PWC La Bresse - FRANCE

24 - 29 AUGUST 1999

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Harry winner of the final &
Kari winner of the PWC99

(28/08/99) - SCORED for the competition Only

Conditions are better for this final day. A 48.5 km race to goal is set. It's an air start and we saw probably one of the most spectacular departure in the whole PWC story : 110 pilots at the border of enormous cumulus taking the start and riding to the first TP together. Hundred of spectators where applausing the pilots at this moment. They where informed about what where happening by a brilliant organisation. The task was a really beautifull one, interesting and tactic. Unfortunatelly, the first TP was fastly absorded by the clouds and only 70 pilots succed to make it. Some pilots had to ride in the clouds and it's the reason why X.Murrillo took the decision not to valid the task for PWC. Classification remains unchanged.

Task 4 results :
Overall open class
Overall serial class

More people than ever
at take off and landing

We must thanks the organisors of La Bresse, all the staff and Dom Hantz the meet director. We saw here probably one of the best (and maybe THE best) competition that PWC ever had. They desserved a better weather condition that they had.

Now here are the podiums !

PWC Serial class podium	1st : Bruce Goldsmith   (GB) 2nd : Jensen Henrik (DEN) 3rd : Andrew Smith (SA)
PWC Women podium	1st : Sandie Cochepain   (F) 2nd : Carolyn Lansdell  (CH) 3rd : Louise Crandal  (DEN)
PWC Overall podium	1st : Kari Eisenhut  (CH) 2nd : Christian Tamegger  (A) 3rd :  Hans Bollinger (CH)
Competition serial podium	1st : Andrew Smith (SA)   2nd : Bruce Goldsmith (GB) 3rd : Yves Goueslain (F)
Competition women podium	1st : Louise Crandal (DEN) 2nd : Sandie Cochepain (F) 3rd : Carolyn Lansdell (CH)
Competition overall podium	1st : Harry Buntz (D) 2nd : Denis Cortella (F) 3rd : Martin Wäny (CH)

The Swiss are once again first

Here are the final 99 PWC results :

PWC Serial results

PWC Overall results

PWC Overall Women

PWC Overall Constructor

PWC Overall Nation

PWC Serial Class Women

PWC Serial Class Constructor

La Bresse - Result :

La Bresse - Overall results

26/08/99

The weather is not at the "rendez-vous", it's a rest day before the last day !

(25/08/99) - SCORED for the competition ONLY !

Another day, another take off in Le Treh. The task is 51 km long with a clockairstart. Only five pilots are reaching the turnpoint after the lake of Longemer.
Denis Cortella is leading followed by Martin Wany and Tsuji Tsuyoshi. Cortella is slowing and managed to climb again. Harry Buntz joins him at this moment.
They both reached Cornimont. The task is valid for the competition La Bresse. It will not count for the PWC overall ranking.

 
   Harry Buntz wins again

• Task 3 - Open Class
• Task 3 - Serial Class
• PWC Overall Results, after PWC Task 17 - Open Class
• PWC Overall Results, after PWC Task 17 - Serial Class

(25/08/99) - SCORED for PWC and the Competition !

Like the first day, the average speed of the top world pilots is still very slow. This enlight the difficulty of the flying in Les Vosges !
Looking at the distance, the task is little. But looking at the flight time of the winner, two hours and nine minutes, it is not such a short task.
Many tasks in other areas have been much shorter. The task setting is difficult with a layer of cirrus in the middle of the day and some storms
broadcasted for the end of the afternoon. The organisation manage to put a task inbetween, a speedrun of 30 km with a clockairstart.
As the conditions are slow to arrive, the opening of the window and the clockairstart are postponed two times.
Finally, at two o’clock, the wind dummies start to go up . Patrick Bérod, the three times french champion, start first and bombs out.
The other pilots wait for the last line of the startpoint to be removed. They all make the first turnpoint in Grand Ballon.
On the way to La Bresse, 21 pilots managed to cross the pass over the lake of Kruth-Wildenstein.
The leading trio, Eisenhüt, Cox, Bollinger, is landing short of goal. Martin Wany and Denis Cortella make it to goal in front of 12 other pilots.

• Task 2 (PWC Task 17) - Open Class
• Task 2 (PWC Task 17) - Serial Class
• PWC Overall Results - Open Class
• PWC Overall Results - Serial Class

(24/08/99) - UNSCORED

The first day in the mountains of Les Vosges situated in the north-east of France, 50 km from Germany and Switzerland, was almost good !

At 3pm, the pilots take off from Le Treh (Le Markstein) for a clock airstart of 43 km. A new system of airstart designed by the austrian team leader is used for the first time.
The first symbol on the ground is a square (instead of a cross) changing to an arrow at 15 :20. Four white lines are removed every 10 mn to indicate the time of start.
The fist turnpoint is the tower on Grand Ballon (1424m), the highest summit of these old mountains. 30 pilots can make it and come back close to the second turnpoint.
Unfortunately, the sun is obscured by high clouds. The pilots have to land. They needed more than two hours to make this 20 km distance.
That shows the technical aspect of flying in the Vosges with very light conditions. Because of the minumum distance of validation (30 KM) the task has not been validated but the day
is a success.
Everybody flew, and a lot of TV’s and reporters enjoyed the show at take off.

The winners of this unscored task are :