Press Pack - The Oz Report

Press Pack
FAI Hang Gliding
World Championships
Class 1 (Women), 2, 5 and Sport
Annecy, France – June 22 to July 5, 2014
Press Contact
Stéphane Malbos – [email protected] / +336 84 35 03 65
Summary
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FOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS IN A SINGLE EVENT
An experienced organisation
Up to 20 nations will be represented
French opportunities
More than just a competition
Our partners
THE COMPETITION
The programme
A typical day
Flying the course line
Getting involved
Some figures
FLYING IN SAVOIE MONT BLANC
Fly like a bird
Learn to fly
Delta Club Annecy
An advantageous area
Press coverage
The organisation
General Manager
Jean-Louis Debiée – [email protected] – 06 89 49 12 84
Communication
Stéphane Malbos – [email protected] – 06 84 35 03 65
TOURISM OFFICES
Tourism Office Lac d’Annecy
Stéphane Canessant – [email protected] – 06 10 87 79 41
Tourism Office Sources du lac d’Annecy
Bruno Bourdat – [email protected] –06 71 31 69 68
Isabelle Mugnier – [email protected] – 04 50 32 75 59
Savoie Mont Blanc Tourisme
Émilie Fau – [email protected] – 04 50 51 28 20 / 06 40 06 44 61
Warning
This press pack is not to be published or in any way used commercially. The photographs
belong to the organisers, the FAI, Vol Libre Magazine and the Tourist Offices of the region.
Many, found on the internet cannot be referenced. None is copyright free
(2013 Pre-World pilots)
Hang Gliding World– Lac d’Annecy – 22/6 to 5/7 2014 – www.deltaclubannecy.fr
Press Contact: Stéphane Malbos – [email protected] – +336 84 35 03 65 2
Four championships
in a single event
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) awarded
Delta Club Annecy and the Fédération Française de Vol Libre
(FFVL), the organisation of these World Hang Gliding
championships in four classes :
•  13th Class 1 championship (women’s flexwing)
•  1st Sport Class championship (flexwings kingposted),
•  19th Class 2 championship (rigid wing with fairings and full
control of moving surfaces)
•  6th Class 5 championship (rigid wing with no fairings and
partial control of moving surfaces).
Each class performs differently : from 95km/h and a glide of
14:1 for Sport Class, up to an impressive 150km/h at 27:1 glide
for Class 2 !
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(Classes 2, 1, 5 andSport)
An experienced organisation
The General Manager, Jean-Louis Debiée, has been
committed to developing the sport at local and national
levels for many years.
Richard Walbec, Meet Director, is a world class pilot (five
times French champion) and a proven organiser (including
the European Championships in 2004).
Some other key roles...
•  Event coordinator : so that nothing is forgotten. Yves
Weiss.
•  Safety Director : safety is his sole consideration.
Raymond Caux.
•  Communications officer: taking care of you ! Stéphane
Malbos.
•  Launch Director and Goal Marshal : they organise the
launch area and ensure that all pilots are clipped in
before taking off. They monitor the order that pilots arrive
at the goal line and help pilots pack up. Alex Brieba and
Friedrich Wankerl.
•  The weather man : his forecasts will allow the team to
set the best possible tasks each day. Joël Favre.
•  The scorer : at the end of each day, he uploads the GPS
tracks from each pilot into the scoring system and checks
the results in each of the four classes. Jérôme Auger.
•  As for the FAI, it has appointed a Steward to advise and
help the organisers, and a 3 person Jury to deal with
protests, ensure the competitions follow the rules and
validate the results. Dennis Pagen (USA), Flip Koetsier
(NDL), Fabio Loro (ITA), Heather Mull (AUS).
(Jean-Louis Debiée,
Richard Walbec,
Yves Weiss,
Raymond Caux,
Stéphane Malbos...
and the others!)
Hang Gliding World– Lac d’Annecy – 22/6 to 5/7 2014 – www.deltaclubannecy.fr
Press Contact: Stéphane Malbos – [email protected] – +336 84 35 03 65 4
Up to 20 nations will be represented
These hang gliding World Championships will bring together up to 120 pilots, men and women
from 15 to 20 nations : Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, France,
Germany, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, United
Kingdom, USA and more.
