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Paragliding World Cup – Japan 2010 from Silvio Zugarini on Vimeo.

PWC Japan Happo-Fuji Movie Trailer from Silvio Zugarini on Vimeo.

PWC Japan task 2 Saturday 29th – First thermal up from Silvio Zugarini on Vimeo.

Today a 49km task was called with Goal in the city of Arumino with 2 previous waypoints. Conditions were tricky with low cloud base. As I write over 50 pilots are expected to be in goal. A very bad day for me, throwing away the possibility of a good task finish by making a mistake going to the second waypoint. I thought that the waypoint was near the second lake on the ridge, whereas it was on the right on the valley below our main flying ridge. With a not very good height I hesitated several times to go with the others, given the scarce landing options and in the ned decided to go to land given I was now on my own. An amateurish mistake and I gave away the possibility of a goal and since it was and elapsed time task, also the chance of a nice result. Today I realised that I need to study the map in detail and carefully before each task and also that if you hesitate and not follow the gaggle (and I was with the main one after the first waypoint) you´re going nowhere. Now I have to change my glider (put my beloved Trango 3 into retirement) and put a lot more flying hours under my belt this season (I have not really flown a lot so far in 2010 compared to other years). A real shame today (but with only myself to blame). The scenery was also today stunning.. Bring on the Spanish Nationals soon…

PWC Japan Task 1 – Mount Fuji Friday 28th May from Silvio Zugarini on Vimeo.

We finally managed to get a valid task in and with a stunning scenery..the majestic Mount Fuji..a 63.9km task with multiple clock starts. We left Hakuba at 4.30 in the morning and arrive in the flying area at around 9 am. The take off was very small (2 wings maximum) so a ranking order was established. The first pilots who took off rode to base quite easily, with the passing of time the wind increased and the broken thermals made it difficult to get established high on the ridge. I took off very late and was difficult, with the drifting, to get high, when I finally managed I was already in one of the last gaggles. Conditions were turbulent and rough at times, there were news on the radio of some reserve throwing and pilots in the trees. I was also flying rather slow today as I did not want to scratch low on the heavy forested ridge and since I was late anyway, I just wanted to make sure to get to goal. I was going to tag the penultimate waypoint when ,at 2pm the cloud base suddenly lowered to 1100mt, and a huge cloud cover arrived shutting down all thermal activity. Disappointing result for me race-wise but at least we got to fly! I enjoyed it very much, the scenery was awesome.

PWC Japan Task 3 – blowing hard at take off from Silvio Zugarini on Vimeo.

Today it is very cloudy and windy so the 5th task was also cancelled. The organization decided to try for a task tomorrow at Mount Fuji, a good 4 hours drive from Hakuba where the weather forecast is promising. We have to leave at 4.30 in the morning!! The weather gods have not been kind to us, a real shame also for the wonderful Japanese organization who everyday entertained us and looked after us in spite of the really bad weather..

Todavia no hemos volado una manga, hoy hay mucho viento y nubes bajas. La organizacion ha decidido intentar disputar una manga manana cerca del monte Fuji donde la prevision meteo es algo mejor. Son 4 horas de viaje desde Hakuba y tenemos que salir a las 4.30 de la manana! Estamos teniendo una mala suerte increible con la meteo, una verdadera lastima ya que la organizacion y la gente aqui en Hakuba estan haciendo todo para que nos los pasemos en grande no obstante el tiempo malo.

Snow Monkey Park – Nakano Japan 26-5-10 from Silvio Zugarini on Vimeo.

Still no tasks flown, well the weather is so dreadful that I haven´t even had the chance to take my glider out of the bag. Yesterday we went up to take off but during the briefing the wind started to blow with hurricane force from the back of the mountain. then it started raining again all day, evening and night….this morning, Wednesday, the task was again cancelled at 9.30 am since it was raining and has not stopped since. The organization took us to the Nagano area again, tis time to see some Snow Monkeys having a hot spring bath. we are getting really desperate to fly…this is unbelievable and depressing at the same time..we are actually risking not flying at all in this PWC…

Sushi Train from Silvio Zugarini on Vimeo.

Rain, rain and more rain. Some real bad weather and low pressure is upon us. Today the task was cancelled and we went to Nagano to see a very old Buddist temple and for some sightseeing and sushi.
Tomorrow it looks like the weather could give us a small window to fly…the ground is unbelievably wet after two days of heavy rain so even if the sun comes out the thermals will be weak with plenty of cumulus.

