SHPF Blog

11 May 2009

BPC status evening of 12th May

Apologies for the delay in getting this information relayed out - however...
Sundays brilliant task to Hawick 46km was won by Chris Harland with another 15 pilots getting into goal. Full results and track logs etc should all be available in due course here.

Monday - no task set as winds too strong for local hills though. Group decision made to not travel further North where it would have been epic.

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10 May 2009

BPC Task set and window open.

12:00 Window opened for a race (starting at 12:30) to Goal which is a 3km cylinder around Hawick from a 2km cylinder around Broughton.

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BPC status as at 08:15 Sunday 10th May

Well there was a quick briefing and advised leaving from here at Tibbieshiels base camp at 08:45 heading for Broughton.

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9 May 2009

BPC latest status .... 20:00 9th May 09

Well the rain has stopped and the wind has eased markedly - so much so that kite flying has become difficult. Dinners have been ordered and the beer is now flowing very nicely ...!


As an aside there are quite a few other attractions in the area that you should probably need to know about ..

http://www.roxburghe.net - Floors Castle South of Kelso

http://www.teviotwatergardens.co.uk and http://www.teviotgamefaresmokery.co.uk - for a tranquil garden and fine smoked food - located about half way between Kelso and Jedburgh on the A698

http://www.rbge.org.uk/dawyk - These lovely Botanical Gardens located 8 miles SouthWest of Peebles and near Stobo are well worth a visit.

For a multiplicity of other links the try http://www.visittweedvalley.co.uk

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BPC Tibbieshiels status at 1400 9th May 09

Well over 50 pilots already arrived and registered with lots of waypoints downloaded. Campsite filling up and Dave Thomson gave a talk on general flying points in the Scottish Borders. Imaginery task set and GPS button pressing session followed. Current weather close to attrocious with rain and strong winds ... but the forecast is looking very good for flying on Sunday and Monday 10th and 11th May 09. Live music by "Closer than you Think" scheduled for 9pm.

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6 May 2009

BPC / Scottish Open and British Championships

Just to advise that the above page has been updated with some more detail on what is happening over the coming week. Various media organisations have also been advised of what is happening with a short press release etc copied below...

Flying high over Tibbieshiels

Have you ever fancied flying high in the sky like a bird, well this week (9th - 16th May) you may well see some world class paragliding pilots doing just this. They will be up in the air just above Tibbieshiels by St Mary's Loch and maybe flying 50Km or more over the Borders. The British Paragliding Cup/Scottish Open and British Open Championships will be taking place from 9th -16th May. These top championships are weather dependent and so if the wind is too strong then these human birds may not fly. However here is hoping that there will be a very competitive and enjoyable event, with some spectacular flying. The Borders will be well represented with some excellent pilots who hope to do well in these competitions. You never know you may well be inspired to join these top fliers in the future.


For more information

What:
British Paragliding Cup (BPC) and Scottish Open 9-12th May, followed by the British Open Paragliding Championships13-16th May 09

Where:
Based at the Tibbieshiels Inn at the end of St Mary`s Loch

More detail :
The BPC is held at various locations throughout the UK during the year but this is the only round being held in Scotland this year. For more details please see http://www.bpcup.co.uk/borders.php or http://www.shpf.co.uk/shpf-British-Championships-09.php Scottish pilots competing in this competition can also opt to be considered for the Scottish Open. Currently there are 104 pilots registered for this event http://www.bpcup.co.uk/pilotlist.php

Some photos and links from last year :-
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/LLSC/browse_thread/thread/93817c7ee02b9b5e/cad783b2abc45b29?lnk=gst&q=scottish+open#cad783b2abc45b29
http://picasaweb.google.com/BobVeitch/BPCBordersRoundScottishOpenJuly13th2008#
http://picasaweb.google.com/BobVeitch/ByRikMcHargBPCScottishOpenParaglidingBroughton13thJuly08#
http://picasaweb.google.com/BobVeitch/BPCBordersRoundScottishOpenJuly12th2008#

British Open Paragliding Championships
This is the highest level free flying competition to come to Scotland for 12 years - (a FAI Category II competition) where pilots are competing for World ranking points. A competition of 3 rounds with the other rounds being held this year in July: Piedrahita - Spain and in August: St Jean de Montclar in France.
Currently there are over 50 pilots registered for this event.
http://www.pgcomps.org.uk/

There are a number of Scottish Pilots from the Borders area - perhaps one of the most significant being David Thomson who will be heavily involved in both events especially with respect to weather and flying site choice each day.

