Opening Ceremony

Valle de Bravo Launch

World Champs: MEXICO - Day 2 Task 2

Team report.

91km triangle with dog leg around 4 turn points and goal at a 1km radius end of speed section with a physical line validation.

Cloud base >3000m ASL.

Cloud Cover 3/8ths with cloud streets here and there.

Wind Variable < 5kts.

Max Climb 6.5m/s

Average Climb for the day +- 2-3m/s

Desi's website: http://www.flydeaar.co.za

The start was the normal cloud flying extravaganza that plays on the nerves like mustard gas.

The task was a step up from yesterday as it was felt that the 71km task was Mickey Mouse. The flight took us over numerous large valleys and canyons with three to four stranded powerlines in all the wrong places.

At one point the lead gaggle dived into the shadow on a koppie, and in good SA style Nevil and Andre Nevilled them and specked out 1km from the milling mass. The return race to the last turn point offered a choice of two routes no less than ten kilometres in separation. The last move after the final turn point had a bit of a sting with many unhappy pilots landing just short of goal as the day began to shut down. Probably 50-80 pilots in goal, but more on that when the results are out.

Henry and Andre got in with Nevil 200m short.

World Champs: MEXICO - Day 1 Task 1

74km triangle with dog leg around 5 turn points and goal at a 400m radius of the radio towers above Valle.

Cloud base <3000m>

Cloud Cover 3-5/8ths with cloud streets along the course.

Wind Variable < 5kts.

Max Climb 7.1m/s

Average Climb for the day +- 2-3m/s

This was a crowd pleaser if ever I saw one109 pilots made goal with the leaders taking about 2 hours. The meet director said this was a ‘typical’ Valle task which included a bit of flat lands.

The boys all got in with Andre a few minutes off the pace followed by Nevil and Henry a short while later. Desi did about 64km landing on a perfectly manicured lawn on some or other ranch.

The day was characterised by cloud avoidance at the start followed by positional jockeying until midway and then all out racing toward the end.

An added dimension of getting goal, is if you land within the last kilometre, you’re sure of getting wet in the dam. One of the few times getting goal 100m below is possible.

Landing resembled an air traffic control nightmare with just about the entire field landing at ten second intervals on a tennis court sized LZ.

Quote of the day: “Does the sun come up in the east here?”

Not a bad start for team SA, the results are as follows:

Andre 18^th

Nevil 49^th

Henry 70^th

Desi 114^th

World Champs: MEXICO - Registration, Practice & Opening Ceremony

Andre reporting.

Registration Is pedantic at these events. No one seems to mind as there is a buzz in the air.

Valle de Bravo is an ideal paragliding destination. The locals are friendly and enthusiastic. The town, perched along the shores of a dam which feeds the hydro electric plants downstream, is picturesque and bustles with cobbled alley-ways lined by dozens of funky little shops selling anything from intricately embroidered doilies and traditional ponchos to herbal remedies. Restaurants abound and the cars rattle on the cobbles in an endless and slow procession.

The opening ceremony had the SA ambassador to Mexico as one of the invited dignitaries which was a surprise for all of us. Mr. Mbete had no idea South Africa had sent a team, and we were puzzled to hear his name and title called out when the (interminable) speeches began. So after a brief introduction, best wishes and the promise of help should we need it, he gave us his card and left for Mexico city.

World Champs: MEXICO - Baggage

Andre reporting.

Baggage retrieval became an epic adventure into Mexico city, home to between ten and twenty million hombres depending on who you speak to.

I now have a deep disrespect for airlines and the dark arts of baggage handling. To cut a long story short, a six hour round trip with multiple dodgy pickup venues and two thousand pesos later, Jose Luis got us home at two a.m. With all bags accounted for.