PWC opening ceremony 22 May from Silvio Zugarini on Vimeo.

After a very well organized opening ceremony and great food buffet yesterday we woke up this morning to some very bad weather with plenty of rain coming down. The forecast for the next days is also not very good, so please send some positive energy through so we can maybe hope for an improvement! Yesterday after a 5 hours bus ride from Tokyo I arrived in Hakuba-Happo and after having registered I went up the mountain for a quick flight. It was already late and most of the pilots had finished already with their training day (some went 20km down the ridge and back with a cloudbase of nearly 3000mt), but nevertheless I enjoyed very much the last few thermals and the breathtaking scenery of the Northern Japan Alps. The flying area looks really good for a competition, although the landing options are scarce (lots of rice fields and power lines). 18 nationalities are represented, with Japan, France and Korea having the highest number of pilots. R10s and Boom 7s are the wings most represented. Let´s hope the weather improves so we can fly a task soon.

Tokyo 21-5-2010 from Silvio Zugarini on Vimeo.

PWC JAPAN Hakuba Happo del 22 al 29 de Mayo – Mi primera PWC, tengo mucha ilusion aunque la prevision no parece ser de las mejores – Japon es un pais increible, Tokyio una ciudad maravillosa, es como acer un viaje de 20 anos en el futuro.

PWC JAPAN Hakuba-Happo from 22nd to 29th May. My very first PWC and I am very looking forward to it altough the weather forecast is not great for the moment. We´ll see. Finally I got to see Japan, a beautifully striking country. Tokyo is an awesome place, like being catapulted 20 years into the future.
News and pics here – Stay tuned.

Paratrike flight from Silvio Zugarini on Vimeo.

Liga Centro – Manga 8 – Pedro Bernardo 25-4-10 from Silvio Zugarini on Vimeo.

El Sabado la manga no fue valida – Se necesitaban 5 pilotos que pasaran los 15km de prueba y creo que solo dos lo consiguieron; condiciones flojas y techo bajo con el valle del Tietar todavia muy verde y humedo. La prevision de tormentas no se cumplio’ pero hizo que, por seguridad, no se puso la prueba por la montana.
El domingo condiciones mucho mejores y primeras termicas fuerte con techo de hast 2500 en la base de las nube. Se pone un triangulo con balizas en la Higuerilla, Buenaventura y goal en el aterrizaje oficial de Pedro Bernardo. Salimos del despegue este y al principio se sube muy bien – Yo hago el start point de manual (gracias C-Pilot PRO!) entrando en el cilindro despues de 4 segundos de su abertura. Al tirarme hacia la Abantera, cojo una mala linea y pillo una descedencia que me hace dar la vuelta hacia la ladera para ganar mas altura y no quedar bajo; se me escapa asi el grupo de cabeza; una vez remontado a 1900mt me voy hacia la abantera con un grupo de pilotos y alli subimos rapido y de manera muy turbulenta hasta 200mt, de alli vamos a hacer la baliza de la Higuerilla y viendo que el grupo de cabeza habia pichado trantando de seguir por el valle a buscar la convergencia, decidimos volver a la ladera de Lanzahita y esperar un ciclo bueno; yo consigo subir hasta los 1800mt y en vez de seguir la linea de las estribaciones de la sierra (donde algunos pilotos remontaron 2000 mt mas) decido tirar hasta Buenaventura detras de Robert Jimenez y su Astral 6. Todavia no me doy cuenta que voy segundo y trato de ganarle al sur y a la linea hasta Buenaventura; me cruzo con dos termicas muy rotas y flojas de nubes que se estaban desaciendo y llego al rio Tietar bajo; Cruzo el rio y intento sobrevivir en uno cero..pero nada me toca aterrizar. Veo al grupo de pilotos que habian remontado en la ladera pasandome por encima (David Riquelme, Simon Iglesias, Alberto Barco y Emilio Tejada) altos; Ellos hacen la baliza y viento en cola el Goal. Robert tambien llego’ a goal habiendo remontado despues del rio en una termica que le permitio hacer la baliza y el goal. Enhorabuena a los que llegaron a goal; no estaba nada facil; otros se quedaron despues de la baliza yendo hacia el goal. Yo con un poquito mas de paciencia, de suerte y de no haber cometido ese error, hubiera podido hasta ganar mi primera manga… Lo hemos pasado como siempre muy bien con la fantastica organizacion y el buen ambiente que hay en la liga centro.

