7 years ago (2017-01-23 00:31:47) :
     Due to the nature of the roads under the course line it has been a very difficult retrieve for some of the pilots. The final pilot has just been picked up (by trail bikes) and everyone is now on the way back - they will be a while, however, because the roads are bad and the vehicles have to travel quite slowly.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 19:13:47) :
     Competition leader Stefan Wyss and yesterday's task winner Maxime Pinot both got to goal today but quite late.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 19:08:47) :
     A lot of the trackers have now caught up putting Gin test pilot Idris Birch and Ozone test pilot Russell Ogden into the lead group.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 19:05:28) :
     Quite a few of the big names in today's race have sadly landed short: Julien Wirtz and Xavier Pujol Barricarte. Some got the end of speed but not goal: Luca Donini, Eugene Claase, Cristiano Ricci and Michele Boschi.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:53:25) :
     Petite Nao Takada has just got the end of speed and should have now problems getting goal.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:51:20) :
     Julien Wirtz is approaching the end of speed section. His two proteg

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:42:54) :
     Only 4 minutes separates the top 35 pilots, and 7 minutes separates the top 50! What a close race. In the comp so far, only 100 points separates the top 5 pilots.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:36:59) :
     Aaron Durogati, Xevi Bonet Dalmau, Tilen Ceglar and Bjornar Trondsen haven't had tracking for the last part of the race but have now all landed in goal ranked in the top 10.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:34:57) :
     Stephane Drouin has crossed the end of speed section and will soon make goal where his prodigy, Tim Rochas, is hopefully waiting with a beer for him. Never mind Stephane Drouin, maybe tomorrow you'll get there before the youngsters.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:32:18) :
     First lady today, Klaudia Bulgakow, has crossed end of speed and made goal.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:31:20) :
     The top 35 pilots have now crossed the end of speed section. 92 km and about 4 hours flying - another amazing day.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:29:12) :
     The first eight pilots have all just landed in goal - desperate for a very well earned beer.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:28:21) :
     Next to cross the end of speed section were Tim Bollinger, Charles Cazaux, Cristiano Ricci, Patrick Von Kaenel and Antoine Gerin-jean.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:26:37) :
     Manuel Quintanilla, Torsten Siegel, Primoz Susa, Jungman Choi and Maxime Bellemin have just crossed the end of speed section within seconds of each other.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:24:42) :
     They can probably just abouts smell the beer in the goal field they are so close.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:23:45) :
     Torsten Siegel is with them on his Gin Boomerang 11 and Manuel Quintanilla is leading the charge on his Ozone Enzo 2

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:21:40) :
     They are about 3 km from end of speed. Jacques Fournier and Tim Bollinger are higher than the others, about 700m above the ground, the others are about 200m lower.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:19:35) :
     It's a neck and neck race now for the end of speed between Manuel Quintanilla, Tim Bollinger, Xavier Pujol Barricarte, Jacques Fournier, Jungman Choi and Murat Tuzer.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:16:50) :
     The top 20 pilots have all got the 2nd turn point.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:16:19) :
     The first pilots have just taken the 2nd point closely followed by Cody Mittanck, Miguel Diaz Ruiz, Peter Nagele, Tim Bollinger, Jacques Fournier and Julian Robinson.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:13:05) :
     The first pilots have just taken the 2nd point Manuel Quintanilla, Xavier Pujol Barricarte, Yongtae Ahn, Murat Tuzer and Stephane Drouin.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:09:21) :
     speed section is to the north.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:09:19) :
     Local legend Moises Sodre is the only one not following the course line, he is quite a bit further south which is unusual given the end of speed section is to the north.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 18:02:45) :
     Cody Mittanck is right up with the leaders which will help him to get a place in the US team. He was 5th in the US nationals last year and needs a top 30 place here to get into the US team.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 17:59:59) :
     The wind is easterly at the moment so they are going pretty much down wind, they are all fairly high, about 1000m above the ground and getting close to the second turn point.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 17:55:43) :
     Top British pilot and geologist, Julian Robinson, is with the leaders. He was 9th on day 3, another one to keep and eye on.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 17:52:35) :
     Veteran French pilot Stephane Drouin has just taken the lead. The threat of being beaten by the young up and coming French pilots Tim Rochas, Yoann Chavanne and Martin Rebord for whom is is coach, is definitely putting the thermals under Stephane's wing today.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 17:48:46) :
     Norwegian pilot Bjornar Trondsen on a Boomerang 10 is right there with Tim Bollinger on his Boomerang 11. %D

7 years ago (2017-01-22 17:40:10) :
     There is a lot of cirrus at the moment but the climbs are nice, the thermals are plentiful, base is at approaching 2000m.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 17:38:12) :
     It's great to see Japanese pilot Nao Takada who was 1st lady on day 3 doing so well, she's in the top 10 at the moment, she's half the size of anyone else in the comp and flying a serial class Mantra 6. Go Nao Go!

