7 years ago (2017-01-27 20:35:47) :
     We thought that today was going to be the day when Mr and Mrs Lambert would get to goal together. Cyril got there first and we so thought that Sandy would join him. Sadly she landed 300m short. Not to be discouraged she reported back to HQ with a big smile - 'at least I was on the goal bus for the first time this comp', she laughed. %D%ATop prize for being the best sport today definitely goes to Sandy Lambert.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 20:23:54) :
     Laurie Genovese was 15 places ahead of partner Maxime Bellemin today. It's a good thing that when Mazime promised back in 2013 to buy her a microwave oven if she ever bet him in a task that he didn't promise to buy one every time she bet him.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 20:17:22) :
     Well done to Emmanuel Nicolas, Julian Robinson and Aaron Durogati who once again made goal and are the only 3 pilots left in the competition to have made goal every day.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 18:40:10) :
     Stephane Drouin crossed the line 8th today ahead of his protege: Tim Rochas, Yoann Chavanne and Martin Rebord. It's definitely a day for age before youth.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 18:32:31) :
     27 pilots so far haven't made goal. Many of those who have landed out over the previous days have told me how friendly they have found the local farmers and people they have met. They have been given lifts and people have phoned to tell the organisers where they are. Apart from all the snakes they've seen parrots and parakeets.%D%ATo make up for the snakes Maxime Pinot did tell me that he got invited in twice out of the four times he bombed out to eat with local farmers - must be that new hair cut. %D

7 years ago (2017-01-27 18:19:10) :
     Andreas Malecki's tracker was off line and has now rejoined us showing Pepe having crossed end of speed 2nd. He's one of only 11 pilots here who have flown in all the Super Finals since time began (2009).%D%A%D%AMaxime Bellemin%D%AJean Marc Caron%D

7 years ago (2017-01-27 18:15:33) :
     Seiko Fukuoka Naville currently lying 3rd lady overall is in goal and top lady Nicole Fedele and Petra Slivova 2nd lady overall are both nearing end of speed.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 18:10:20) :
     How will todays scores alter the overall scores on the eve of the last day? Will one of the previous Super Final champions (Stefan, Charles or Aaron) do what no one has done before - win the Super Final twice?%D%AStefan Wyss crossed end of speed 1st, he's currently lying 3rd overall, Adrian Hachen crossed 4th and is currently lying 2nd. Charles Cazaux crossed 5th, he's currently lying 4th. Torsten Siegel went for age before beauty and came in 6th, he's currently lying 10th. Current leader youngster Aaron Durogati crossed 15th. %D%A

7 years ago (2017-01-27 18:00:54) :
     The top 42 pilos have crossed end of speed and the top 32 are in goal.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:59:29) :
     The first to land in goal Stefan Wyss, Jan Sterren and Adrian Hachen

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:54:59) :
     The top 26 have all made end of speed.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:54:41) :
     Jan Sterren, Alexandre Jofresa, Stephane Drouin, Jonathan Marin, Gleb Sukhotskiy, and Jacques Fournier have all made end of speed.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:54:21) :
     The next 3 to get end of speed are Charles Cazaux, Torsten Siegel and Stephane Drouin

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:53:59) :
     Stefan Wyss has got end of speed, the reigning champion is definitely giving it all to defend his title.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:53:41) :
     Stefan Wyss and Torsten Siegel should be able to get end of speed now without climbing.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:53:24) :
     Brazilian champion Cristiano Ricci is at the front too.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:53:06) :
     Franz Erlacher is in the lead now, this is absolutely amazing.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:52:49) :
     Marc Wensauer is with the leaders and may win it - nail biting.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:52:31) :
     Stefan Wyss has over taken Adrian Hachen. It's a race between the Ozone Zeno and the Boomerang 11

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:52:12) :
     Adrian Hachen is in the lead and is 2.2 km out and gliding for end of speed.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:51:49) :
     It's a bit cross wind but they are all pretty high now above 1000m except for Luc who is at 895 m and not climbing.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:51:31) :
     The saintly statue on take off is whispering across the beautiful blue sky, don't get too low.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:40:03) :
     Only 10 pilots have got the last turn point and are on their way to end of speed. Today has really spread them all out.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:37:17) :
     Cody Mittanck is with the leaders, he's currently lying 35th overall and wants to get into the top 30 to earn his place in the US team, today's score will definitely help him.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:36:01) :
     Stefan Wyss, currently lying 3rd overall and Adrian Hachen, currently lying 2nd overall are battling it out with the top 5 pilots.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:34:22) :
     They are into wind but have a reasonable amount of height - Hernan Pitocco is the lowest with 721m so he can't make it without another climb.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:32:27) :
     %D%ATorsten also told me that one of the benefits of being a designer and test pilot is that when you design, test and fly a wing you have lots of information about how it reacts which helps with the new wings especially with CCC ones. He feels that contrary to what you would think, sometimes test pilots have more respect for a wing and don't push it as much because they know what can happen. %D%A%D%A

