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Event info

Barberton Open Paragliding Competition 2014 will be held over seven days between 29 June 2014 and 5 July 2014 with no rest days. The competition is being hosted by the Lowveld Slope-Soaring Club. Barberton is South Africa's premier winter flying site, as Porterville in the Western Cape is to the free-flying community for summer flying.

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Flying site

Barberton is a town in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa, which has its origin in the 1880s gold rush in the region. It is situated in the De Kaap Valley and is fringed by the Makhonjwa Mountains.

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  • 110 Pilots max allowed
  • 1 Countries presented
  • ✅ All certified wings allowed
  • 🏆 FAI Status = CAT 2 🏅
  • left before start of event

Prize funds and scoring categories

  • Overall
  • Women
  • Intermediate
  • Sport Class
  • Teams
  • Novice
  • Sooty Falcon
  • Tandems

Event info

Barberton Open Paragliding Competition 2014 will be held over seven days between 29 June 2014 and 5 July 2014 with no rest days. The competition is being hosted by the Lowveld Slope-Soaring Club. Barberton is South Africa's premier winter flying site, as Porterville in the Western Cape is to the free-flying community for summer flying. Also several South Africa paragliding Nationals have been held there.

Flying site

Barberton is a town in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa, which has its origin in the 1880s gold rush in the region. It is situated in the De Kaap Valley and is fringed by the Makhonjwa Mountains. It is 43 km south of Nelspruit and 360 km to the east of Johannesburg. The mountains around Barberton are amongst the oldest in the world dating back 3.5 Billion years, and these mountains include some of the oldest exposed rocks on the planet. These volcanic rocks, which scientists call the Barberton Greenstone Belt, have given up direct evidence of conditions of life on the surface of the very early earth.
The site is used exclusively for winter flying, where thermal strengths can vary from less than 1m/s to approximate 5m/s, with an average around 2-3m/s. The flying day usually starts around 12pm, although flying from 10am is not uncommon. This is a summer rainfall region, so rain is not anticipated, with temperatures varying from around 10 degrees C in the mornings to 28 degrees C in early afternoon.
The site has been used for more than 20-years, initially by hanggliders, but now predominantly by the paragliding fraternity. During the last couple of years, the site has delivered an average of 5 successful task per competition, with the other days often flyable, but not "taskable". The best flying takes place between about 12:30 am and 3:30 pm, with tasks usually set to start at about 1.pm. Task distances usually varying from 40 to 60km. While the site does not hold any South African records, flights of more than 100km have taken place to the west.
The site takes a northerly and northeastly wind, with take-off a trigger on the mountain. Cold fronts brings southerly wind and makes take-off impossible.
Berg winds from the west are usually our only concern, although these are forecast beforehand.
Post frontal days usually result in the base lifting to greater than 3000m ASL, i.e.,.more than 2000 m above the valley floor.

Take off Lone Tree Hill - 1290 m ASL (-25.8016725, 31.0557441)
Winds NE and NW. Access to the site is via a gravel road, and transport to take-off will be provided by 10-seater busses. Take-off comprises a grassy knoll, with the ability to layout up to eight gliders, depending on the wind direction. Top landing is possible for experienced pilots but is not recommended for low air-time pilots.

Only a limited number of private vehicles will be given access to the mounting owing to constraints imposed on us by the land owner.

Landing Golf Club - 830 m ASL. (-25.7907903, 31.0401911)
A grassy field on the territory of the Golf club

Selection and entry fee

The Championships are open to all Member and Associated Member countries of the FAI who may enter any number of competitors not exceeding 110.
The following documents shall be presented during the registration:
• Pilot qualifications
• Evidence of competitor's nationality
• Pilot's valid FAI Sporting Licence
• Receipt for payment of entry fees by the closing date.
• Satisfactory evidence of glider airworthiness
• Certificate of Insurance as detailed on Entry Form

Entry fee
The fee will be R1,800.00 (100 Euro).
Early bid discount before 1 June 2013 is R1,500.00.

The entry fee includes
• t-shirt,
• map with turn points,
• regular transport up the mountain until ¾ hour before window closes,
• recovery along roads,
• medics on standby,
• prize-giving meal.

Prize fund and scoring categories

Prizes/trophies will be awarded for first, second and third places: overall, serial, women, sport, teams and tandem (if entered) and novice. The fund will include a trophy and sponsored paraphernalia.

General schedule

Saturday, 28 June 2014
15:00 to 19:00 Registration

Sunday, 29 June 2014
07:00 and 08:00 - Registration
08:00 – 9:15 Briefing and selection of task committee
09:30 Vehicles leave for take-off.
11:30 Task briefing for Task 1
12:30 Window opens
15:30 Window closes

Monday, 30 June 2014 - Saturday 5 July 2014
09:30 Vehicles leave for take-off.
11:30 Task briefing for Task 2-7
12:30 Window opens
15:30 Window closes

Saturday 5 July 2014
19:30 Prize-giving and Closing ceremony

Window open and close times are subject to change at task briefing.

Daily schedule

8:00 Competition office opens
08:15 Deadline for protests
09:00 Vehicles leave for take-off.
11:30 Task briefing
12:30 Window opens
15:30 Window closes

Window open and close times are subject to change at task briefing.

Accommodation and Activities

How to get here

HQ office is located in Golf Course club-house.

If you have any questions about the place or need a wider list of accommodations please visit the town's web site http://www.barberton.co.za/.

Barberton, 3 Crown St, Golf course Club
Barberton South Africa

Plane

Nelspruit, some 50 km to the north of Barberton, has an international airport with car hire facilities. If you need a transfer please ask the organizers for a shuttle.
It takes about 45 min to fly by local carrier to Nelspruit from Johannesburg. There are 4-7 flights a day.

Car

It takes about 4 hours to get to Barberton from Johannesburg via N12 and N4 highway.

You can also rent a car in the airport of Nelspruit. It takes 40 min (about 50 km) to get to Barberton from Nelspriut airport by car via R40 highway.

Downloads

Waypoint files

Organizers

Lowveld Slope-Soaring Club
paragliding club
Willi de Klerk
Chairman of Lowveld Slope-Soaring Club
Email: lkonstruksie@mweb.co.za
Anton Naude
Finance manager
Email: naudeA@tut.ac.za
Henry Schurink
Comp Admin
Email: henry@geo3.co.za
Alan Livingstone
Meet director
Email: allanl@klf.co.za

Contacts

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Overall

  1. Anton Naude (2)
  2. Nevil Hulett (55)
  3. Andrew Smith (36)

Overall results

Women

  1. Khobi Jane Bowden (306)
  2. Lambert Sandy (218)
  3. Laura Nelson (99)

Women results

Sooty Falcon

  1. Cyril Lambert (219)
  2. COUPY SEBASTIEN (577)
  3. Baptiste Lambert (16)

Sooty Falcon results

Tasks and results

Task 1

29 Jun, 2014

30.0 km — Race to goal

Task 2

30 Jun, 2014

42.8 km — Race to goal

Task 3

01 Jul, 2014

34.6 km — Race to goal

Task 5

03 Jul, 2014

33.2 km — Race to goal

Task 6

04 Jul, 2014

35.5 km — Race to goal

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