Accommodation detail has now been posted for the Snowdonia round. Please book early as the pub needs to get things organised soon. Visit the Snowdonia Page for details.

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14th March '08

OK folks, we're ready to take bookings for some flying fun this summer. Go to the Entry Form to sign up.

There's been some rule changes this year so please read the Rules and Frequently Asked Questions pages.

I'd be grateful if you would pass this message around your own clubs. We're particularly interested in getting new pilots in to the Cup this year.

Thanks and see you in Snowdonia for the first round.

Gareth, Pete, Mal & Calvo.

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31st January '08

Here's the dates and locations for the 2008 BP Cup Rounds. Registration will be open in a short while so get your days off booked now.

3rd to 5th May - Snowdonia Round
23rd to 26th May - SE Wales Round
21st to 24th June - Long Mynd Round
12th and 13th July - Borders Round
1st to 3rd August - Yorkshire Dales Round

Here's a message from Gareth Aston who's running the Cup this year:

Do you want to go flying, push yourself and your abilities a little, fly in different areas, learn something new about paragliding and then have the opportunity to sit and talk about it with your friends and peers? If the answer to these is yes, then here's an invitation for you. Come and fly the BP Cup this year.

Over the years the cup has gone from strength to strength and as the new organiser for 2008 I am particularly keen to encourage new pilots. For this reason I have introduced a cash prize for the best newcomer along with a discount for all new pilots who enter the Cup this year. The BPCup is an ideal event if you're new to competition flying, there is a relaxed atmosphere and with some experienced pilots on hand to give advice and help, whether it is entering a task on your GPS or just general information, you don't have to feel overwhelmed. Most of the pilots who now fly the nationals cut their teeth in the Cup and if you were to ask any of them I am confident that they would tell you they learnt a lot from it, not just about competitions but about flying as well.

To help me encourage new pilots I have instigated a couple of rule changes, these being: if you have been a winner of the BP Cup in the last 5 years or in the top 10 of the Nationals in the same time period then you can only enter the Cup as individual rounds, not to win it. However the presence of experienced pilots at these events cannot be underestimated, they are fonts of knowledge and will selflessly give advice and help to any one who needs it and I think that is part of what makes the Cup such a unique event.

So if you fancy some trips out this year, flying XC, learning something new, having some food and entertainment thrown in which you can enjoy with friends with the possibility of winning some cash for your troubles, why not take me up on my offer? It sounds pretty tempting to me.

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