Hang Gliding and Paragliding Volume 44 / Issue 1: January 2014 | Page 55

# TEAM NAT GLIDER SPONSOR TOTAL 1 Italian Dream Team ITA T2C 144 / Laminar14 Gbc/Icaro-WV-Adidas.-Trentino 1785 Moyes 1712 WW / Bun Flies 1620 2 Moyes Boys AUS / BRA Litespeed RX3.5 3 The Swarm USA T2C 144 4 Cocaleros BRA / USA T2C 154 & 144 Teleatlantic-Corinthians/E. Weave 1608 5 Felicione Team ITA / ESP T2C 144 GAP / thanks to Mr. Bombastik! 6 Young Guns ITA / USA Laminar13.2 / T2C 136 Mastercard 1572 1495 7 Team Quest USA T2C144 / Combat13.2 Elektra Tow Systems LLC / Mirage 1279 8 Domination USA T2C 144 WW, Flytec, Blueye 1161 9 Team Americus World Police AUS RX3.5 / RX4 WarrenWind Sports 1108 ME / Oz Report 1101 Me / Yeah, right 1063 10 God Save the Queen GBR / USA T2C 144 11 BP 12 Sporting Goods USA RS4 / T2 154 CAN / USA Sport2 155 / U2160 and stick with them while I tried to recover; there was still a long way to go. I then went back to a “regular comp” flying style, letting Davide know from time to time my whereabouts, but I eventually lost track of him. When I realized that I had no clue where Davide might be, the only option was to try and make it to goal as soon as possible. At about six or seven kilometers (four miles) from goal, my driver told me there was nobody there yet so, that’s when I decided to cross the cylinder still high and go back to look for Davide, hoping he had not let Jonny and André leave him behind. But just like the mastiff clutches on to its prey by the neck and does NOT let go, by the same token Davide did not let go either and made it to goal just before our pursuers and we won the competition! D: This last phase of the flight was the consequence of the first one: my radio could receive, but not transmit; therefore, we tried to keep eye contact. However, after one-third of the flight, Christian went around testing the little cu’s and he ended up low and behind. “No problem,” I thought, “Christian is wise and the flight is still long.” At a certain point I saw Tullio get a li ttle low and Pedro stay behind to support him, so I went on with Jonny and André, who were then our main opponents. I heard Christian say he had found a good thermal and was climbing well. Jonny and André 288 were advancing quite slowly and cautiously; maybe they were thinking that Christian had stayed behind, but I could hear Christian’s reports and knew he was going well and that he had, actually, passed us without realizing it because he took a line some kilometers to the north of us. At this point all I could do was hope that Christian made it in well and stayed with our opponents trying to arrive to goal with them. It didn’t matter that they were flying so carefully and that little by little other pilots passed in front of us, but I did not take any initiatives and marked them closely… Maybe it’s because I won teaming up with Christian, but I found this competition to be a lot of fun! HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE 55