A rollercoaster competition

The Paragliding World Cup in El Yelmo started spectacularly with some of the biggest tasks ever undertaken. After two days of premium conditions, pilots unexpectedly started getting sick during the third task. Quickly, the majority of pilots were unfit to fly. Two tasks had to be canceled due to weather and health reasons. On day 6, we wanted to give it another try, but it was quickly ended by upcoming rain.

On the last day, conditions still seemed unfavorable. The task committee decided to start early to head towards Pegalajar. However, the sky didn’t look promising, and doubts started rising. A 62.1 km optimized zigzag task towards El Yelmo was set, scheduled to start at 15:30. Slowly but surely, the sun began breaking up the cloud layers, and pilots took off.

In terms of thrill and excitement, Task 4 didn’t disappoint. With about 30 people still having a chance to win overall, it was a true fight for the podium! After spending most of the task further back, Honorin Hamard managed to get in front in the second half of the race, reclaiming his overall lead and securing a second position in this task. The win of this task went to Jacques Fournier with his Zeno 2, who also arrived first at the goal! Not long after, leading woman Capucine Deliot also arrived at the goal, also on a Zeno 2! “The tailwind made racing super fun even with a smaller wing, and I was able to keep up with the gaggle!” Capucine told us.

This task was a true blessing and closes this competition with fond memories.