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:31:36) :
     Luc Armant and Marc Wensauer are with them, Marc is the highest of the leaders.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:30:46) :
     Felix Rodriguez Fernandez is at the front too with Hernan Pitocco, they are 12km from the end of speed and need another climb before end of speed.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:29:44) :
     Torsten Siegel is in 2nd position, I asked Torsten Siegel yesterday what he thought of the statement 'the pressure gets easier with age as the older pilots have less to prove 'Very true' he said with a big grin. I wonder how the pressure is going at the moment racing a Gin Boomerang 11 that he designed against Pierre Remy on an Ozone Zeno. They are both at the same height and flying at about the same speed.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:24:59) :
     The first 25 have got the turn point and are now heading to end of speed 17 km away.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:23:47) :
     Felix Rodriguez Fernandez has got the turn point too but very high. As is Miguel Diaz Ruiz, Christian Biasi, Marc Wensauer, Xevi Bonet Dalmau, Seiko Fukuoka Naville and Idris Birch who is absolutely loving his Boomerang 11.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:21:11) :
     Maxime Pinot has just taken the turn point in the middle (turn pt 3). I asked Maxime Pinot what his tactics were for getting to goal - he confided in me that he has a phobia about snakes and that was enough motivation to keep him from landing out every again here. Having said that, he's very low - the snakes below him will be sharpening their teeth.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:18:37) :
     Julien Wirtz is currently in the lead, he's a very relaxed pilot, pretty consistent, always in the top 5. He's already had 2 top ten days (day 2 and day 6) here. Today could be his type of day, stay calm and get there.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:18:18) :
     Yassen has been over taken by the top 30 coming down from the north.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:14:35) :
     Maxime Pinot (55km/h) on the Ozone Zeno and Tim Bollinger (71 km/h) on the Gin Boomerang 11 are racing together back to the turn point, they are nearer the 3rd turn point than Yassen who is pushing into wind.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:11:53) :
     The group going directly north led by Yoshiaki Hirokawa and the ones going directly east led by veteran Russian pilot and sail plane enthusiast, Yury Mishanin, haven't reached the 2nd turn point yet.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:09:14) :
     Maxime Pinot is coming down from the north riding the wind and has over taken Yassen who is pushing into wind.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:06:12) :
     One thing Eugene Claase told me that he has learnt from his first Super Final here in Brazil is that the smallest adjustments to a wing or equipment can make a big difference. He also thinks it's fantastic that he can take part in a PWC on a competitive serial class wing thanks to the recent arrival of the Zeno. %D%AOnce again well done to all the manufacturers taking part in this competition.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:04:03) :
     Tim Bollinger on the Boomerang 11 is right with Julien - same height same speed, the race is on.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 17:02:48) :
     The race is on with Yassen on the Ozone Zeno flying at 39 km/h from the south currently at 1614 m and climbing and Julian Robinson on the Gin Boomerang 10 flying back to the centre at 1994 m and speed 53 km/h and climbing.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:59:10) :
     Yoshiaki Hirokawa is leading a strung out group going north. He was 10th in the PWC in Reunion and is always one to watch.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:57:03) :
     A small gaggle led by the PWC's very own James Bond are heading east to take the turn point.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:56:18) :
     The lead gaggle going north have arrived at the cylinder and about 20 have got the turn point including current leader Aaron Durogati.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:54:56) :
     Laurie Genovese has taken the turn point in the north. She started flying in 2006. Her Dad took her tandem flying when she was a kid then she started flying on her own at 14 yrs old. She's a paragliding instructor in the summer and physio in the winter. 'Basically I break them in the summer and mend them in the winter' she told me. %D%A%D%AShe enjoys being supporter to endurance race competitors, useful as she's a physio, she loves sharing the adventure. %D%AThe 1st PWC she took part in was in Columbia in 2013 with her partner Maxime Bellemin. Maxime hates microwave ovens and jokingly promised to buy Laurie one if she ever beat him. Maxime had to go out and buy Laurie a microwave at the end of day 1. %D%A

