Cross CountrySeptember / October 2009, issue 125
3,000 word report on the 17th World Hang Gliding Championships held in Laragne, France, summer 2009
Two weeks of high drama and top line competition, that’s what was promised by organisers of the 17th Hang Gliding World Championships and that’s what was delivered. Some 125 pilots from 33 countries gathered in Laragne, a sleepy market town in France, from 20 June to 4 July for the world’s most important hang gliding competition.
From the first day it was clear that the technical nature of flying in Laragne – an area of broad valleys, steep wooded hillsides and limestone cliffs with high mountains to the north – meant making even minor mistakes would end up costing a lot. And indeed, each task saw at least one big gun tumble out of the running following an early landing or tactical error. Get through this without making such a mistake and you’d stand a good chance of winning – conservative consistency with a dash of gutsy bravado when needed was to be key. Knowing when to switch gear between the two, crucial.
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