end of speed and will be the second woman into goal.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:32:58) :
     54 have got past end of speed, most of whom look as if they will get to goal comfortably.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:32:23) :
     Maxime Pinot is in a nice climb now and looks as if he is out of danger.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:31:53) :
     Felix Rodriguez Fernandez and Adrian Hachen are comfortably high and should make goal.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:31:01) :
     Maxime is turning in a very week climb, 1.1 m/s desperately trying to get round through the lee of the hill.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:29:37) :
     Maxime Pinot was first past the end of speed section but now urgently needs a climb. The others are climbing.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:28:47) :
     The top 40 have all got the end of speed section. It's quite sinky around goal in the lee of take-off.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:27:25) :
     They are now coming into end of speed thick and fast.%D%AMaxime Pinot is very low and is going to have to look for a climb to convert his distance points, which currently have a bar through them, into time points when he reaches goal.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:25:51) :
     Felix Rodriguez Fernandez, Aaron Durogati, Andreas Malecki, Luc Armant, Klaudia Bulgakow and Adrian Hachen have got end of speed.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:24:27) :
     Maxime Pinot and Luca Donini have just taken the end of speed, with Maxime slightly ahead.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:23:42) :
     Tim Bollinger has got a climb in the quarry but it is probably a bit late to catch the lead gaggle.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:23:01) :
     Klaudia Bulgakow is right up there with the leaders too - go Klaudia.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:22:21) :
     It looks as if Tim Bollinger has got low and a bit stuck.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:21:45) :
     They're off on final glide led by Luca Donini and Maxime Pinot.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:20:19) :
     The leaders are currently trying to climb before going for the final glide, Adrian Hachen is high and in a commanding position.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:18:55) :
     Julien Wirtz is also a coach, like Stephane Drouin, he will be trying to catch his prodigy T

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:15:17) :
     Veteran French pilot Stephane Drouin who is a coach for some of the up and coming young French pilots will be really trying to give it his all in the last 10 kms to end of speed - one of his students, Martin Rebord, is just ahead of him.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:11:56) :
     Good to see World and European Champion Honorin Hamard back in the top 3 after a few not so successful days.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:05:34) :
     Manuel Quintanilla is out in front but very low.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 18:02:45) :
     Primoz Susa is currently in 2nd place. He did a big vol biv across the Balcans with Aaron Durogati last summer, flying 170 km one day. He was also 5th in the 2016 PWC in Italy - one to watch.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 17:59:04) :
     They've got a bit of a head wind as they fly back to GV, the leaders are constantly changing as they are all so close together combined with the slight time delay on the live tracking.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 17:47:54) :
     Russell Ogden is leading a group more to the east - all that XAlps training obviously paid off.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 17:45:43) :
     Maxime Pinot and Manuel Quintanilla are battling it out behind Samuel Nascimento but taking a more easterly route.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 17:43:26) :
     Samuel Nascimento's tracker is back on line and he is right out in front taking the middle line back to GV, end of speed and goal.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 17:41:00) :
     The sky has really opened out this afternoon with sunshine but light cirrus, lots of thermals so it should be nice conditions for the pilots on their last leg back towards end of speed and goal.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 17:36:58) :
     Maxime Pinot and Michael Sigel appear to have taken the lead but we aren't sure where Samuel Nascimento is as his tracker has gone off line.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 17:26:02) :
     The top 30 have got the turn point virtually all together.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 17:24:50) :
     Luc Armant has also just taken the turn point, along with Charles Cazaux, Julien Wirtz, Tilen Ceglar, Michael Sigel, Thomas Gury, Clement Latour, Yoshiki Kuremoto, Aaron Durogati and Tim Rochas

7 years ago (2017-01-21 17:14:23) :
     Samuel Nascimento has got the turn point, he's a km ahead of the the others, and still pushing forward on his own.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 17:10:29) :
     It looks as if world distance record holder Samuel Nascimento is going to get the 2nd turn point 1st.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 17:03:38) :
     A bigger gaggle have decided to stay further south: Aaron Durogati, Maxime Pinot, Joachim Oberhauser, Russell Ogden, Bjornar Trondsen, Thomas Gury, Clement Latour and Marc Wensauer.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 17:00:58) :
     Samuel Nascimento and Rafael Saladini are flying the course line towards turn point 2.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 16:55:02) :
     Paragliding isn't just about how well you can fly your paraglider it's about how well you can concentrate and keep concentrating for every second that you are in the air. Over a ten day comp it isn't that easy. It's only day 4 but a lot of the pilots have already flown a lot of kilometres.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 16:51:02) :
     It would appear that Maxime Pinot has bought himself a jet engine for today's task.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 16:45:16) :
     The top 80 pilots have all got the 1st turn point, once again today is going to be a very close competition.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 16:42:50) :
     Hot on the trailing edge of Russel's Zeno's trailing edge is day 1 and 2 winner Tim Bollinger on his Boomerang 11.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 16:41:25) :
     As the paraglider flies, along the course line, Russell Ogden is currently winning. We didn't see much of Russel in the comps last year - rumour had it that he was training for a place in the XAlps.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 16:38:18) :
     Yassen Savov's route down a chain of relief proved slower but maybe suited him better. He's never been afraid to chose his own route and fly on his own and he certainly proved that today. This is what makes him more than capable of winning tasks and comps.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 16:33:28) :
     The order that pilots take the turn point doesn't reflect their place along the course line, those who took it further to the west now have further to fly to get to turn point 2 which is to the east.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 16:32:04) :
     Tilen Ceglar, Russell Ogden, Jungman Choi, Bjornar Trondsen and Torsten Siegel have all taken the first turn point.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 16:29:44) :
     Luc Armant has just taken the turn point, I bet the vultures are very impressed by his Zeno 2 today.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 16:28:49) :
     It looks as if Gin test pilot Michael Sigel, Klaudia Bulgakow, Semih Sayir who had a bit of a bouncy take off and Jonathan Marin are going to be the next to take the turn point.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 16:24:38) :
     Samuel Nascimento has got the turn point and is now going to head east to turn point 2

