2020 French Paragliding Championship

From November 1st to 6th, 2020, the French Championships were scheduled to take place on Reunion Island. Unfortunately, Covid and the global health restrictions forced the cancellation of the official event.

However, the organizers refused to give up… Our Team pilot Baptiste LAMBERT shares his experience:

“It was a week full of twists and turns. We came to Reunion Island for the French Paragliding Championship, but it was cancelled due to Covid. Fortunately, the local organizing team fought hard to secure approval for a four-day friendly competition. Conditions were fantastic and varied. We were able to fly out from the local ridge and explore between Rivière des Galets and Saint-Pierre—a superb opportunity to take in the breathtaking landscapes of the island… It’s always an absolute pleasure to return to Reunion!
This event, held purely for the sport yet with world-class pilots, was approached in different ways. For me, it was ideal training. Because we often play it too safe in major competitions, I wanted to return to my favorite game: 1000 points or nothing! The goal is to finish ahead with the largest possible margin. Of course, that means landing out fairly often. Across the four tasks, I won two with 6-minute and 5-minute leads, and bombed out on the other two. Overall, I’m very pleased! Big congratulations to Charles and Seiko who demonstrated remarkable consistency despite tricky weather shifts and local traps.

See you all next year under what will hopefully be a smoother calendar…”
Baptiste

From November 4th to 7th, 82 pilots took to the skies above Reunion Island.
Excellent weather conditions, the island's immense soaring potential, and top-tier organization enabled diverse, technical tasks.
Nearly 15,000 km were flown over four days across the entire field.
Four tasks were completed:
Task 1: 53 km — 53 pilots in goal.
Task 2: 73 km — 50 pilots in goal.
Task 3: 52 km — 21 pilots in goal (selective task).
Task 4: 50 km minimum time sprint at Saint-Leu — 66 pilots in goal.

Baptiste LAMBERT won Task 2 and Task 4.

Results:
Overall OPEN Ranking:
1st: Charles CAZAUX (FRA)
2nd: Seiko FUKUOKA (FRA)
3rd: Flavio FUNIATI (FRA)

Women's Overall Ranking:
1st: Seiko FUKUOKA (FRA)
2nd: Rasa GRIGORAITIENE (LTU)
3rd: Sandy LAMBERT (FRA)

Sport Class Ranking:
1st: Jérôme CANAUD (FRA-RUN)
2nd: Pierre VREL (FRA-RUN)
3rd: Sébastien COUPY (FRA-RUN)