6 years ago (2017-05-22 16:18:23) :
     The last pilot in the air Larry Pino has just made goal after 5 hours and 19 minutes in the air. Well done to all the pilots today, what a great demonstration of just how well the new wings can cope with such difficult conditions.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 15:54:31) :
     Larry Pino is at 647m above the ground with 4.4 km to go to end of speed and a 10:1 glide to goal down wind, he should make it.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 15:51:46) :
     Unfortunately David Liano Gonzalez has landed but Larry Pino has made it out into the main valley.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 15:40:11) :
     If climbing Everest six times wasn't enough, David has also climbed both versions of the Seven Summits. In April 2017 he took part in the Marathon des Sables once again in aid of the 'The Live Love Laugh Foundation'. 'It was great, I only lost one toe nail', he told me. All good practice for this summer's X-Alps which he is also taking part in.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 15:38:25) :
     David Liano Gonzalez is further back still and possibly going to get the Guinness World Record for the longest PWC flight. He already holds the Guinness World Record for being the first mountaineer to climb Mount Everest twice in the same season, from both the Nepal and Tibet sides, an incredible climb which he has done six times in total! The last ascent in 2016 was to support 'The Live Love Laugh Foundation' which helps people going through depression and mental health. A big part of David's motivation is to eradicate the stigma and taboos attached to mental illness and create awareness about it. Well done, what a great achievement.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 15:12:49) :
     Larry Pino is still flying, he's high in the middle of the Bauges with quite a long way to go still but should make it.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 15:08:12) :
     Well done to Masoud Mehrakizadeh who has just arrived in goal. He had some good top 15 scores last year: 12th in the 2016 Nepali Pre World Cup in Pokhara and%D

6 years ago (2017-05-22 15:03:41) :
     Four pilots are still flying. Mari-anne Aanes has just made goal.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 14:44:02) :
     99 pilots have made goal so far and there are still pilots in the air - incredible!%D

6 years ago (2017-05-22 14:10:30) :
     The leading ladies have just arrived in goal. Seiko Fukuoka Naville, Laurie Genovese and M

6 years ago (2017-05-22 14:04:31) :
     Xevi Bonet Dalmau Honorin Hamard Aaron Durogati Julien Wirtz Russell Ogden are in the lead and about to take end of speed

6 years ago (2017-05-22 14:04:23) :
     The leaders are coming into goal Aaron Durogati and Xevi Bonet Dalmau

6 years ago (2017-05-22 14:04:12) :
     The top 8 are just landing in goal

6 years ago (2017-05-22 14:04:06) :
     Honorin Hamard Russell Ogden Maxime Pinot Julien Wirtz Marc Wensauer Luc Armant have just landed in goal to big applause

6 years ago (2017-05-22 14:03:59) :
     Ernesto Hinestroza, Alfredo Studer, Charles Cazaux, Ulrich Prinz, Joachim Oberhauser, Stephan Kruger are about to land in goal

6 years ago (2017-05-22 14:03:52) :
     There is a long line of gliders flying aross the goal field, 40 gliders coming in thick and fast what an amazing sight.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 14:03:44) :
     After such a difficult start it's fantastic to see 60 pilots already in goal after 73 km

6 years ago (2017-05-22 14:03:37) :
     The sky is absolutely full of gliders, it's so colourful, like a giant mobile of wings

6 years ago (2017-05-22 13:45:29) :
     The leaders have just come out into the valley and are tiny coloured dots very high in the sky

6 years ago (2017-05-22 13:45:24) :
     Alfredo Studer, Xevi Bonet Dalmau, Honorin Hamard, Ernesto Hinestroza, Julien Wirtz, Ulrich Prinz and Luc Armant are all in the lead group

6 years ago (2017-05-22 13:45:14) :
     Luc Armant yesterday's winner is in the lead group

6 years ago (2017-05-22 13:45:05) :
     the first 6 have taken end of speed

6 years ago (2017-05-22 13:44:59) :
     Alfredo Studer is in the lead but low but should have enough height to get goal

6 years ago (2017-05-22 13:25:23) :
     This is going to be a very close finish, there are about 25 pilots from all over the world (Venezuela to France) in the lead gaggle!

6 years ago (2017-05-22 13:23:14) :
     They are all just getting a little bit more height before going for a final glide to the last turn point and end of speed. The leaders are high - 1700m

6 years ago (2017-05-22 13:21:49) :
     The valley wind is south west blowing up the valley so they will have an into wind leg to turn point 4 then they'll have a fast down wind leg to end of speed.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 13:19:30) :
     The lead gaggle have just got back onto the Dent D'Arclusaz and should soon be within sight of the HQ and goal field, however they have still to do turn point 4.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 13:14:53) :
     Alfredo Studer is with the lead gaggle. He has won 2 tasks over the last 3 years. Both of which were here in Coeur de Savoie in 2014. He was second over all. %D%AIn task 4 in 2014, Alfredo gave a great demonstration of how to decisively win a task. He spotted the best place to get a climb right at the beginning, correctly judged exactly when to go for the valley crossing and flew virtually the whole task with a 10 minute lead over the others. %D%A

6 years ago (2017-05-22 13:10:22) :
     Laurie was 2nd in the 2016 St Andre PWC and 2nd in the 2014 Coeur de Savoie PWC. She was 2nd OVERALL in Task 6 in the Val Louron 2013 PWC and 7th OVERALL in the comp, big mountains are definitely her type of flying.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 13:06:57) :
     Laurie Genovese is right out at the front, obviously happy with the task setting today.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 13:03:53) :
     Honorin and Charles Cazaux are leading the ridge run south.%D

