09/07/2015

COMPETITION

France’s Elite at the Open du Lac d’Annecy

Rock the Outdoor has been at one of France’s top ranked league competitions this weekend, the “Open du Lac d’Annecy”.

This Elite competition event attracts some of the countries top ranked pilots as well as being used as a training ground for France’s Young Hopeful’s, the “Jeunes Espoirs”.  One of many weekend comps on the French comps calendar, the Open du Lac d’Annecy is one of the most popular. When conditions are good, tasks between 50-100km are set over the scenic and often initimidating terrain of the Alps.

Meet Director for the competition, Fred Escriba, will be looking closely at the weather before task setting this weekend.  Strong conditions and over development in the afternoon will see shorter but more complex tasks involving crux turnpoints, preventing pilots using the usual milk-runs to reach the cylinders.

Big names like Jean-Marc Caron and Lucas Bernardin will be looking for some fast racing using the generous terrain and valley winds to obtain maximum points for the French League; the accumulation of these at the end of the season enables France’s top pilots to be selected for their Nationals, for which only 130 places are offered.

Although the Open du Lac d’Annecy is a French League event, if there are spaces available, visiting pilots can enter by turning up on the day (providing you have and IPPI5, competition insurance and current license).  The competition is not a Cat2 event, but for the small entry fee of €40, you get to play with the hot-shots plus all the added luxuries of launch transport, packed lunch and retrieves.

Saturday saw a 61km task around Annecy in 1hr42mins won by Yoanne Chavanne with an average speed of 36km/hr!

Sunday’s 44.7km was won by Julien Wirtz in 1hr53mins.

The overall event was won by Julien Wirtz; the Women’s event, by Bénédicte Saury-Jourdan.

Open du Lac d’Annecy and Scores: http://parapente.ffvl.fr/compet/2558

FFVL Competitions: http://parapente.ffvl.fr/competition/infos

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