7 years ago (2017-01-21 16:23:19) :
     It looks as if Samuel Nascimento's route to the west has paid off and he's going to get the turn point first.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 16:19:09) :
     Michael Sigel and Andreas Malecki are following a line of hills to the east of the course line. They are all approaching the first turn point, who will get there first?

7 years ago (2017-01-21 16:17:22) :
     Maxime Pinot and Pablo Rodarte are still leading the gaggle in the middle

7 years ago (2017-01-21 16:15:56) :
     Ozone designer and test pilot Luc Armant and French champion Jonathan Marin are flying together much further to the west of the course line, taking a completely different route. This task has really spread everyone out.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 16:12:53) :
     Maxime Pinot's tracker has just come back on line and it looks like he's taken the lead, he flew really well last year. He won the Monarco Open in Mexico in 2016. He was 1st in the French PWC (in top 5 in all 3 tasks) and won the 2014 Super Final in Turkey very convincingly - one to watch.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 16:06:08) :
     Young Gin test pilot Idris Birch, reigning Super Final Champion and current competition leader Stefan Wyss and Francisco Javie Reina Lagos who has a proven track record of flying well here are at the front leading the way to the first turn point.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 15:53:52) :
     Luc Armant and Adrian Hachen are just ahead of the gaggle which is following the route slightly to the east of the course line.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 15:47:05) :
     Brazilian pilot Samuel Nascimento, world distance record holder (564 km), is out in front on his own to the west of the course line.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 15:43:10) :
     It'll be interesting to see where the 3 amigos (Yassen Savov, Manuel Quintanilla , Maxime Bellemin) who are coming round the mountains will pop up as I strongly suspect that their trackers are a bit behind due to the mountainous terrain they are flying over.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 15:38:10) :
     Joachim Oberhauser, Julian Robinson and Damien Lacaze are right at the front with Yury Mishanin

7 years ago (2017-01-21 15:36:34) :
     Veteran Russian pilot Yury Mishanin is right up at the front. He's flying very well at the moment and fully on form, he was 4th yesterday and is lying 6th overall.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 15:32:23) :
     Jurij Vidic and Stefan Wyss have got a bit more height now so most pilots are above 1100 - 1200 m.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 15:30:17) :
     Yassen Savov, Manuel Quintanilla and Maxime Bellemin are in higher more mountainous terrain than those sticking to the course line.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 15:27:04) :
     It's worth noting that the pilots further back, behind the top ten are about 200 - 300m higher.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 15:24:53) :
     Yassen Savov, Manuel Quintanilla and Maxime Bellemin's route off to the east doesn't seem to have worked that well and they are now making their way across to join the others.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 15:20:27) :
     Most pilots seem to be heading directly down the course line south to turn point 1 with Samuel Nascimento, Jurij Vidic and Stefan Wyss in the lead.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 15:15:42) :
     Most pilots hung around launch at the start gate, but a small group including Yassen Savov, Maxime Bellemin and Manuel Quintanilla went off to the east to get the shorter line.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 15:12:13) :
     The Super Final takes place over 11 days with a mandatory rest day giving a maximum of 10 task days compared to 7 in a normal PWC

7 years ago (2017-01-21 15:10:13) :
     It's also worth bearing in mind at this point in the competition that the pilots will soon be having a well earned rest day.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 15:09:52) :
     It's also worth bearing in mind at this point in the competition that the pilots will soon be having a well earned rest day.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 15:08:10) :
     Pilots shouldn't battle with a collapsing wing leaving it too late to deploy a reserve. Throw your reserve, you'll get a discard.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 15:02:46) :
     The discard system from a safety point of view also means that if you throw your reserve you don't lose your whole comp.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 15:00:08) :
     And they're off

7 years ago (2017-01-21 14:59:46) :
     The pilots are all strung out along the start cylinder ready to go.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 14:58:49) :
     The discard system of losing 1 task in 4 rewards task winners who push forward and bomb out rather than those who win by simply following.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 14:48:50) :
     Let's hope not too many pilots need discards for today.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 14:40:49) :
     The launch packed with local spectators has just cheered off the last few pilots.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 14:27:14) :
     Current comp leader and reigning champion Stefan Wyss has just taken off.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 14:25:28) :
     Top pilots Julien Brung, Xevi Bonet and Jurij Vidic have taken their wings and moved to the south launch. Everyone is following them.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 14:20:21) :
     Most of the competitors have launched. Now the wind has dropped leaving those who haven't taken off yet watching and waiting.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 14:13:46) :
     It will be quite difficult to fly over the volcanic plug that is Pico da Ibituruna due to low cloud - cloud flying is strictly forbidden.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 14:10:30) :
     Most pilots have voted with their wings and are launching from the north side of take-off. They are currently maintaining nicely.

7 years ago (2017-01-21 14:10:13) :
     Looking at the overall results so far Stefan Wyss is in 1st place on the Ozone Zeno. Aaron Duragati Adrian Hachen on Gin Boom 11s are 2nd and 3rd.