It was the 1st Brumadinho Paragliding Open FAI 2 (Serra da Moeda, MG) and the event took place from July 4th to 6th, with 84 confirmed pilots representing four states in Brazil. The competition level was very high, featuring the current champion of the first stage of the Brazilian Championship and several other top pilots from the Brazilian Free Flight Confederation. Edno Rossetto took part with his MERU (EN/LTF D). A great achievement to finish second here - congratulations, Edno!
In his own words, the event is summed up like this:
Day 1: Training task – Canceled due to weather conditions
Day 2: Valid race – Race to Goal, 51.7 km
"A very technical and challenging start made positioning crucial early on, as conditions gradually improved throughout the task. The day demanded constant decision-making and navigation. In the end, the race culminated in an electrifying finish. I managed to secure 10th place in the Open and 2nd place in the Serial category."
Day 3 (Final Day): Race to Goal, 51.6 km
"Conditions differed slightly from Day 2, with winds above 25 km/h between the pylons. My strategy was to fly higher and reassess the best lines of the day. The lead gaggle split—some opted for the optimized line but faced headwinds, resulting in 30% of them landing out early. I chose to fly with the second group, following a crosswind line and deviating slightly from the optimal route. We eventually reconnected with the lead gaggle, and at the last pylon, relying on both my equipment and the glide performance of my MERU, I crossed the ESS line in second place, securing 2nd in Serial and climbing to 7th in the Open overall."