7 years ago (2017-01-22 17:26:25) :
     Thanks to a lot of praying in all the churches in Governador Valadares this morning, local legend Moises Sodre is currently lying in second place flying the new Dudek Coden Pro.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 17:21:04) :
     Paragliding races combine the best aspects of a lot of other sports - the full on racing conditions of adventure races like the Paris Dakar - outdoors crossing the boonies, with the tactics of a cycle race where they work together as a peloton but are always looking for that moment to brake away, with the skills required to navigate round turn points and interpret the weather seen in sailing races like the Vend

7 years ago (2017-01-22 17:17:33) :
     Tim Bollinger is about 2 km in front but we do have a lot of trackers off line.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 17:13:39) :
     It looks as if Tim Bollinger has done it again, he's right out in front. Manuel Quintanilla is leading the gaggle behind him. This should be quite a fast leg with the wind behind them all the way to turn point two.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 17:09:37) :
     Over two hours into the race and nobody has landed yet, that shows the pilot/Sky God and Goddess quality in this competition - in the words of PWC President Goran Dimiskovski 'Unbelievable'.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 17:06:08) :
     Well done to Benedicte Saury, first woman round the turn point - perhaps being a year older is helping afterall!

7 years ago (2017-01-22 17:03:58) :
     Cody Mittanck has got the first turn point. Cody is a very good pilot. Definitely one to watch. He flew from Utah to Colorado in June last year. He flew an amazing route above the South West desert of the US. He took off from near Yuba Lake in Utah and landed, after 318 km, in the South West of Colorado. This daring route took him right over the heart of Utah canyon country, flying over deep sandstone trenches cut from torrents of flash floods and monolithic spires towering over a harsh and unforgiving desert. Admittedly not quite the same as the Brazilian jungle they are flying over today.%D%A

