It's over

Awards have been handed out.... a nice buffet after the party and we are packing and ready to head out tomorrow... The weather clearly won this event but I still learned an amazing amount about where I stand at the highest level, and what I have to do to continue to compete with the top pwc pilots. It's all very clear to me now... I just have to execute on what I've learned... the time in the sky this past 12 days was invaluable. As expected, the French, Germans, and Italians dominated the event... There were a couple of Ozone prototype gliders with only 2 line sets which nobody could compete with. They took 1st and 2nd place overall. The Boom 7 protos did quite well and hopefully the production model glider will be available early this next winter so I'll have it for the 2010 season.

Very exciting news that the PWC is coming to Eastern Washington USA next July. This will be the first PWC event in the US since some time in the 90s I think. We are all really jazzed about the opportunity to host such a great event in our country!!

Sue and I are planning a hike in the Grand Canyon the end of October....

Jack

Main launch site above Poggio Bustone, Italy

Another task won by the weather

After a really fun race day yesterday, today we spent several hours up on launch waiting for conditions to improve enough to have a race. Things finally came together and we launched and all got to cloud base and it looked like it was going to be a really fun and fast task. Unfortunately, a small group of pilots went really deep into the terrain and found the winds there strong over the back and some rotor so they called conditions "level 3" which means that it's not safe to continue the race so it was cancelled - even though there were over 100 of us enjoying very nice conditions at cloud base.

Yesterday the weather presented us with some very challenging conditions out on the course line with lots of clouds shading things and making the course very difficult in places. I had a pretty descent start but still couldn't keep up with the lead gaggle. After the second turn point the entire lead gaggle of over 50 pilots were all headed into completely shaded terrain and it looked to me like they were all going to just "race to the dirt". So, after getting the turn point I decided to turn around and go back with a few other pilots in the direction we had just come from and see if we could get back to the sunny area which would still be working. As it turns out, even though it wasn't the most direct route to the next turn point, many other pilots did in fact race to the dirt in the shaded area. I was very patient and eventually conditions really improved and it was fun racing the rest of the 78k course, finishing in the top 20! I was very happy to get out of triple digits and into the 90s overall.

The weather overall hasn't been too good to us. Seems like we are flying about every other day or so. It's really a beautiful flying site and we are enjoying our stay but I, for one, and am ready to be home for awhile! We have 2 more possible flying days and then it will be over, and the weather is looking marginal so we'll see what happens....

Sue and Kim, along with a couple of other lady companions, all drove up to Tuscany, Italy, for a couple of days of sight seeing.

Race day 3

Well the organization made an impressive move from the high winds of Poggio Bustone to Norma, Italy and we had a really fun race day yesterday. We could look out on the Mediteranian Sea in the distance and race back and forth along the coastal mountain range in strong and sometimes quite turbulent conditions.

I'm having a blast but still getting creamed along the course line. I'm just not flying fast enough to keep up with these guys and gals. Today I'm going to adjust my speed system once again so that when I step on the gas I'll go faster and maybe have a better chance at keeping up - at least for a little while!!

My top paragliding role model, Lucca Donini, is winning the comp... he is my age and is flying the Boomerang 7 proto.... someday?

The accomodations here are quite nice and the hotel put on a really good dinner last night. The sunset was gorgeous and a good time was had by all.

Today we race again here in Norma, Italy, and then we head back to Poggio Bustone where the winds are forecasted to be light on Wednesday and Thursday!

Trying to keep on my happy face even though I'm just being schooled while racing. These truely are the strongest pilots in the world so one must be careful of expectations. I'll just keep learning and working on my skills (and leg muscles) and keep trying to improve. Just breaking out of the 3 digit results would be a milestone for me at this point.

Our launch is located in immediate proximity to a dig of Roman ruins and we are only alowed to fly here under special permission from the state because of the Superfinal. When we walk to launch we walk along rock walls from the Roman area... very interesting.

Saturday Sept 5th 2nd valid task

Disappointment and frustration for me again today as I failed to make the start and once again struggled trying to make up time and out maneuver the experts. My Bio-rhythm is off or something is up as I don't seem to be able to get myself up to speed. I didn't seem to have much trouble finishing ahead of many of the pilots I'm racing with here at other comps over the summer but for some reason I'm just not engaging at the level I need to.

