Brazil's biggest lake hosted the second stage of the Open Paragliding Acro Competition nearby the city of Linhares. During the training day on Friday and the first competition day on Saturday the weather conditions were quite mixed. From the early morning hours several rainshowers and thunderstorms passed the area, causing big variances in the strenght and direction of the wind.

The take-off place was a beautiful sandy beach on the east side of the lake, suitable to launch in a 180 degree angle. The raft and the event was right on the opposite side which seemed optimal, but it's position often made it difficult to tow the pilots into the flying box due to the dominating NW-W wind.
Another problem was that the lakeside is everywhere surrounded with a 50-70 meter high steep slope which caused strong rotor in the landing place and sometimes made it even dangerous to land on the floating platform, especially in the afternoon hours when the see breeze reached the area. During this period the hill on the opposite (take-off) side was nicely soarable even with small acro wings...

3 runs were planned for Saturday and Sunday but due to the variable wind, rain showers, technical problems with the boats and often unsufficient altitude to perform the maneuvers things were happening slowly and only 2 runs could be completed (one with 3 and one with only 2 maneuvers).

Final, overall results of the Open competition (incl. Marobá-, and Linhares Acro)

1. Pál Takáts (Hungary, U-Turn Thriller)
2. Yves Berlovitz (Switzerland, Paratech Acro)
3. Hernan Pittoco (Argentina, SOL Supersonic)
4. Renato Lopez (Brazil, SOL Supersonic)
5. Christophe Guillet (Switzerland, U-Turn Thriller)

Brazilian results of the Linhares Acro

1. Renato Lopes (SOL)
2. Rodrigo Machado (SOL)
3. Mauricio Braga (Paratech)
4. Rafael Goberna (SOL)
5. Ronaldo Cardoso Camargo (Paratech)

The organization has announced that a final, third event of the Brazilian National Acro Championships will take place in April at the same location (only counting for the brazilian ranking).

Despite the - mainly location related - problems I must admit that on the other hand no competition ever before has provided such a service for the pilots as this one. For the entry fee of 250 EUR practically 11 days of accomodation, food, drinks, flying and transports between the locations! You can compare it to one of our greatest European events in Italy where for 100 EUR you can sleep for 4 days in your own car in a busy parking place, take bath in the lake and use a terrible public toilet where you wouldn't even send in your biggest enemy for a ride...).
The financial support by the government is very strong and the organization team is very motivated to improve things for next year (like with professional FAI judges, more towing boats, etc.).

Watch the photo galleries, results and more information on the official website.

The first part of the Brazilian Open Acro Championships at the Marobá beach in Presidente Kennedy has ended. Finally 17 pilots (incl. 4 swiss, 1 argentinien and 1 hungarian) are participating. 

During the 4 days of the event (2-2 training and competition days)  a number of around only 30 flights were flown in total by all pilots together. The reasons for that were various. 
There were 2 towing boats, but one of them got damaged by the waves while putting it into the sea right on the first day...

Dear pilots! I just got these informations from our friend Maurició "Gatinho" Braga from Brasil about the following event they are organizing. All pilots are warmly welcomed! You only need to get to Victoria and pay 250 EUR subscription fee for nearly 2 weeks of fun! Here are the infos:

Marobá open Acrobatics.
Country: Brazil, Espiritio Santo State
Dates: 28th of January to 7th February.

"The competition consists of 2 events in two weekends consecutives, one is below salt water (Presidente Kennedy) just on a very nice and clean beach, and the other over a lake (Linhares) natural lake with warm sweet water. At both locations the pilots will get into the air by towing boats.

One of the locations...

The competition start on 28th to 31 January 2010. (at Presidente Kennedy)

Between the two etapes from 31 January to 4th of February the pilots can fly in Castelo, a nice rocky mountain, famous for XC where a PWC comp was held in 2008.

The inscription fee is only 250 which includes:
All towings during the competitions.
All transportations to- and between the events including going to Castelo
3 meals per day during the competitions
Accomodations in Hotel - including the freeflying days in Castelo!

The price money for the Open Competition.

1º place R$ 2500 reais (around 1000 Euros)
2°place R$ 1500 reais (around 500 Euros)
3° place R$1000 reais (around 300 Euros)

To have all benefits the pilot need to make the inscription and pay the entry fee before 20th of January
Ps.: if you think about to tavel to brazil this can be very cheap way because the fly should cost around 900 euros plus 250 to stay around 10 days. The total cost around 1150 euros and fly without cost. Sometimes you pay this just a ticket
Come we wait for you guys! Gatinho"

+ info at the event's website (portugese only)

New Infinity Tumbling record: 281 revolutions !!!

Saturday 5th December in Nepal, D-bagging from a helicopter at 5,200 m.

Previous records:

Raúl Rodriguez: 111
Antoine Montant: 130 at Coupe Icare
Chrigel Maurer: 158 over Grindenwald by ground-launching!
Chrigel Maurer: 198
Chrigel Maurer: 207

Spanish two times World Cup Champion Horacio Llorens set a new world record of Infinity Tumbling - reports SOL, brasilian paraglider manufacturer.

It is however not yet published how many turns exactly Horacio performed and SOL makes a small game out of it so you need to guess...

Congratulations!