It is therefore a sweet coincidence to be back in Brazil with Andrew on the ten year anniversary of the blog, and on Andrew's 40th birthday in the same place (almost). The comp was supposed to be in Castelo, but they moved it to Baixo Guandu at the last minute for 'political' reasons.
Our group comprises of Khobi, Russel, Jon, Andrew, and I. This is the same team that went to the world championships in Italy last year. Having said that, we are at a world cup! The standard is higher, the vibe is relaxed, and the rules are different in a social kind of way.
Brazil has always been a popular destination for world cup pilots. Baixo Guandu is no exception with the added boost of having held the Pan American FAI champs here last week. As a result the field is pretty potent so we're looking forward to some stiff competition.
Baixo has a similar look and feel of Castelo and the rest of Espirito Dos Santos in that: the climate is hot and steamy; the terrain is lush green with massive weathered black granite domes rising out of the vegetation randomly; and it rains intermittently in monsoon mode.
The launch site is precariously perched atop one of these domes.
The practice day was sublime with clouds to the horizon and thermals marked by raptors.
I hope to bring you a lot of flying in the next few days. Get the app if you want to follow the action or find it here.
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