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:53:02) :
     Rafael Saladini has taken the turn point to the north whilst Honorin Hamard has taken %D%Ait to the south, meanwhile Yassen is half way to the next turn point.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:50:55) :
     Durali Karaca taking the southern route with Yassen has just got the turn point.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:47:41) :
     Brazilian distance record holder Rafael Saladini is leading the charge north and has nearly got the turn point.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:46:14) :
     Yassen Savov is the only to have past the turn point, he's 7km ahead of the others who have gone north and getting all the lead out points. Definitely got the right music pumping out of those head phones today.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:44:22) :
     Meanwhile in the northern half of the cylinder Yassen has got the turn point and is storming back north

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:43:21) :
     Meanwhile going north they have split into 2 groups one big gaggle flying directly back into wind led by Julian Robinson, this will do his bid for a place in the British team a lot of good there are 2 places left and 4 people chasing them.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:40:55) :
     Yassen Savov's tracker has just come back on line and he is pretty near the cylinder which makes up the second turn point.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:39:54) :
     It's worth bearing in mind that the pilots heading south will get all the lead out points as they are going with the wind and therefore going faster.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:39:02) :
     Hernan Pitocco is in front of the gaggle going north. He started flying when he was 16 yrs old. He saw a car with an advert for a paragliding school and ran after it until it stopped. Although he had to keep it a secret from his parents that he had started paragliding and get his friends to sign the parental consent form for the first 6 mths. This is his first Super Final and his is currently best new comer. Back in 2011 he set a new world distance record of 462 km in Brazil - definitely a force to be reckoned with.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:32:29) :
     Current overall women's leader Nicole Fedele is right with the leaders going north. She fell in love with paragliding as a teenager and has a whole string of World and European distance records to her name. She's an expert XC guide so this task should be suiting her too.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:29:05) :
     Good task setting forces pilots to make the maximum number of decisions. It shouldn't be like a horse race (quote from Semih Sayir) there should be as many different routes to take as possible, that is exactly what this task has achieved. We have a full on race between those going north and those going south led by Yassen Savov.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:24:53) :
     The main gaggle are very close together going back the way they came taking the route north option. Yassen Savov, Durali Karaca and World and European champion Honorin Hamard are going south.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:19:32) :
     As far as the women are concerned Nicole Fedele is currently leading the women's comp by 160 points which is a fairly comfortable lead. 8 points separates Petra and Seiko. So there is still all to play for with 2 days remaining. %D%AIt's worth noting that Nicole is discarding from a score of 841 and Petra will be discarding from 774, which could help Nicole.%D%A%D%A

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:19:06) :
     No one (overall) has ever one the Super Final twice. The winners so far have been: %D%A%D

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:16:17) :
     It has been so easy to push out in front of the gaggle and go down in previous days but today seems to be splitting the big gaggle up. The only 3 pilots who haven't bombed so far and got to goal every day are: Julian Robinson, Emmanuel Nicolas and Aaron Durogati.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:13:07) :
     Felix Rodriguez is one who will definitely be trying to get a good task in today. On launch he told me 'this is a very difficult competition for me but I'm still having fun.'

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:11:47) :
     %D%ATactics wise the leaders who have had only one poor day will be trying to do well today so that they can discard an entire bad day and replace it with a good one then fly conservatively on the last day. %D%A

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:07:58) :
     Yassen Savov is in the lead and has decided to go south. This is his sort of task and his sort of conditions today. But he needs to get some height, and isn't finding a climb.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:06:06) :
     Looking up at them all there together at turn point one, we need a speech bubble with the words 'Somebody make a decision' in it.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:02:44) :
     The top 20 have got the turn point.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:02:20) :
     Pierre Remy, Adrian Hachen and Yassen Savov are the next to get the turn point.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 16:00:45) :
     Don't tell anyone in the little village of Boom Jesus this, but Samuel Nascimento is very low and not finding a climb, right at the first turn point.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 15:59:31) :
     Patrick Von Kaenel has got the turn point - now what happens?