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:56:29) :
     Conversely I struggled to find the pilot profiles of some of the British pilots here, Russel Ogden and Ceri Brown's were written before the digital era. Fortunately, to raise the average age of the French pilots in the comp we have Jacques Fournier representing the French Papyrus era of pilot profiles. Seriously though, it's absolutely brilliant to see such a spread of ages, all competing as equals, unlike in virtually any other world class competition.%D%A%D%A

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:55:52) :
     There are a lot of very young up and coming French pilots in this comp - a lot have been in the top ten in the French under 21s comp in the last five years. Simon Pellissier, Bastien De Luca, T

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:52:08) :
     It's very difficult to see who is in the lead at the moment, but it looks like young French pilot Yoann Chavanne is in front. He's no stranger to winning tasks in comps with a very high level of pilot. He won a task in the PWC in Montalegre in 2015 and the 1st task in the 2015 PWC in Switzerland. %D%A%D%A

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:48:20) :
     Once again they are going to be flying cross wind with fairly weak thermals

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:41:57) :
     They are now all turning round to race back south to the fourth turn point further down the valley from HQ.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:40:12) :
     The pilot quality and local knowledge in this comp is incredible. 11 out of the top 15 from the previous 2014 Coeur de Savoie PWC are here:%D

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:36:46) :
     It looks as if 35 pilots are going to get the turn point on Semnoz at once

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:35:06) :
     Who's going to get turn point 3 first?

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:33:55) :
     Honorin and the rest of the gaggle have pretty much caught up with Yassen and Pierre, but those further back have more height.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:32:25) :
     There's a line of pilots stretched out behind Yassen and Pierre with the pilots at the back just getting to the second turn point.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:31:01) :
     Yesterday's runner up Pierre Remy is right on Yassen's trailing edge, they've both got the same height 1650m.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:29:54) :
     Yassen told me yesterday that he much prefers the terrain here to that in the Super Final. 'It's more logical here, more predictable and makes more sense.' It's certainly working for him here today.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:27:41) :
     Yassen is a real lead out points bagger, a pilot who is consistently right up at the front doing his own thing, hoovering up all the points.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:26:32) :
     Yassen is 4km ahead, this is a repeat of task 2 in the St Andre PWC in 2016 when Yassen did a Yassen and stormed ahead.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:21:16) :
     Durali Karaca is crossing the valley to get the turn point as near to the third turn point as possible and it looks as if he has overtaken the leaders.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:18:33) :
     The second gaggle seem to have caught up with Yassen - who has perhaps stopped to do some ironing.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:14:35) :
     Yassen is still in the lead after the second turn point

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:11:44) :
     Honorin Hamard's gaggle have got the second turn point. Yassen has made a break for it and is going to get the turn point nearer to the third turn point than Honorin.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:06:46) :
     Honorin Hamard has broken away from the second gaggle and is a bit higher than Yassen

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:04:59) :
     Honorin Hamard and a group just behind Yassen have followed the Margeriaz ridge but are taking longer

6 years ago (2017-05-22 12:01:23) :
     Nicola Donini is with Yassen as are Durali Karaca and Alexandre Jofresa

6 years ago (2017-05-22 11:59:51) :
     The wind today is southerly so they are flying slightly cross wind

6 years ago (2017-05-22 11:58:55) :
     Yassen Savov is in front - he's obviously not taken his ironing with him today.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 11:53:14) :
     8 out of the top 10 from the 2016 St Andre PWC, which had one of the highest levels of pilot we've ever seen, are here: Maxime Pinot (1st), FELIX RODRIGUEZ FERNANDEZ (2nd), Luc ARMANT (3rd), Honorin HAMARD (4th), Torsten SIEGEL (5th), Pierre REMY (6th), Michal Gierlach (8th), Yassen SAVOV (9th).%D%AIf they are making it look difficult today, then that really means something.%D%A%D%A

6 years ago (2017-05-22 11:43:39) :
     Famous last words, it looks as if only about 20 pilots got the start gate on time.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 11:22:18) :
     From the ground it looks as if most of the pilots are going to make the start on time today - just!

6 years ago (2017-05-22 11:11:20) :
     Quite a big gaggle is forming above launch with more and more pilots joining them

6 years ago (2017-05-22 11:08:13) :
     A lot of pilots are low to the south of launch but they are getting up and the condtions are starting to improve.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 10:50:28) :
     The Meet Director and Technical Delegate have gone further round the course to assess the weather conditions.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 10:49:22) :
     Virtually all the pilots are off but there are concerns that the thermals are capped too low to make the task viable.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 10:44:10) :
     X-Alps veteran Yvonne Dathe has just taken off, she's one of the few women to have ever taken part in the gruesome race - big respect.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 10:38:40) :
     Those in the air have managed to get established on the Crete Marocaz

6 years ago (2017-05-22 10:36:50) :
     The thermic breeze hasn't got fully established so the meteo wind is still coming through making launching difficult.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 10:33:02) :
     Andreas Malecki and Marc Wensauer are just launching

6 years ago (2017-05-22 10:30:12) :
     Then north towards Lake Annecy then back south towards HQ for a last turn point and goal.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 10:28:55) :
     Then they will go onto the Dent d'Arclusaz for the first turn point then NW across the Massif des Bauges for the 2nd turnpt.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 10:26:27) :
     The pilots are once again going south of launch to get a climb before heading NW to get the start at 13.30 just east of launch.

6 years ago (2017-05-22 10:23:34) :
     Top lady from yesterday M

6 years ago (2017-05-22 10:16:37) :
     The first pilots are just taking off, there is little bit of turbulence in front of launch which is making it difficult