Paragliding World Cup - Task 2 - Brasov, Romania

A video summary of the competition's second task.

The optimal start point was about 4km in front of the foothills, over the shopping mall on the outskirts of Brasov. There was a huge cloud where everyone went to wait for the start to open. The plan was to take the start at 2100m, but the huge cloud died and eventually it turned into survival mode, because the foothills were too far away, with just 5 minutes until the start opened. So, the pilots started the glide on the flats at about 1800m.

Everyone went for the flats, where the clouds guided them to 1-2 m/s climbs, getting a little stronger at the tops. There were some quite sinky lines between the lift, so it paid off to top off the climbs and to stay behind to pick a floaty line. Getting to the foothills in the north, they encountered a strong headwind.

The wind increased during the day, peaking at 6m/s west at altitude close to turn point 2 (the furthest away turnpoint). Pilots who ended up lower, just above the foothills, struggled to get back out to the front with a strong headwind. This is where gaggles changed places. Staying high was key to avoid the stronger wind at low altitude.

Heading back south to goal was tricky, not knowing if the flats would still work considering the strong winds. The pilots faced big sink and slow climbs for the final 20+ km, so teamwork was key.

The last thermals were scarce and averaged 1-1.5m/s. There was a big blue hole in the sky. Therefore, only the most patient of pilots got to goal.

The first 28 pilots made goal, and thus all flew the same distance, and gained the same distance points. Today’s winner is therefore the one with a combination of the best speed points and lead out points.

Summary written by Ruth Jessop

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