Lakes Charity Classic
- Event
- What is it?
- Guidelines/Safety
- LCC Entry
- Participants
- Location
- Bash/Camping
- Previous Events
Cumbria Soaring Club proudly presents the Lakes Charity Classic
The premier free flying event in the North!
The 2013 Lakes Charity Classic will be held on 31 May/1 June in Buttermere.
Latest News (Updated 7 May)
Tickets for the Buttermere Bash and camping at the LCC field are now available at the Air Ventures website
The 2013 Lakes Charity Classic is open for registration. We recommend that if you want to join us, you get your registration in quickly. Last year, the coaching sold out first (and quickly) followed by the A comp. A comp places are going fast (38 confirmed/2 provisional). All of the coaching places are taken. Remember that your registration is only provisional until we get your cheque and completed form.
For A and B competitors, you need to know how to enter turnpoints into your GPS. You are strongly advised to carry an Ordnance Survey map of the Lakes and a compass.
This year, we have something extra for Sunday - see the 'What is it?' tab
What is the Lakes Charity Classic?
The Lakes Charity Classic is an informal paragliding competition held in some of England's most spectacular scenery. If you want to get a flavour of what it's all about then have a look at this Youtube Video - courtesy of Ian Watson
There are 2 competitions
A Competition - This is for more experienced and seasoned pilots holding a minimum of Pilot rating. Any certified wing is permitted; uncertified gliders will not be accepted. Tandems are allowed but with only one named pilot in charge and scoring.
B competition - This is most suitable for less experienced pilots who wish to get the most flying from their day in a spectacularly scenic area. Less demanding, friendly tasks will be set and it is open to pilots with Club Pilot and Pilot ratings flying gliders of ENB/DHV1-2 and below.
We also offer 2 days of coaching as an alternative. If you don't fancy taking part in a competition but fancy some flying in some of the most spectacular scenery in England, then the coaching event gives you a chance to fly with the coaching team from CSC. You must hold CP(H) rating to participate in the coaching event.
The programme starts early on Friday morning where there will be a briefing before we head off for the flying sites. We aim to get the best out of the day so the tasks will be geared to the conditions. Remember, though, that the Lake District is the wettest place in England. In 2012, we were rained off although we did manage some coastal flying on the Saturday. By contrast, 2011 & 2010 provided memorable conditions with some great XC flying. This is what it looks like on a good day.
The Friday might be a long day if the conditions are good. On return to the campsite in Buttermere, competitors may get an opportunity for a fly down to the campsite. An evening meal is provided for competitors.
Saturday follows the same format although the day might be shorter. We aim to be back on the campsite around 1700 when Cumbria Soaring Club hands over the reins to Air Ventures who run the infamous 'Bash' where anything could happen! A barbecue is available and the LCC awards will be presented - once the scoring team have fathomed out the task director's tasks. Live bands will be playing and the event runs into the small hours.
If your head is clear on the Sunday morning then this year we are proposing an extra competition. The task will be separate to the main LCC competition and will be a straightforward XC challenge utilising the XC League. The competitor who records the highest score flight on the XC League from a takeoff on a Cumbrian site wins the prize. Further details will follow.
- Your entry fee covers
- a donation to charity
- a meal for each participant on the Friday night
- and a contribution to the running costs of the LCC
- You are not paying to fly, and the entry fee is not refundable
- All competitors must have current membership of the BHPA, and show their membership card at registration.
- You must be CP rated or above
No BHPA card, no entry. This rule will be strictly applied
- You must carry a suitable correctly fitted EN rated reserve system.
- You will need a GPS which generate a 3D tracklog and can download an igc tracklog to GPS Dump. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have a GPS capable of this. Your flight can only be scored with an igc tracklog.
- It is your personal responsibility to ensure that you are fit to fly and that conditions are not beyond your ability.
- All flying must be in accordance with the rules of the air and obey airspace restrictions. In addition the direction of turn for 360-ing may be set by the Task Director and must be obeyed while flying in the vicinity of the take off area.
- It is your responsibility to attend the morning briefings at base and briefings which take place on the hill and to ensure that all details of the task and any additional information given out at these briefings relating to your conduct on the hill and in the air are understood by you.
- The Task Director will control take-off and landing areas. He will ensure adherence to take off windows, as specified at the task briefing. In addition he may decide not to allow any take-off if, in his opinion, the conditions are unsafe. (The Director’s job is a difficult and thankless one so please accede to his every request with good humour!).
- All pilots must wear a suitable helmet, rated to EN 966, at any time they are attached to a glider, including ground handling.
- All equipment used must be in an airworthy condition.
- It is the duty of every competitor to land and render assistance to any other pilot who appears to be in difficulty on the ground or, if it is deemed unsafe to land, to contact an official or the emergency services at the earliest opportunity.
- You must complete each day’s score from your GPS as quickly as possible after the end of the task.
- Any dispute or protest must be filed with the Task Director within one hour of the relevant task results being released. The Task Director’s decision is final.
- Any competitor flagrantly disobeying any of the above, or who is judged to have flown in a reckless manner endangering other pilots, or who is found to be obviously under the influence of drink or drugs while preparing for flight will be liable to disqualification. Please note that the legal limit for operating an aircraft in the UK is 27 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine. By way of comparison the limit for driving in the UK is 107 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine.
- ALL pilots (not just competitors) landing on the LCC field must land ONLY in the designated landing areas, in a standard manner and as safely as possible. Do not engage in low level swooping over people or marquees. Depending on the weather there will be paragliding competitions, acro and speed flying displays in this area.
- Above all else, enjoy yourselves!
Briefings. The Task Director will endeavour to provide detailed briefings before each task. Please listen carefully as you will be given important information about the task for the day, local safety information and landing agreements.