7 years ago (2017-01-22 16:58:52) :
     Tim Bollinger's route further west looks as if it has paid off, he's got the turn point and is now in the top 5 and on his way west to turn point 2.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 16:56:36) :
     Andreas Malecki and Xevi Bonet Dalmau have also just taken the turn point.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 16:53:27) :
     It looks as if Manuel Quintanilla, Patrick Von Kaenel, Jungman Choi, Pablo Rodarte, Yigit Yildirim, Heinrich Bretz and Antonio Golfari have all just taken the first turn point.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 16:50:26) :
     French champion Jonathan Marin has also got the turn point.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 16:49:30) :
     It looks as if Adrian Hachen is the first to get the first turn point, however the GSM coverage in this remote area isn't that great so quite a few of the pilot's instruments have gone off line.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 16:46:20) :
     Tim Bollinger currently lying 3rd overall, is taking a completely different route to the others, much further south. Paragliding has been Tim's passion for as long as he can remember, he grew up ground handling. Winning not just one, but two tasks here, is like a dream come true for him.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 16:42:39) :
     Yassen Savov is with the leaders today and as we have seen over the last few days and in the PWC in France last year he gives us a diet of agony and ecstasy, he could pull away from the gaggle at any time and win by doing his own thing.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 16:35:34) :
     There is a lot of cloud about but there are some quite big blue holes. Out of the 121 pilots flying today, everyone is still in the air.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 16:28:34) :
     Julien Wirtz is also one of the front runners today. Julien soared to fame in the paragliding scene in 2006 after making one of the most incredible vol bivouac flights in the history of the sport with Philippe Nodet, redefining adventure paragliding over ten incredible days, flying 430 km vol biv in the heart of the Karakoram in Northern Pakistan, circumnavigating Nanga Parbat, flying over the Trango Towers, and crossing the Hispar Glacier (the world's largest), completely unsupported. Even more than ten years on, it is still widely considered to be the most extreme vol-biv flight in the history of paragliding.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 16:24:58) :
     Brazilian pilot Erico Oliveira has also joined the front runners. Local knowledge seems to be what counts today more than anything else.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 16:21:52) :
     It's a Swiss vs Brazil race at the front of the lead gaggle with Adrian Hachen, Tim Bollinger and Patrick Von Kaenel from Switzerland and Rafael Saladini, Martinho Ribeiro Morais and Samuel Nascimento from Brazil. This is a truly international competition with pilots with such an immense variety of flying experience from all over the world.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 16:15:02) :
     There are lots of pilots here who have done big endurance races which has probably helped them over the last 5 days. Aaron Durogati, Clement Latour, Richard Pethigal, Stanislav Mayer, Primoz Susa and Gaspard Petiot have done World famous races like the XAlps and the X-Pyr across the Pyrenees.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 16:08:36) :
     They are now two thirds of the way to the first turn point and it looks pretty tough going on this cross wind leg.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 16:06:13) :
     Luc Armant and Charles Cazaux are both at the front too on their new Zenos. Charles is just back from trips to Australia where the conditions were very different to here, towing, totally flat land flying (the only relief was a tree apparently) and Patagonia filming for a Toyota car advert where unfortunately due to the strong winds most days he didn't get to fly.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 16:00:31) :
     Samuel Nascimento, Rafael Saladini and Moises Sodre, 3 of Brazil's top pilots, stayed further north today and seem to be overtaking the lead gaggle which followed the course line more closely.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 15:56:40) :
     Adrian Hachen, also on a Boomerang 11 and currently lying 4th overall, is at the front of the lead gaggle too. Adrian is has a lot of experience of all types of flying from acro to XC to world class racing to speedflying.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 15:53:03) :
     A second Gin Test pilot Michael Sigel currently lying 9th overall is up at the front of the lead gaggle too.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 15:49:56) :
     Designer and Gin test pilot Torsten Siegel is at the head of the lead gaggle too. Torsten is a very consistent pilot, usually in the top 10, European champion in 2014. One to watch.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 15:47:34) :
     French champion Jonathan Marin is in front, he's flying very well at the moment and came 8th in the recent Reunion Island PWC.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 15:45:44) :
      Although the SF is an individual comp each PWC partner can enter a team of up to 3 pilots and 1 female pilot. They are scored by giving points based on the position of the 2nd person in the team each day.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 15:45:33) :
     Tim Bollinger seems to be right out on his own. Stefan Wyss told me before the comp that one thing that would be difficult in this comp would be recognising the other pilots as so many are on new wings with different sponsors and logos on them. However I think Tim Bollinger on his new Boomerang 11 will be one that they all recognise - if he isn't too far ahead!

7 years ago (2017-01-22 15:45:22) :
     Most pilots seem to have taken the same route today. Tim Bollinger is half a km out in front only half an hour into the race.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 15:19:01) :
      Team winners so far: Day 1 Parapente Magazine. Day 2 Woody Valley Harnesses. Day 3 Alas Del Hombre. Day 4 Gin Gliders.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 15:15:09) :
      Although the SF is an individual comp each PWC partner can enter a team of up to 3 pilots and 1 female pilot. They are scored by giving points bas

7 years ago (2017-01-22 15:11:00) :
      We've got some great footage of the comp so far including interviews with young sky gods Tim Bollinger (1st on day 1 and 2) and Aaron Durogati (cu

7 years ago (2017-01-22 15:05:45) :
      It's 13 h and they're off.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 14:56:36) :
      If you are having problems working the live tracking it's worth looking in the Media box under Latest Article. There is a nice explanation Using The Live Tracking System.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 14:56:17) :
      There is a big gaggle together near the start and a smaller group behind. It's difficult to know if they are going to take the start in a differen

7 years ago (2017-01-22 14:40:56) :
      This is nerve wracking Stefan can't take off.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 14:40:38) :
      Phew he's off and already about 100m above launch only 94.1 km to go to goal.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 14:33:22) :
      Stefan said he thought he would probably take the start cylinder near take-off. He's setting up on the south take off so won't have far to fly.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 14:30:36) :
      Reigning champion and current leader Stefan Wyss hasn't taken off yet. He told me he had watched everyone struggling and decided to wait. Now the

7 years ago (2017-01-22 14:24:01) :
      There is a gaggle of about 20 going north but how far will they go?

7 years ago (2017-01-22 14:19:30) :
      Once again pilots are launching from both sides of take-off north and south.

7 years ago (2017-01-22 14:19:13) :
      Once again pilots are launching from both sides of take-off north and south.