World Champs: MEXICO 2009 - Travel

Andre, Marty & Desi reporting:

So who said Paris can handle baggage??!! We received half of all bags naively entrusted to Air France. The upside was the empty albeit ageing Airbus on the Paris-Mexico leg that saw us spreading out and colonising the aircraft. Air Mexico rocks man!! Tequila for breakfast lunch and lunch (yeah this timezone thing is a bit whacky). Desiree is like a little kitten, she just curls up on a single seat and sleeps like a baby. The rest of us giants squeeze into spaces like lumpy toothpaste.

Desi's luxury transport services suffered premature jet-lag with an amazing feat of bad date planning. Anyway, we're killing time (don't ask me which timezone is dying) in a restaurant drinking Sol and munching Enchiladas & Nachos. Our un-named driver is reportedly making his way to our current holding pen.

Quote of the day on landing in a cold wet Paris: "Why is it dark outside?" (Doh! it's 5am in the northern hemisphere genius!)

Now here's something weird:

At OR Tambo we checked in at counter number 69. Then we arrived at gate 69 in Paris before departing from gate (yes you guessed it folks) 69 to Mexico. Must be a Yin/Yang thang.

and here's something just plain scary:

The average age of the team is 45.4 years. That's a lot of experience one way or another. If we can just remember what we're supposed to do, and if just one of us can hear the briefing and see the map. That's why it's a team sport.

The other thing we forgot to mention were the two dragon lady air hostesses on the Air Mexico flight.

Here's a pic of them:

World Champs: MEXICO 2009

Andre Reporting:

Hello everybody

It's almost time to leave for Valle de Bravo. Armed with visas, hopes and dreams, my team mates and I are looking forward to the 24hrs of travel into the land of sombreros and tequila with mounting excitement.

In case you did not know Africa's Finest SA 2009 Protea Team (blommetjies):

Left to right: Martin vdM (Manager), Nevil Hullet, Henry Schurink, Andre Rainsford

AND....

Desiree Pansi (sorry Desi, could only find this nasty one of you)

Some information about Valle here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valle_de_Bravo,_Mexico_State

and on the official Worlds site here:

http://www.pwmex2009.com/

Please let us know what you want to hear about by leaving a comment or selecting one or more of the 'We Want:' options below:

Castelo - Finale

So folks! Africa's Finest team of two can now go to the bar with 14th & 15th position.

Castelo Day 7 task 7

Can you believe it? seven out of seven, still hot. Takeoff is awash with tourists and local pilots. The result... a circus. Airshow mentality prevails, and our ring side seats give us an uninterrupted view of the local pilots crashing into the trees both in flight and under reserve.

The day is looking strong and fast... probably one for the hot bloods. Pilots taking on ballast at launch. Andre are you ready?

And BOY! is Andre ready. He blasts into the lead on the 55km task setting a cracking pace with three others with the pack in hot pursuit. Andrew dawdles at the start and fights a rear-guard action along the cliffs and spines that constitute the course line. Andre is still on top in front with a crossing and 20km to go. He gives it full, gets the line and goes in a minute or so ahead of the rest.

Andrew plonks in a while later.
Cold beer in the after glow, and were speculating about the probability of both finishing in the top twenty. That would be pretty cool, but let's wait and see....

Castelo Day 6 - Task 6

Another sultry day. Sweat dripping from the jungle that masquerades as Andrews armpit before the first cup of coffee is consumed.

After dicking around on the huge cliffs for a couple of turn points, the task takes us across the flats to the distant cliffs and valleys. Puppy styles the first few moves across the flats and to the 600m vertical cliffs. Alas the fan was off so he ends up get retrieve out of the most astonishingly picturesque village on the back of a scooter. Jones does the tree kicking, cable dodging samba which he has by now perfected to get a reasonable finish elevating him to the rarefied top fifteen elite, punching in at number 13. Puppy takes a glide of eight down the ranking amidst some pitiful grumbling.

The 11kva web of power lines claimed it's first victim in the form of Renata from Czech. She sustained first and second degree burns to her legs on hitting well hidden lines less than five metres above the terrain. She is out of hospital and will be fine.