Amongst them, will be real champions, such as the Austrian Manfred Ruhmer, nine times
world champion in classes 1 and 2, the German, Corinna Schwiegershausen, five times
women’s world champion in class 1 and French pilot, Françoise Dieuzeide, women’s world
champion in 1993 and many times women’s champion in France.
French opportunities
France is one of the great nations of free flyers, with pilots standing on the World and
European podiums since 1979 in Grenoble, and as recently as Monte Cucco (Italy) in 2011.
In 2014, France has the opportunity to take medals in all classes, both individual and team.
In the Women’s Class 1 contest, Françoise Dieuzeide was the victor at the pre-worlds. She
was Women’s World Champion in 1993 and silver medal holder in 2004 and 2008. At her
side, Françoise Mocellin makes a comeback to competition after a long absence. She won
silver at the Women’s Worlds in 2000 and a bronze in 1996. She was Women’s European
champion in 1996 and 1998.
Among the men, in class 5, the French team took gold in the 2006 World Championships. It
could do it again! Two pilots from that team, Jacques Bott and David Chaumet, are now flying
in Class 2. How will they fare against the all-time favourite Manfred Ruhmer from Austria?
In the newly formed Sport Class, anything could happen. Will the top pilots from Class 1
compete? Or will they leave it to those who specialise in these lower performance wings? If
the first case holds, then Mario Alonzi and Pietro Zin, no strangers to the podium, could be
strong contenders. In any case, the current French Sport Class champion, Fabien Garing, will
be defending his position!
(The French team, World champions in 2006.)
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More than just a competition
These World Championships do not merely create a high profile
sports event that lasts a fortnight. They have been integrated
into a grander plan for the economic development of sports and
sports tourism around the area of Lake Annecy. Free flying
forms part of a dynamic intiative started several years ago. The
elected councillors well understand the benefits, and their
strong support of this event is the proof.
For the organisers, these World Championships provide great
potential: to promote our activities and the Lake Annecy area
beyond our region and our borders; to improve the take-offs and
landing areas; to create new sites, expanding flying
opportunities; to create a professional teaching environment; to
train new pilots and grow the sport.
Our partners
Cities of Annecy, Doussard, Montmin, Gruffy, Faverges Ÿ
Departments of Savoie and Haute Savoie Ÿ Rhône-Alpes
Region Ÿ Assembly of Pays de Savoie Ÿ Savoie Mont Blanc
Tourisme Ÿ Lac Annecy Tourisme Ÿ Sources du lac d’Annecy
Faverges et Doussard Ÿ Syndicat intercommunal à vocation
unique vol libre Ÿ A.I.R. (Atos Rigid Wing Hang Gliders) Ÿ TV8
Mont Blanc Ÿ Schmidhauser Fromagers & Affineurs Ÿ
Menuiserie Leroulley Ÿ Castorama Ÿ Techni-Services (Groupe
LCP) Ÿ Jean Lain Rent Ÿ Aix les Bains Eau Minérale Naturelle Ÿ
Campéole Ÿ Marque Savoie Ÿ Espace 3 D Ÿ Sup’Air Ÿ Bautek Ÿ
Les passagers du vent Ÿ Mont Charvin Salaisons...
(Doussard.)
Hang Gliding World– Lac d’Annecy – 22/6 to 5/7 2014 – www.deltaclubannecy.fr
Press Contact: Stéphane Malbos – [email protected] – +336 84 35 03 65 6
The competition
The programme
22 June
Registration, equipment checking
Opening Ceremony at Doussard at 6pm.
23 June - 4 July
Task days
Launches from Semnoz, La Forclaz, Bisanne, Le Sire...
Goal landings at Doussard.
2, 3 and 4 July
Goal landings at Pâquier in Annecy.
5 July
Closing Ceremony and Prize giving at Pâquier in Annecy.