As paragliding is such a weather dependent activity if it is bad then all these people will be looking for other activities to do in the Tibbieshiels area - if you have a website to which you might want a link then please feel free to email it to webmaster@shpf.co.uk

To learn to paraglide in Scotland there are 2 schools to choose from - Cloudbusters and Flying Fever links here :-
http://www.cloudbusters.co.uk/
http://www.flyingfever.net/index.html

A Borders pilot who will be heavily involved in the site selection and or weather related decision making activities during these competitions will be David Thomson at http://www.bordercrossings.co.uk/

Regards,

Robert Veitch for the SHPF

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17 July 2008

BPC & Scottish open photo galleries

Photos by R Veitch on Saturday 12th July - Whiteside near Abington.
BPC- Borders round & Scottish Open July 12th 2008

and on Sunday 13th July - Broughton Heights, near Broughton.
BPC 080713

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13 July 2008

Lots of pilots about to be in flight at Broughton

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BPC & Scottish Open Paragliding Task set .....

Task 2, 13th July 2006.
Race to Goal, Takeoff ~T09050 1312", Multi launch, thermal right, Window open 11:45, Close 14:30. Race start 12:15. Goal close 17:00, Land by 17:00, Report in by 17:30, Check in asap and closes 19:30.
Task:-
Takeoff - T09050 Broughton Heights, Prestart2.5km radius round T02055 (TP1) then 4.14km I think to Race start which is a 10km radius circle around M24016 and start of speed section. End of speed section 2km from the goal G09017. Total distance 44.9km.

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BPC & Scottish Open - Setting the task

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Broughton - BPC &Scottish Open 13th July 08

Good morning the first briefing happened at the crack of dawn .. well 08:30 and the decision was made to go to Broughton Heights, accessed via Lochurd Farm.
Conditions - light slightly SW expected to get better during the day.

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12 July 2008

BPC Borders & Scottish Open - status 16:10 Race start

The task window has just now opened. The route has changed somewhat with the addition of T029 reference NT07450 17735, replacing M040404, with the same goal as before.

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BPC Borders & Scottish Open - status 14:30

Well by the previous messages you might think that pilots are ready to be picked up by now - not so. Just a few minutes before the window opening was scheduled the wind picked up, result the task was delayed.
Quite a few paragliding pilots went free flying as there is apparently going to be quite some time before the task is started. There had been some discussion about moving site because the wind had veered a bit West but the decision was made to stay put.

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BPC Borders & Scottish open -12th July - Task set

The first day of this competition paragliding task has now been set and is :-
Takeoff - T07035 White Hill - external cylinder 2km radius - with takeoff within 1km.
Turnpoint M0404 2.8km down the ridge - 400m radius then speed to Goal 25.7km Go2011 near Moffat - 1km radius.
Elapsed time multi launch attempts allowed, thermalling direction leftWindow and race start 12:30, Check-in closed 17:30. SMS or voice check in.

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BPC Borders & Scottish open - 12th July 08 status


Well everyone has decamped to T07 - White Hill- near Abington and at least 18 pilots have taken off for a free fly :-

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BPC Borders & Scottish Open - status - as at 10am

Gareth and Dave briefed everyone - decision to meet at T07, Abington asap.

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BPC - Borders & Scottish open status

Well things are essentially set up, breakfasts eaten, sore heads nursed, and the first briefing occurred about an hour ago - result come back at 10am. Initial forecast looking a tad windy ut possibly flyable. Weather being discussed with great vigour and plans being set in preparation for the briefing commencing in half an hour. Rainfall forecast looking good.

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