Castelo - Day 5 - Task 5

Bored on launch here's a new format. It' called mashing.

The morning dawned sultry and nothing dawned on the sultries despite the death like slumber. Hot and humid to start we got to the top of the hill and settled into the 'Shadow of the Wind'.

Darkness on the horizon turned into cloud beneath us eerily tracking the sombre tone of my novel.

A task is set in swirling darkness, my shades a shade too dark to see. Mine had to be removed as puppy blundered prematurely to ground. Most of the task is soarable up giant cliffs sporting military crops of still bigger trees. We chat together as we inch up the cliffs amazed that there are a hundred pilots making their way around the course (most ahead of us).

The day started in the teens for both of us overall. This equates to a respectable charge at the head of the weekend warriors. Today has warped that happy picture.

Castelo - Day 4 - task 4 - LATE UPDATE

The General finally made an appearance after an epic retrieve from Boonville.

 

... and so, after a massively bungled start, the lesson is: Don't believe you can zero at the start perimeter with two minutes to go when everyone else goes back 1 km into wind for the climb.  The result is a sub optimal start (he means a complete cluster).  However, this allows one to climb unhindered at ones leisure observing the entire field plummeting into the stable sea air.  What goes around, comes around as is said, and within ten minutes of being the lowest and slowest, I could fly over the entire field to the front (low in the stable sea breeze too).  Hah! So much for being in the front, which now comprised ten pilots on the tiniest of ridges trying not to kick the cows. 

 

It was fun ridge soaring.  after an hour or so, we could dribble over the back onto the steep rainforest and the bigger hills.  I have had worse times in my life, but that generally involved surgery.  Couldn't get goal in the howling wind though, and disappointed to be in the top 20 and not get any points due to lack of validation.

Castelo - Day 4 - Task 4

18H30 Wednesday 1 October 2008

Andre Reporting.

One might have hoped for a sane task after the excesses of yesterday. No
such luck I am sorry to say. Strong North AND strong South wind, so set
something crazy in the flats to the west where we can ridge soar 50m hills
in the howling sea breeze. I am really pleased not to be on the task
committee.

Now what was the thing about sea breezes? Uhm.... OH YES! Now I remember!
Stable air! I guess they have high expectations, but this is too much! Mind
you, some pilots may well have the luck we had yesterday and get through...
who knows.

Anyway, I managed to land in good company after groveling in a hole for an
hour. Weird to be able to fly 220m ASL for so long and not coastal ridge
soaring at Map of Africa.

News Flash! 9 pilots in goal, with the captain just 5km short! The mind
boggles at the depth of skill and experience in this field.

World Cup News

18H39 (GMT-3) Wed 1 Oct 2008.

Hot off the press after PWC committee meeting.

 

Latest about the 2009 world cup season in the new format:

 

Seven events which should give more of us a reasonable chance of getting a spot.

Valadares in March (Brazil), followed by Korea, Turkey, Annecy, Croatia with a super final in Poggio (Italian site of the first 2008 event featuring a 112km task).  The seventh event is supposed to be Porterville or Tucuman, but let's wait and see.  They want buses (as opposed to a cattle truck) in Porterville for retrieve.  Can't understand why anyone would need that in the 40degC blustery bliss that Porterville promises... but there you have it.  They also mumble about the size of Dasklip launch.  I have resisted the temptation to explain the necessity of the huge rock that blocks the launch being a shadow fixture that actually ALLOWS relatively safe launches when the south easterly blows.  Let them find out for themselves rather than subject them to some hard-to-grasp African safety concepts I say! 

 

So the basic idea is to give more people access to world cup events and then determine the overall champ at the super final which will be an extended event of 12 days.  The top fifteen from each preceding event will get automatic entry to the super final with the balance drawn from where-ever (details a bit sketchy).

 

More news later.

Andre