A typical day
9 h 30
10 h – 11 h
11 h – 13 h 30
13h30 – 14 h 30
17 h 30 – 19 h
From 18 h
Approx 22 h
Team Leader Briefing at headquarters.
Transport to launch
Class 2 gliders are tow launched from
Doussard.
Equipment preparation, task setting,
pilot briefings.
Launch opens
Expected goal landings
Downloading of GPS tracks
Publication of daily results.
Timings are estimated only
(the weather does not work to the clock !)
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(Flying, class 1 and 5.
On the ground class 1
and –soon– class 2 )
Flying the course line
Whatever the class, the aim is to complete the set course as
fast as possible. Because the performance of each class of
wing is different, each will be set its own task, which could
vary in length from 50 to more than 250km.
Deciding on the task to set is a complex operation. The
weather forecast plays an important role. What are the
prevailing wind conditions and how will this affect the terrain?
What altitude will the pilots be able to reach? Are there any
storms forecast?... The Meet Director, in consultation with the
Safety Director and a pilot committee, analyses the
information, and the chosen course is marked out on a
detailed map.
The course line is punctuated by several turnpoints,
sometimes a physical feature such as a mountain summit or
a church tower, and sometimes a ‘virtual’ point. Each is
logged in the GPS, normally measured as a cylinder, perhaps
400m in diameter. The start is also a virtual cylinder,
normally close to the launch site. The goal may be a virtual
cylinder, or a physical line, marked out on the ground in a
suitable landing location. Sometimes it is both !
At the launch, pilots typically can choose one of several start
times, which can be a strategically important decision (will
flying conditions improve or deteriorate during the day ?). All
pilots must, of course, respect the rules of the air. Their
progress along the course line can be followed using a ‘live
tracking’ system, which can be viewed via the internet,
wherever you have a connection, and on a giant screen at
the competition headquarters.
In the three-dimensional world of free flight, reliant on solar
(thermic) and wind energy sources, there is more than one
way to fly the task. You will often see the pilots flying in
groups, called ‘gaggles’, however, some are just as happy to
take their own route. The skill of thermalling efficiently (get
high fast!) and to glide fast to the next thermal, is what
distinguishes the best pilots. The arrival at the goal field can
be especially impressive, with some swooping in to cross the
line at high speed (up to 150 km/h).
Once they have landed, each pilot must take his GPS to the
scorer to download his flight track. Each track is verified by
the scoring software, checking that all the turnpoints were
taken. Then the results for the task are posted. On a good
day, the winning pilot will score 1000 points. The scores of
the rest of the pilots will depend on how fast they completed
the course and/or how far they flew.
The points for each task are accumulated daily to decide the
overall winner of the individual contest in each class.
National teams comprise up to six pilots. Each day the best
two scores in the team make up the team score.
Hang Gliding World– Lac d’Annecy – 22/6 to 5/7 2014 – www.deltaclubannecy.fr
Press Contact: Stéphane Malbos – [email protected] – +336 84 35 03 65
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Getting involved
Real time observation via live-tracking allows
us to see the position of pilots on the course,
and to estimate their arrival at goal.
A commentator will be on site at the goal field
to announce the incoming pilots.
Other entertainments are planned at
Doussard: hang glider winch launch
demonstrations, hang glider flight simulators…
Some figures
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From 100 to 120 competitors.
More than 100 friends and family.
50 volunteer helpers
12 competition days.
(Flight simulator with scooter winch)
From 2,000 to 4,000 spectators estimated
More than 1,000 flights (depending on the weather)
Longest task set during the pre-worlds: 246kms
Wing span of a flexwing : 11m.
Wing span of a rigid : 15m.
Cost of a wing:
- Class 1 and Sport (flexwing) : from 5,000€ to 9,000€.
- Class 5 (rigid) : around 18,000€.
- Class 2 (enclosed rigid) : between 25,000 and 70,000€.
(Class 2)
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Flying in Savoie
Mont Blanc
Fly like a bird!
Freedom. To choose one’s launch point, one’s destination
and how to get there. To wait here, to advance there. In
short, to control all aspects of one’s flight. To fly like a
bird… Many have been tempted to realise this dream, from
Icarus to Otto Lilienthal, and not forgetting Leonardo da
Vinci, but none truly succeeding. This dream, which has
become the hang glider, is now a reality.