Liga Centro 2010 -Pedro Bernardo 27-28 March from Silvio Zugarini on Vimeo.

Finalmente empieza la temporada 2010 y la liga centro (celebrando su decimo aniversario) con dos mangas validas. La primera con gol en Higuera de las Duenas; condiciones flojas durante toda la carrera; vuelo tecnico y currado; vole’ muy bien y en las primeras posiciones hasta Mijares, alli tuve que pegarme mucho a la ladera (y asi alargar bastante la ruta) para no arriesgar el potencial pinchazo en el llano durante una cobertura de cirros. Llegue finalmente a la Adrada y perdi otras 3 posiciones para esperar un mejor ciclo que se desprendiese hasta la ladera. Finalmente remonte’ bien y llegue’ a gol. Como era una contrareloj pensaba haber entrado mejor; al final fue septimo de los 7 que llegaron. El domingo carrera a goal. 29 km casi en linea recta hasta el Castillo de l’Adrada. De nuevo sali muy motivado y agresivo y hasta Mijares estuve otra vez entre los primeros. Justo antes de Piedralaves perdi a mis 3 companeros (Turin, Virgilio y David Perez) que se pegaron a la ladera bien, y como entraba de sur le funciono’; yo fui por las estribaciones de la sierra y me atasque un poco. Al final creo que entre el 13 o el 14 de mas de 30 que llegaron a goal. En la general creo que voy tercero de la 2-3 y quinto o sesto de la clase open.Ganador de la prueba fue Cecilio Valenzuela estrenando su flamante Mantra R10.2 seguido por Larry Pino tambien estrenando Mantra R10.3. Yo estrene’ mi C-Pilot PRO en competicion y va que es una maravilla. Un buen comienzo de temporada. Esperemos que dure. Todas las fotos del fin de semana aqui.

Finally after a very harsh winter, spring came and with it the first competition of the season. Two valid tasks, the first an elapsed time race with goal in Higuera de las Duenas; weak conditions which made for a quite difficult and technical flight. I flew rather well until half of the task, in the end I came into goal 7th of the only 7th pilots who made it. On the Sunday a race to goal of 29km with goal in La Adrada. I again flew fast and well until the village of Mijares; there a poor decision had me delayed a bit; I got into goal 13th of more than 30th who completed the task. I also ttried my C-Pilot pro for the first time in a competition and it worked exceptionally well. I am very happy with it. A good start of the comp season; long may it last!!! All the pictures here.

La Muela – 14 Feb 2010 from Silvio Zugarini on Vimeo.

Ridge Soaring at La Muela 23-1-2010 from Silvio Zugarini on Vimeo.

Volando despues de mas de un mes (era desde Tenerife que debido al mal tiempo no sacaba el parapente) – La Muela es un sitio maravilloso en Invierno para quitar el mono y darse unos vuelecillos majos. Tambien probe´la Swing Stratus WRC de Juan.

Back in the air after over a month without flying due to the bad weather here in Madrid. La Muela is a very nice site in winter to get a quick flying fix. I also had the chance to test fly the Swing Stratus WRC.

Taucho 2009 Paragliding Open – Liga Nacional FAI2 from Silvio Zugarini on Vimeo.

Taucho 2009 Paragliding Open TASK 4 from Silvio Zugarini on Vimeo.

Para la ultima manga de 40km (circuito de balizas por el valle delante del despegue) nos espera dia azul con termicas rotas y turbulentas al principio. No se sube mucho y cuando se sube se cobra. Yo consigo volar lento al principio, luego una parte de carrera volada atacando y agresivo donde recupero varias posiciones, y una ultima parte donde me quedo bajo y atascado pero consigo llegar a goal. Finalmente un resultado bueno para mi (el 21 de la general y el 4 en clase Serial despues de 3 mangas disputadas) y unos vuelos muy bonitos y disfrutados en el calorcito de Tenerife. La unica nota negativa es que perdi’ mi GPS Garmin 60 el ultimo dia en el despegue y algun chorizo se lo puso en el bolsillo. Espero que el dinero le sirva para cubrir gastos medicos en el futuro.

The last task was a 40km race to goal in a bluw thermic day. In the beginning the lift was turbulent and broken, then it got better with the passing of the hours. I flew too slow in the beginning, then I had a good and fast central part of the race, and then a slow last part again where I found myself low and stuck but managed to get to goal. A nice result finally for me (21st Overall and 4th in the Serial class) and some very good memories of nice flying in the Tenerife’s December heat.