7 years ago (2017-01-27 15:58:05) :
     Yassen Savov seems to have been caught up by the gaggle coming from the west.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 15:53:18) :
     It'll be interesting to see if there is a Brazilian choice and a 'rest of the world choice' of route, so often in this competition we've seen the local Brazilian pilots taking a completely different route. PWC weatherman Richard Pethigal who lives in Brazil is currently leading the group which are taking a more easterly course, with higher terrain.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 15:50:20) :
     Stefan Wyss, currently lying 3rd overall, was going to hang back a bit at the first turn point and assess the options.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 15:49:13) :
     Pilots like fashion victim, and current overall leader Aaron Durogati, told me he was going to wait and see what the wind and weather conditions are like when he's in the air before making a decision.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 15:47:20) :
     The overwhelming route option when we were all discussing it on launch, as Cody Mittanck summed it up, will so depend on where the gaggle goes. Cody told me he intended to hold back a bit, gain height at the first turn point whilst watching what everyone else does.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 15:44:44) :
     As we've seen on previous days, the pilots have begun to spread out a bit, time to ask 'Where's Yassen Savov?' The answer right out in front on his own ahead of the lead gaggle. He's got good height - 1216m, he's climbing - what a brilliant pilot.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 15:41:17) :
     The advantage of taking the second turn point in the northern half of the cylinder is that there will be lots of pilots coming towards them who still have to take the turn pt marking the thermals and showing them where the thermals are in the northern half. This will not be the case in the southern half.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 15:38:45) :
     Cyril Lambert from Reunion Island is right with Samuel Nascimento, I can hear Cyril's wife Sandy who is also in the comp shouting 'wait for me'.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 15:37:29) :
     Samuel Nascimento has just taken the lead out in front of the main gaggle, he's got lots of height - 1286 m, he's climbing, the crowds in his home village of Boom Jesus 800km away will be going wild watching this on our live leader board in the village bar.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 15:34:39) :
     There may be convergence in the southern part of the 2nd turn point cylinder which would make taking the cylinder in the south a lot easier.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 15:33:18) :
     A lot of the route choice will be based on how the pilots think the wind will affect them today. The wind is from the north east at the moment but due to change to being more from the east later on.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 15:31:25) :
     Fortunately one group have gone a sepate way and are to the east of the main gaggle and led by Charles Cazaux.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 15:30:23) :
     Joachim Oberhauser, Tim Bollinger and Thomas Gury have taken the lead. This is going to be another day of constantly changing leaders with nobody wanting to break free of the gaggle.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 15:28:18) :
     The pilots are flying towards a big cylinder with a very little cylinder inside it (ignore the goal, nobody is anywhere near there yet). What they have to do is go to the little cylinder in the middle at Engenheiro Caldas. Take that turn point, then take the bigger cylinder which has a 20 km radius anywhere they want, then back to the middle again, then north to goal which is on the main road back to GV.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 15:24:32) :
     Your probably looking at the task and wondering what all the fuss is about, it looks like a very simple out and return - not so. Let me try and explain.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 15:19:26) :
     With Julien there is Kiyoshi Nariyama, Russell Achterberg, Maxime Pinot and Russell Ogden on a smoked Zeno today after the world's lowest save of all time yesterday next to a pile of burning rubbish.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 15:16:04) :
     Leading the gaggle 15 mins after the start is Julien Brung, great to see him doing well after several not so great days.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 15:08:25) :
     The start is open - the race is on

7 years ago (2017-01-27 14:38:17) :
     Philippe Broers is making some great films of the comp, interviews with top British pilots like Russell Ogden, flying with Felix Rodriguez Fernandez and footage of flute playing Emmanuel Nicolas

7 years ago (2017-01-27 14:25:00) :
     Looking up into the sky above launch it's such a pretty sight with so many gliders turning above our heads.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 14:22:04) :
     The PWC drone is buzzing over head capturing all the action.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 14:20:38) :
     There are about 20 pilots left to launch and the wind has switched to coming up the ridge instead of the grassy north and south facing launches.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 14:18:45) :
     Francisco Javie Reina Lagos and fellow Spanish pilot Felix Rodriguez Fernandez have just taken off.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 14:16:34) :
     Fellow Reunion pilot Sandy Lambert has just taken off.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 14:16:12) :
     The pilots are taking off as thick and fast as they can now, and all going off the north launch.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 14:15:55) :
     Maxime Bellemin and Yongtae Ahn have just taken off.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 14:15:36) :
     Flute safely packed away Emmanuel Nicolas, The Pied Piper of Reunion Island, has just taken off.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 14:01:58) :
     0 The window is open.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 13:54:45) :
     0 The wind dummies are maintaining nicely. Window opens in 5 minutes.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 13:49:02) :
     0 Lots of grinning pilot are wandering around launch with big green coconuts drinking the milk through straws bought from the coconut shop on launch.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 13:45:21) :
     0 Looking out from launch there is a lot of shade on the rolling green hills dotted with little trees and patches of bare orange soil.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 13:43:38) :
     0 Moonseob Lim told me he is concerned about the conditions around the start being weak.

7 years ago (2017-01-27 13:40:35) :
     0 The wind dummies are taking off. Window opens in 20 mins at 12h.