Flying the Lakeland Fells. At this time of year strong conditions can be encountered and caution must be exercised when flying in the mountains. The Task Director is an experienced local pilot who knows these fells. It is well worth listening and acting upon all he/she has to say.
Your decision. The decision to fly will always be yours and yours alone. If you are not happy and confident in the prevailing conditions on any day then do not fly just because it is a competition.
Flying in company. If you are not a seasoned competition pilot be sure that you are fully conversant with the rules of the air. It may become crowded over launch and it is your responsibility to fly safely and with consideration for others at all times.
Reserves. To compete in the LCC you must carry a suitably sized reserve system, correctly fitted to your harness, and understand how to use it, it’s limitations and potential dangers. If in doubt seek advice from an experienced packer.
Mobile Phones & Radios. It is mandatory that you carry a mobile phone whilst taking part in the competition. Mobiles can be useful in an emergency situation and will be used at the end of each day to ensure you have landed safely. You are strongly advised to use a radio capable of operating 135 – 179VHF. The Task Director will advise of safety frequencies. Please keep the allocated frequency clear.
LCC Entry Status
| Status | A Comp | 10 places remaining |
| B Comp | 16 places remaining | |
| Coaching Group | Full - no places left |
If there are places remaining, you can enter the A competition or the B competition. We will also be running 2 days of coaching for up to 10 participants. For all three events, there is a registration fee.
For CSC Members, the registration fee is a minimum donation of £35
For Non CSC Members, the registration fee is a minimum donation of £40
Your registration fee provides for 2 days of competition/coaching (weather permitting) and a meal, for participants, on the Friday night. if you think you are a member of CSC, please make sure that you are still a member of CSC before you send off your cheque. If you can't log on to the members only section of the website, then your membership has expired. Another clue? If you haven't received the latest copy of SFC, same thing.
This year, registration is mainly on-line. As we're still wrestling with the bank, you will need to send us a cheque together with an application form. To register, make sure that you can print off the final application form (Acrobat pdf format); then follow this link and complete the application form. Cheques payable to "Lakes Charity Classic" please. Please note that entry to the Buttermere Bash and camping fees are handled separately by Air Ventures - your LCC entry fee does not cover this.
For all events, it's first come, first served! The A and B competitions have a maximum of 50 participants each. The coaching sessions are limited to 10 participants.
Competition entry will be closed when the maximum limit has been reached or by 1700 on Wednesday 29 May, whichever is earlier
Please follow these simple guidelines to make sure you get a place at the LCC
- Don't send your application form by recorded or special delivery. This involves a long trip to the sorting office if you do and will delay your entry.
- We need an emergency contact and a contact number for them
- If it says mandatory on the form, it means you need to enter something in the box.
You should get an e-mail acknowledgment shortly after we receive your application. You can keep an eye on the "participants" section of this page and you should see your name appear. If you haven't heard anything within a week of sending off your application then get in touch with the webmaster using the link below.
List of Participants - LCC
A competition
| No | Surname | Forename |
|---|---|---|
| A001 | Eastwood | Keith |
| A002 | Chadwick | Richard |
| A003 | McLoughlin | Andrew |
| A004 | Gannon | Paul |
| A005 | Postill | Harold |
| A006 | Colbeck | Alex |
| A007 | Brown | Alistair |
| A008 | Archer | Andy |
| A009 | Smith | Jez |
| A010 | Bridle | Tim |
| A011 | Mcloughlin | Kevin |
| A012 | Underdown | Martin |
| A018 | Danbury | Richard |
| A013 | Thwaites | Steve |
| A014 | Bewley | Edmund |
| A015 | Doub | Brian |
| A016 | Roberts | Barry |
| A017 | Sewell | Richard |
| A019 | Scott | William |
| A021 | Maxwell | William |
| A022 | Southern | Peter |
| A023 | Little | Chris |
| A024 | Butler | Alex |
| A025 | Somerville | Nick |
| A026 | Russell | Patrick |
| A027 | Cove | Will |
| A028 | Foulkes | David |
| A029 | Stenhouse | Gary |
| A030 | Traynor | Derek |
| A031 | Cardwell | Richard |
| A032 | Cummins | Graham |
| A033 | Miller | Richard |
| A034 | Moore | Anthony |
| A035 | Edwards | David |
| A037 | Winstanley | Fred |
| A038 | Patterson | Malcolm |
| A039 | Wood | Peter |
| A040 | Donaldson | Ron |
| A041 | Blanchard | Chris |
| A043 | Clarke | Paul |
Number of participants in A competition : 40
B competition
| No | Surname | Forename |
|---|---|---|
| B001 | Charlton | Peter |
| B002 | Askew | Peter |
| B003 | Oliver | Tim |
| B004 | Lobb | Malin |
| B005 | Knights | Jackie |
| B006 | Harrison | James |
| B008 | Brown | David |
| B009 | Thompson | Stuart |
| B010 | Blake | Simon |
| B011 | Mason | Mike |
| B012 | Little | Jan |
| B013 | Goodman | Simon |
| B014 | Hutchinson | Ian |
| B015 | Crowther | David |
| B016 | Smith | David |
| B018 | Cannell | Ean |
| B019 | Downer | Colin |
| B020 | Webb | Martin |
| B022 | Watson | Richard |
| B023 | Say | Kevin |
| B024 | Keightley | James |
| B025 | Myles | Kieran |
| B026 | Osborne | Jon |
| B027 | Lang | Andrew |
| B028 | Metcalfe | Jaysen |
| B029 | May | Steven |
| B031 | Dean | Hyatt |
| B036 | Johnson | Ben |
| B032 | Jennings | Richard |
| B033 | Preston | Karen |
| B034 | Farbridge | John Lewis |
| B035 | White | