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Event info

The British Open Competitions for 2024 will start with the Winter Open, to be held in Colombia in late January. The British Championships will be held in September in St Andre, France. Finally, we will have the British Sports Champs in Tolmin, Slovenia in June, back to back with the Naviter Open.

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Flying site

Roldanillo is the principal home for paragliding and hang gliding events in Colombia. Located on the west side of the Valle del Cauca at the foot of the Cordillera Occidental the town sits at an elevation of 966 meters and has an average annual temperature of 23°C.

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  • 142 Pilots Confirmed
  • 142 Pilots total registered
  • 260 GBP Entry fee
Go to Pilot List
  • 140 Pilots max allowed
  • 32 Countries presented
  • ✅ All certified wings allowed
  • 🏆 FAI Status = CAT 2 🏅
  • left before start of event
  • Registration will open on
    15/10 13:00 (America/Bogota)

  • 🛰️

    The organiser will supply Live trackers to you, for safety and scoring

    Live trackers supplied
  • ⚕️

    There will be medical rescue services at launch

    Medic on takeoff
  • 📱

    The region generally has good phone coverage

    Good phone coverage
  • 📻

    We will be monitoring radios for your safety whilst you fly

    Radio coverage
  • 🛰️

    Live Tracking is MANDATORY in this event to score. The organiser will provide the trackers.

    Live trackers mandatory
  • 🚐

    There will be vehicles supplied to take you to launch

    Launch Transport
  • 🥾

    There will be retrieve vehicles available to return pilots to HQ

    Retrieve included
  • 💩

    There are toilets at, or near, the launch

    Toilets on takeoff
  • 🛰

    The organisers will download the tracklogs at HQ for scoring

    Tracklogs managed
  • 📢

    The organisers are using Airtribune for registration, tracking, blogging and to publish scores

    Airtribune blogging
  • 🏋️

    There will be ballast water available at launch

    Ballast on takeoff
  • 🥪

    There will be daily lunch packs for pilots

    Lunch packs
  • 💳

    The organisers will give you an ID card with all the essential items listed

    ID Cards
  • The organisers will have free WiFi available at HQ

    Free WiFi
  • 🍺

    There will usually be goal beers for winners

    Goal beers
  • 🍕

    There will be a social evening with food

    Food
  • 🎉

    There will be an organised party during or after the event

    Party
  • 👕

    You will receive a tshirt or other welcome gift

    Free gift
  • 🅰

    This event awards PWCA letters

    PWCA Letters
  • 🌲

    The organisers have commmitted to Carbon Offset the event and/or Plant a Tree for each competitor

    Carbon offset / Plant a Tree
  • ♻️

    The organisers support reducing the use of unnecessary plastic at the event. This includes NOT giving disposable water bottles

    Plastic reduction

Prize funds and scoring categories

  • FEMALE |
  • JUNIOR |
  • SERIAL |
  • SPORTS |
  • REYNOLDS |
  • BRITISH OVERALL |
  • BRITISH FEMALE |
  • BRITISH SPORTS |
  • OVERALL |

Contacts

Event info

The British Open Competitions for 2024 will start with the Winter Open, to be held in Colombia in late January. The British Championships will be held in September in St Andre, France. Finally, we will have the British Sports Champs in Tolmin, Slovenia in June, back to back with the Naviter Open.

This event page is for the British Winter Open only.

The British Winter Open will be held in Roldanillo, Colombia from Sunday 28th January 2024 to Saturday 3rd February 2024. Registration (and practice) will be on 27th January.

Roldanillo is a world class paragliding competition venue, having hosted numerous National events, the World Cup and the World Paragliding Championships. The Winter Open was also held here in 2019, 2020 & 2022. The venue boasts exceptionally reliable flying conditions in January/February, with only a handful of tasks over the past few years have been cancelled. The Winter Open will be run back to back with the Colombian Nationals, which will take place the week before, and the Niviuk prePWC the week after, giving pilots the opportunity to extend their winter flying in Colombia with three high level events back to back, and getting progressively higher level.

If accepting a place then be sure to read your emails with regards to WPRS points for this event.

Generally pilots as a minimum must have:-
• Made a 50km flight to goal in a FAI competition in the last 2 years OR
• Made a 100km XC flight in the past 2 years
If in doubt, please contact the organisation with full declaration of your experience for acceptance.
The event is expected to be 75% 2-liners and 25% Sports wings.

The International airport at Bogotá is 1 hour by air from the regional airports of Pereira, Cali and Armenia. Roldanillo is 1 hour by road from Pereira and Armenia. Cali International Airport is 90 minutes by road from Roldanillo.

What do you get?
The entry fee includes all the usual aspect, plus a few extras for this year!

- Seven high quality tasks of up to 100km
- A full tracking system for safety and scoring
- t-shirt or other souvenir
- Retrieves
- Final party
- PWCA letters

Flying site

Roldanillo is the principal home for paragliding and hang gliding events in Colombia. Located on the west side of the Valle del Cauca at the foot of the Cordillera Occidental the town sits at an elevation of 966 meters and has an average annual temperature of 23°C.

Flying conditions are generally ideal in January and only a handful of tasks over the past few years have been cancelled. Out and return and cats‐cradle type tasks of up to 120km have been successfully flown in recent events using goals to the north, centre and south of the Valle de Cauca.

Primarily an agricultural region, the Valle de Cauca has excellent infrastructure and plenty of open space to land. Main highways runs along the east and west sides of the valley connected by secondary roads. The central valley area is bisected north‐south by the Cauca river. Agricultural roads and tracks provide access to farmsteads and plantations.

The task area is characterised by the foothills of the Cordillera Occidental to the west, the wide open agricultural valley and smaller grassy hills to the east. Primarily a sugar cane growing area, the valley is easily out‐landable in safety. Very few areas are fenced and access is generally unrestricted. Occasional inundation from the Cauca river presents the only landing hazard in certain areas (dependant on preceding rainfall).

Grape plantations and military bases are off limits. These areas will be marked on maps. Goal fields are available in abundance although must be selected on the basis of the cropping and harvesting cycles. They will be defined and verified by the organisation at least 2 weeks prior to the competition.

Airspace and Other Restrictions: There are airports at Cartago in the north and Tuluá to the southeast that have infrequent military traffic. The Meet Director and event team have daily communication with the air traffic controllers and radio contact during the task.

There is traditionally an extremely high level of cooperation with the civil aviation authority, air traffic control and the event organisation. In previous events domestic flights have been rerouted to avoid the task areas.

The area south of Tuluá has a ceiling of 9000 ft (approximately 2700 m) while to the north is 10,000 ft (approximately 3000 m).

Roldanillo and Valle de Cauca is a ‘friendly’ site suitable for all qualified pilots. The conditions are generally light with 3‐4 m/s maximum climbs. Wind is usually negligible.

The only area of strong climbs and known possible turbulence at the quarry to the south is avoided through sensible tasking.

Close attention is paid at all times to the meteo forecast to ensure tasks take pilots away from the mountains in the later parts of the day to avoid any leeside rotor due to the Pacific breeze.

The main Roldanillo take off is called ‘‘Los Tanques’’ It has elevation of 900 m above the valley floor. Thermic breeze enters launch at around 9:00 am and tasks traditionally start at around 11 a.m.

Breeze is generally very light throughout the launchable window with conditions occasionally becoming tail‐wind if the meteo indicates a strong Pacific breeze. Events with 140+ pilots have been successfully run with no impact from the back‐wind during the launch window period.

Site Safety Record: The area has an excellent safety record with few incidents. Thermic conditions are generally regarded as light and conducive to safe tasking for all levels of pilots. The few accidents in recent events have been generally caused by aborted launches or by inexperienced pilots failing to consider the necessary glide to the valley after thermalling up behind the take off area.

Take off ‘‘Los Tanques’’ - 1900 m ASL, 4.4765, -76.1535 or 4°28'35" (4.47645)N; 76°9'12" (76.1535)W
Exposure East. Launch ground is ample approx. 2000 sq. meters with windsocks at both the north and south side. The size of the launch ground is big enough to allow 140+ pilots to take off within 30‐45 minutes. It is covered with grass.
Launch is a 45 minute drive on a dirt road from the main plaza of Roldanillo and can be accessed by all types of vehicles. Participants and organizers will have transport to the launch in event buses or cars. Ample parking is available at launch and in Roldanillo for event and public vehicles.

Facilities: Latrines, sunshades, and snacks will be provided on the south side of the launch. A snack kiosk with refreshments is available below launch near the parking and spectator areas. Power and water available if needed. Ballast water is available close to the launch area.
The helicopter landing area is approximately 1000 m from launch to the south. A commercial type weighing scale will be sited in the launch area to allow pilots to check weight prior to the task window opening.

Obstructions/Hazards: In front and below the launch there are high tension power lines. These are visible from the launch and have not caused any obstruction to pilots nor have we encountered any problems or incidents related to these.


Competition tasks setting issues at Roldanillo:
Tasking will generally keep tp the following established logic:

1. Up to start: Start cylinders will be selected to allow pilots to climb and stabilise in various points close to the western foothills and Roldanillo in areas of known thermic activity. Experience and local knowledge allows us to select points that give various options for gaggles to wait, thus relieving congestion.

2. Start > midday : Flying in the western foothills to take advantage of thermic activity before the valley heats up and becomes active.

3. Midday > early afternoon: Flying out & return or cats cradle type tasks in the valley and utilising the eastern hills.

4. Goal: Located in the central / eastern part of the valley. The end of the speed section will be a cylinder, size & position to be decided by the task setting committee. The goal will be either a cylinder or a line for the end of task.

Maps of task area: Pilots will be issued with an A3 printed waypoint map showing waypoints, restricted areas and topography. Excellent base maps are available from the Colombian cartographic institute.(www.igac.gov.co). Large scale task maps will be available at launch / pilot briefing.

Roldanillo take off video

Selection and entry fee

Registration Process 2024
Your registration requires approval that you meet the minimum Pilot Entry Requirements for the British Paragliding Open Competitions 2024. Full details about the registration process and eligibility criteria can be found at the following URL
https://pgcomps.org.uk/home/pilot-entry-criteria/

Approved pilots will be invited to pay for each competition according to their pilot rank (see below). Your place at a competition is not confirmed until we have received your payment for the competition. The Pilot Lists show the current status of your registration.

- BHPA members with a British Sporting Licence will be offered places before other nations, in the order of registration*
- Other nationalities will receive payment offers around 14 days later #
- 15% (21 places) are reserved for female pilots until 45 days before the start of the event.
- Up to 10 places are reserved for wildcards
- The organisers reserve the right to vary the above method at their discretion at all times

# The first 50% of the places are selected according to WPRS. Any remaining places will be selected according to Time Registered. The above selection criteria will be adhered to throughout. This ensures a high scoring event, and a healthy mix of pilot abilities.

Please press the green Org CIVL button on the top, right of the Participants page to see the correct order for selection/ British pilots will be invited to pay first in ranked order, followed by pilots of other nations one week later, also in ranked order.

IMPORTANT: When you register for a competition, if you do not enter your ‘correct’ CIVL number then you will not be ranked correctly. Your CIVL number you can look up with the link on the Registration page. Also when you register you will be required to enter your ‘FAI Sporting Licence Nationality’. This is not another nationality you happen to hold, nor is it where you were born, or where you currently live, but is the country that issued your Sporting Licence (‘United Kingdom’ for BHPA issued licences).

Once a competition is full, pilots will be added to a waiting list and then if a place becomes available it will be offered to the next highest ranked pilot on the list. The pilot will receive an email from us inviting them to pay their entry fee and will have 1 week to do so before the place is offered to the next highest ranked pilot on the list.

Payment
The entry fee for 2024 will be 300 euro)
Fees and dates will be strictly adhered to. Payments are made on our website via PayPal with a Credit Card, Debit Card, or using your own PayPal account. PayPal uses data encryption for the protection of your card details. The pilot entry fee includes the fee charged by PayPal for administering your online payment. We do NOT accept cheques or American Express. If you wish to pay for more than one person’s entry fee on-line you must do so logged-in as each pilot.

Last minute registrations
Any pilot wishing to participate in the event by attending the venue must come to HQ at 18:30 on the Saturday 27th. Your name and details will be recorded and we will inform you at 19.00 (7.00pm) if you have been successful in gaining a place. Selection will be by priority to British pilots, and thereafter by a mixture WPRS points or time registered, according to the above selection criteria.


Accident Insurance
Airtribune would also recommend taking out a Global Rescue membership. This will get you rescue and repatriation at a very high level of cover, and with competition risks included. You can review and subscribe to this here: https://partner.globalrescue.com/airtribune/

Documents required at registration

  • Issued by your local NAC on behalf of the FAI. You cannot normally compete in an FAI event without one. Contact your National Association (NAC)

    FAI Sporting Licence
  • The FAI IPPI card is an International card that states your skill level. It is issued by your National Association and matches the level or your flying Licence

    FAI IPPI Card
  • The organiser requires you to present your National flying licence.

    National Licence
  • You will need to sign an applicaton form at the venue. Usually the organiser will provide it on arrival.

    Signed Application form
  • You will need to sign a waiver or release document to show you understand the risks. Usually the organiser will provide it on arrival.

    Signed Waiver/Release form
  • You will need to provide photo ID on arrival. This could be Passport, Driving Licence or National ID, for example.

    Identification documents needed
  • You must provide the organiser with a copy of your liability (3rd party) insurance documents

    Liability Insurance
  • You must provide the organiser with a copy of your medical, rescue and repatriation insurance. You can purchase Global Rescue cover from Airtribune

    Rescue/Medical Insurance

Cancellation Policy

REFUNDS
Any pilot who cancels their registration will be given a refund as follows (based on Full Entry Fee):

• Cancellation date more than 60 days before competition start date: 75% refund
• Cancellation date between 60 and 30 days before competition start date: 40% refund
• Cancellation date less than 30 days before competition start date: 0% refund

Any pilot proving (with medical certificate) incapacity to compete through illness should contact the organiser as soon as possible. Any refund, if appropriate, will be decided by the Organisation. Refunds will NOT be issued to ill/injured pilots cancelling within 7 days of the start of a competition regardless of personal circumstances. Rather pilots should contact their travel insurance provider for advice on any compensation due.

Cancellation of the Competition by the Organisation
In the event the organisers deem it necessary to cancel, relocate, or reschedule the competition, you will be entitled to a partial refund:
- Up to 30 days before the first official event day: 100% less a £25/30€ admin charge
- Between 30 and 7 days before the first official event day: 75% refund
- Less than 7 days before the first official event day: a lesser percentage to be determined. This lesser percentage will be the balance of funds once any costs incurred by the local organiser have been deducted.

After the start of the competition, any refunds will be at the sole discretion of the organisers.

The organisers will not be liable for any costs incurred by anyone attending, or intending to attend the event, or any consequential losses arising from the cancellation, relocation, or rescheduling of the event.

Prize fund and scoring categories

There will be trophies for:

Overall Class
Sports Class
Female Class
British Overall
British Female
British Sports
Reynolds Class

There will NOT be any cash prizes. There may be some small gifts from some of our sponsors.

*Classes may be withdrawn if there are less than 5 pilots in a class

General schedule

Saturday January 27, 2024
Practice Day (Task & general site safety on launch at 10.00am. No trackers, no downloads, nor scoring)

14:00 - 18:00 Official Registration and Equipment Inspection.
Official Venue of the Event

19:00 - Mandatory Safety Briefing

Sunday, Jan 28 - Saturday to Feb 3 , 2024
Competition flying days.

Saturday, Feb 3, 2024
19:00 -Prize giving, celebration meal and closing ceremony

Daily schedule

07:00 - Headquarter opens
08:00 - Transport to take-off
09:30 - Meet Director / Task and Safety Committee meetings
10:00 - Pilots briefing / Previous task official results / Task definition
10:30 - Take-off window opens
16:30 - Scoring office opens
20:00 - Provisional results

*** Daily schedule can change, depending of the weather conditions.

Accommodation and Activities

There are a lot of kind of Hotels, farms, rooms in houses that you can book for your accommodation.

You can use tripadvisor, trivago, airbnb, etc... web pages or apps.

How to get here

To get Roldanillo you can arrive by airplane to Pereira city, Armenia city or Cali city, then you need to get a taxi or a bus to Roldanillo will be around 2 hours approx.

Cl. 8 #7-57, Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Kolumbia
Roldanillo Colombia

Plane

Most international flights layover in Bogota's "El Dorado International Airport". The international and domestic terminals are connected by a shuttle. From Bogota take the quick domestic flight to Armenia, Pereira, or Cali where you can easily find ground transport to Roldanillo. For cost and convenience we highly recommend you fly into Pereira.
If you would like the organization to pick you up from Cali or Pereira please contact us with a detailed itinerary and plan. We would also appreciate a call or email during your layover in Bogota confirming your on time arrival.
Local airport taxis are safe and offer competitive pricing for 1 or 2 pilots with gear. Groups should contact the organization for pickup. Budget travelers can find buses to Roldanillo from Pereira, Cali, or Armenia. The bus terminals and airports are separate.

Pereira
Recommended city to fly into. 1 and 15 minute drive to Roldanillo.

Cali
The second most important airport in Colombia. Cali's “Alfonso Bonilla Aragon” airport services domestic and international flights and adds new international routs regularly. 2 hour drive to Roldanillo.

Armenia
Smaller airport and city with less service. 1 and 30 minute drive to Roldanillo.

Bus

From the bus terminals in Pereira, Cali, or Armenia look for the Roldanillo's local bus company De Occidente for safe and comfortable transport.
De Occidente: www.deoccidente.com/roldanillo/
The company is comfortable servicing international Paraglide pilots and very helpful.

Downloads

Waypoint files

Organizers

BHPA Ltd
The British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association Ltd
8 Merus Court, Meridian Business Park, Leicester, LE19 1RJ, United Kingdom
Steve Senior
Meet Director

Contacts

Socials

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Click here for the event WPRS forecast

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British Winter Open

BRITISH OVERALL |

  1. Dylan Mansley (4155)
  2. Juan Sebastian Ospina (4182)
  3. Martin Long (4196)

BRITISH OVERALL | results

OVERALL |

  1. Federico Brown Manzone (4160)
  2. Andrei Gaia (4123)
  3. Michal Gierlach (4201)

OVERALL | results

FEMALE |

  1. Alexia Fischer (4102)
  2. Jenny ONeil (4105)
  3. Katalin Juhasz (4107)

FEMALE | results

SERIAL |

  1. Robert Niziolek (4222)
  2. Carlos Lopes (4221)
  3. Franz Schilter (4163)

SERIAL | results

BRITISH SPORTS |

  1. Mark Hayman (4193)
  2. Tom Hodgkin (4235)
  3. Neil Rollings (4204)

BRITISH SPORTS | results

SPORTS |

  1. Matthijs Groeneveld (4199)
  2. Mark Hayman (4193)
  3. Tom Hodgkin (4235)

SPORTS | results

JUNIOR |

  1. Dylan Mansley (4155)
  2. Chigwon Won (4142)
  3. Mateusz Siatka (4198)

JUNIOR | results

REYNOLDS |

  1. Jianhua Li (4135)
  2. Pablo Heidenreich (4210)
  3. Reza Kordi (4188)

REYNOLDS | results

Tasks and results

Task 1

28 Jan, 2024

85.9 km — Race to goal

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