It's Wingbeat's turn at hosting the Scottish Nationals this weekend - 2nd / 3rd September 2017.

More information about the nationals can be found here: http://www.shpf.co.uk

It's a friendly / entry level XC Paragliding competition.

"competition" ...is used very loosely, as in "fun competition" with the emphasis very definitely on the fun side. Any task is usually quite simple and is doable by all levels - it is really just an excuse to get people together in a new location.

The event status is currently:

GREEN

The forecast looks ok for Saturday with a possible (if you squint a bit) for Sunday so we are going to run the comp.

The initial plan is to fly Cacra on Saturday. Once the flying is done we'll then retire to Cacra for the BBQ, Debrief and Bonfire. We will see what can be done on Sunday but it's not looking too promising.

Meeting point

Cacra Camping. 10AM Saturday Morning

Task

The task will be confirmed at the briefing (approx 10.15) before heading up the hill.
Provisional task is to fly over the River Tweed having taken off at Cacra. (in one flight)
Sign to fly sheet will be on the hill somewhere. If you want to score in the comp then you MUST sigh to fly and check in by the time given on the day.

Retrieves

Retrieves this year will be on a buddy system. If an XC task is set Wingbeat will NOT BE OFFERING FORMAL RETRIEVES for competitors.
We will try and get initial XC hounds collected so they can then return to cars and go on the next retrieve run. However if anyone is willing to act as retrieve driver (with own vehicle) then it would be appreciated.
The borders can be quite remote so we need to pull together to make sure everyone gets back safe.

What to bring?

If you've never been to the area before it's very remote so you'll need to bring all your kit along with...
  • Flying gear - batteries charged and radios working if you have one
    Radios are doubly important as there is very poor mobile coverage in the area.
  • Camping gear - This is wild camping so bring everything you think you will require for the weekend.
  • Seating - A seat of some sort is recommended for round the camp fire.
  • Own food and drink for BBQ (and breakfast if camping) etc
  • Full tank of fuel in vehicles - There are no garages in Ettrick or Yarrow so you need to fill up in Edinburgh/Peebles/Galashiels/Selkirk/Moffat before entering the ‘valleys’
  • Warm clothes for the evening. Looks like it could get cold overnight!
  • A good sense of humour!!
  • The usual willingness to muck in and help where needed
  • Midge repellent. they are hungry for blood this year

and finally... the important bit...

Debrief, Camping, fire and BBQ will be at Cacra on the Saturday night. (See map further up the page for location)
Tommy is organising the BBQ and initial log supply for the camp fire and craic (hopefully without tears since each log has a name).

Sunday

Sunday also has the complication of the "tour of the borders" cycle event. This may make leaving the Cacra campsite a bit more interesting for those that camp overnight. Roads will be all reopened by 14.30. Roads south to hawick / langholm and lockerbie are not affected.
More info here http://tourotheborders.com/community

Questions

If you have any questions about the event please contact us

We look forward to welcoming you to the the borders and flying our sites.


The Wingbeat team.

the wingbeat team