Invented in 1963 in Australia, Dickenson’s wing was of
simple construction, robust, light, easy to transport and to
fly. Its popularity expanded around the world in the early
1970s, in France under the name of deltaplane. Since
then, hang gliders have been transformed into far more
complex machines, but far higher in performance.
From the start, hang gliders have truly transformed man
into a bird: from a standing launch, head first, feet behind,
an instinctive flying position, gaining altitude in the
thermals, long glides or controlled aerobatics, stepping
down to land safely on the ground...
Their improving performance has led to some impressive
world records. For the Class1 wings, the most popular:
764km open distance; 49.8km/h over a triangular circuit of
100km; 4,343m gain in altitude…
In France, there are some 1,200 hang glider pilots.
(Otto Lilienthal, Dickenson wing,
1980’s)
Hang Gliding World– Lac d’Annecy – 22/6 to 5/7 2014 – www.deltaclubannecy.fr
Press Contact: Stéphane Malbos – [email protected] – +336 84 35 03 65 10
Learn to fly
Piloting a hanglider is largely intuitive, but flying
is not natural for man, and he must learn. One
way to start is with a tandem flight, or a fun day
organised by an authorised school: ground
handling the glider to start, then short runs to feel
the wing, then small flights, just a few metres off
the ground, then longer, higher flights within the
school environment, over a 4 to 5 day course.
Learning continues at the club level, with
coaches to help on every flight.
Like the FFVL, most national free flight
Federations publish a list of authorised schools
and clubs on their websites.
In the Savoie–Mont Blanc region, there are
numerous free flying sites and most are
accessible, depending on weather conditions, to
all levels of pilot.
Delta Club Annecy
Founded in 1974, the club comprises more than 60
members, of which three qualify for the French team. In
2012 it counted among its members, Piero Zin (French
champion in 2011), Hélène Toyer (silver medallist in the
French women’s championships in 2011 and 2013) and
François Isoard (23rd place in the 2013 FAI World
Championships).
Manager of the local hang gliding school, as well as the
flying sites of Montmin Delta and Semnoz, the club is
also a well known organiser of high profile flying events,
including the French National Championships in 1995,
1999 and 2013, as well as the practice event, the Preworlds for this event, last year in 2013.
Learn to fly and perfect your flights on a hang glider
Fun days, tandem flights, courses, tours...
Delta Club Annecy – www.dca.ffvl.fr
... and also nearby at :
Prévol, St-Hilaire-du Touvet (38) – www.prevol.com.
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(Piero Zin)
An advantageous area
Annecy lake and its surroundings (the Annecy villages) including Annecy, Doussard,
Montmin and Gruffy, are a haven for free flying and for hang gliding in particular, and has
been for a very long time. Indeed, the Savoie-Mont Blanc area, was the first to welcome
the earliest free flyers in France, some 40 years ago.
Free flying is not the only asset of Savoie-Mont Blanc, not by a long way ! Its varied
landscape, natural and cultural history, its gourmet restaurants and quality wineries, all
attract those searching for relaxation and well-being, as well as its numerous sporting
activities for family holidays or high adventure. There is accommodation available to suit
every taste and budget.
Press coverage
Already available: video footage including
pilot interviews; photos from the pre-worlds
2013; film of the pre-worlds, introducing the
FAI World Championships 2014.
In advance of the World Championships:
possibility of reports and interviews on
themes including flying hang gliders, learning
to fly and plans for the World Championships.
During the World Championships: footage
from cameras placed on the wings
themselves; visualisation of the race as it
happens in real time on a computer screen;
daily press releases; possibility of tandem
flights.
Press travel and accommodation costs are
covered.
One or several press days will be organised
prior to, and during the event.
Hang Gliding World– Lac d’Annecy – 22/6 to 5/7 2014 – www.deltaclubannecy.fr
Press Contact: Stéphane Malbos – [email protected] – +336 84 35 03 65 12