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"World Cup Castelo, Brazil 2023"
Summary written by Ruth Jessop
Today’s 88km task took the pilots deeper into the mountains than before, giving spectacular vistas of the granite domes. The four turn point route took the pilots past Estrela do Norte and Burarama, massive rocks with overhanging faces, famous for base jumping.
The task was super fast at the beginning as the pilots easily took the first two turn points, with pilots pinging into space as though attached to bungee cords.
It was very much a task in two halves.
As the pilots approached turn point three, the air became stable due to the sea breeze, giving weak thermals, making it difficult to climb as the pilots glided into the big blue. Gears were changed down in the gaggles and climbs had to be found and worked before moving off into the blue again.
The large gaggles began to break up. From turn point 3 to 4 two routes emerged, some going more south and some staying a bit more north. Still gliding in the big blue hole with the gaggles willing to climb a bit then push on, convinced a better glide was out there.
By now the field was very split, those a bit more to the south had a better line into turn point 4.
Then, just before the last turn point the conditions improved and it got faster. The glide into end of speed was a bit more forgiving and generous than previous glides, with much more buoyant air allowing the pilots to float along with climbs everywhere. Then came the decent into the sauna again, with temperatures of 37 degrees reported on the ground!
The first 105 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.
Top 3 speed point winners – the fastest pilots round the course
02:34:58: Honorin HAMARD flying at an average speed of 32.0 km/h
02:35:31: Michel CERVELLIN
02:35:44: Yassen SAVOV
Top 3 leading point baggers – those who were in the lead the most
167.8: Honorin HAMARD
159.5: Yassen SAVOV
157.2: Erwan DIDRICHE
Top 3 in the task
1: Honorin HAMARD
2: Yassen SAVOV
3: Michel CERVELLIN (NEWCOMER)
Top 3 ladies in the task
1: Galen KIRKPATRICK
2: Violeta JIMENEZ
3: Nanda WALLISER
Top 3 teams in the task
1: Niviuk 1
2: Çameli Municipality
3: Cross Country Magazine
Top 3 overall
1: Yassen SAVOV
2: Antoine DUBOIS-MERCé (NEWCOMER)
3: Pal TAKATS
Top 3 ladies overall
1: Meryl DELFERRIERE
2: Nanda WALLISER
3: Marcella UCHOA
Top 3 teams overall
1: Çameli Municipality
2: Northwest Paragliding
3: Cross Country Magazine
In the team competition the top two pilots in each team are scored and the second one gives the ranking. The highest placed second team pilot was Rafael BARROS flying for team Niviuk 1.
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