Press Pack - Oz Report

Press Contact Stéphane Malbos – [email protected] / +336 84 35 03 65

Press Pack FAI Hang Gliding

World Championships Class 1 (Women), 2, 5 and Sport

Annecy, France – June 22 to July 5, 2014

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Summary p3 FOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS IN A SINGLE EVENT p4 An experienced organisation p5 Up to 20 nations will be represented p5 French opportunities p6 More than just a competition p6 Our partners p7 THE COMPETITION p7 The programme p7 A typical day p8 Flying the course line p9 Getting involved p9 Some figures p10 FLYING IN SAVOIE MONT BLANC p10 Fly like a bird p11 Learn to fly p11 Delta Club Annecy p12 An advantageous area p12 Press coverage

Warning This press pack is not to be published or in any way used commercially.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

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

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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 !

(Classes 2, 1, 5 andSport)

Four championships in a single event

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).

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(Jean-Louis Debiée, Richard Walbec, Yves Weiss, Raymond Caux, Stéphane Malbos... and the others!)


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.

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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.)

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.

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Our partners Cities of Annecy, Doussard, Montmin, Gruffy, Faverges � Departments of Savoie and Haute Savoie � Rhône-Alpes Region � Assembly of Pays de Savoie � Savoie Mont Blanc Tourisme � Lac Annecy Tourisme � Sources du lac d’Annecy Faverges et Doussard � Syndicat intercommunal à vocation unique vol libre � A.I.R. (Atos Rigid Wing Hang Gliders) � TV8 Mont Blanc � Schmidhauser Fromagers & Affineurs � Menuiserie Leroulley � Castorama � Techni-Services (Groupe LCP) � Jean Lain Rent � Aix les Bains Eau Minérale Naturelle � Campéole � Marque Savoie � Espace 3 D � Sup’Air � Bautek � Les passagers du vent � Mont Charvin Salaisons...

(Doussard.)


The programme

A typical day

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.

9 h 30 Team Leader Briefing at headquarters. 10 h – 11 h Transport to launch

Class 2 gliders are tow launched from Doussard.

11 h – 13 h 30 Equipment preparation, task setting, pilot briefings.

13h30 – 14 h 30 Launch opens 17 h 30 – 19 h Expected goal landings From 18 h Downloading of GPS tracks Approx 22 h 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 )

The competition

Flying the course line

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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 �

Getting involved

Some figures

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…

•  From 100 to 120 competitors. •  More than 100 friends and family. •  50 volunteer helpers •  12 competition days. •  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€.

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(Class 2)

(Flight simulator with scooter winch)

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.

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(Otto Lilienthal, Dickenson wing, 1980’s)

Flying in Savoie Mont Blanc


Learn to fly

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.

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.

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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 Pre-worlds for this event, last year in 2013.

(Piero Zin)

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.

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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.


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