Mark Morgan with Viper 4 wins Icarus X Race, UK
Published on:
31 Jul 2016
Mark sent this report:
On the weekend of July 22nd, the Adventurist team held the UK's first ever Icarus X Race. The Event was held in Buckland Newton, Dorset, and was billed to be the toughest paramotor race ever held in the UK over two days. This was the third X race in the series after the USA and Australia races.
The race start was delayed by heavy fog until midday and I was the second pilot to depart the Icarus X race base camp some 45 minutes behind Jamie Goodridge. My Plan was to fly slow and steady for the 255km course, even though I was flying on a slow trim setting, only trimming out when heavy sink hit in the increasingly thermic conditions, flying into a westerly headwind, I managed to pass Jamie on his Dudek Snake before the first turn point.
Just before the first turn point I could now see a sea breeze convergence setting up on the south coast around Exeter and from a phone call I knew other pilots were closing in FAST. TP 1 to TP2 was really a non-event, flying easily through some very nice thermals. Every time I hit a good thermal I had to stop myself from turning and coring as the glide and agility of the Viper 4 makes this an awesome PPG wing to thermal.
By now all the other pilots had landed as they needed to refuel but thanks the unbelievable glide performance of the Viper 4 I was still going strong. A very long and slow climb to 7000ft gained me a strong tailwind and Victory to the First Icarus X Race UK.
Thanks Mark for the report and congratulations on the win!