For the rest of this comp I've decided that I'm going to start "being that pilot" who is launching early and is confident and ready, instead of just watching and waiting on launch, trying to time things perfectly. I don't want to worry about sinking out on launch, so I'll just wait for others to get out there and then I'll launch when conditions look perfect.... Problem is that today, all those pilots who launched good and early were the ones in perfect position at the start of the race while I was, once again, a couple of kilometers behind and a thousand feet below. This has just got to stop! It seems that my easy going gentle nature is not really helping me on launch and at the start of the race. Maybe this is why I've been struggling with this issue for so many years when competing. I'm just not an aggressive person by nature.... I think it's partly that, and that I'm still somewhat lacking in confidence.

Tomorrow is another day and we are supposedly heading to a different launch because the winds are going to be out of the North which isn't so good for the main launch here....

Sue is in Rieti this evening at a Blues festival. We've been enjoying plenty of really nice dining... last night we had an excellent multi-course meal in a really nice setting near our landing field and we all just stuffed ourselves.... I think Sue and Kim are planning a little side trip next week up to Florence to check things out in a different area....

Friday Sept 4th

Not much flying the past two days. Yesterday the comp moved about 60 kilometers south of Pogio Bustone to a city called Aguila which was decimated in an earthquake about 6 months ago. It was too windy and rotary on launch and the task was canceled before anyone got seriously injured. I managed to dislocate a finger trying to launch - kind of a freak thing as I just kind of fell down softly but put a hand out to stabilize myself and must have jammed it just right into a rock or something. Being at a very odd angle it was obvious that I had to seek help so I spent much of the rest of the day in the hospital in Rieti fighting the language barrier but eventually was taken care of.

Many pilots did launch before they canceled the day and had nice flights but many experienced very windy landings going backwards....

Today we were back in Pogio Bustone but conditions did not look good at all. In classic world cup style we all loaded up and headed up the hill and spent several hours sitting around visiting and waiting for things to improve. They almost got good enough but when the sun finally came out for a few minutes the extra heat energy just made the place go ballistic and the wind and thermal action really got strong. Again, the day was canceled and about half the pilots practiced their high wind launches and had nice flights out to the main landing field.

I've figured out how to put my small splint over my glove and tape it on so I can press on with flying... shouldn't be a problem. The weather is looking better tomorrow so will see what happens.

We've been enjoying lots of fine food and drink and good company....

Got to go!

I've never thermaled with so many sail planes before.... they are everywhere here!
Previous world cup and worlds champions, and they are all flying in the comp!
Bill Hughes glides towards Poggio Bostone, which is where we are staying.....
The Italian team goes over strategy before the launch window opens....
The marching band which played for the opening ceremonies, walked and played with us through the narrow pathways to our dining location....

Superfinal task 1

After a couple of really fun warm-up days we started the comp with a bang today with a 79k race to goal along the local mountain range and across the valley. At the opening ceremonies last evening they announced that this was the highest ranked paragliding competition ever held..... Conditions were full on for racing and that's exactly what happened. I pretty much got left at the start - wondering what the heck happened.... Seemed like the race was over for me today before it ever started!! I flew the prestart perfectly, and two minutes before the start I was wing tip to wing tip with two of the top 3 finishers today. Then I decided that I was smarter than everyone else and pushed out front more towards the start cylinder and proceeded to get completely drilled with about 4-5 other pilots.... by the time we got re-established in a climb, the start window had opened and I had the pleasure of watching over 100 pilots flying over my head towards the first turn point about 1000 feet above me! There was pretty much no chance to catch up after that point - even though there was still 75 kilometers to race! The gaggles were unbelievably smart and strong, and very few mistakes were made after the start. If you weren't right with them, or immediately behind them, they were pretty much not catchable for the entire race. Brad was the first of the US pilots to make goal, but pretty far back, and I made it in in the 90s I think, and Pete Schaffer took the last into goal red lantern award.... The other US pilots landed short of goal.

As expected, the pilots are ALL exceptional with many prior world champions in attendance, and many prototype gliders being put through the paces. Conditions were strong in places but manageable. I witnessed one reserve deployment right in front of me.... I circled down right over where he went into the trees and yelled to him "Are you OK?", and the reply that came back was a booming Italian voice yelling that he was OK....

So, tomorrow is another day and they are going to bus us to another launch site which is about 50 kilometers to the south of here I believe. I guess there was a town that was decimated by an earthquake 6 months ago with over 300 local residents killed. Apparently moving the comp there for the day is an act of goodwill towards the local community. We are going to stay in the area after the race for dinner and a party.....

Sue is enjoying her time and is looking forward to taking a flight of her own one of these days... the conditions in the evening are spectacular with incredible views and very mellow conditions - just what she likes.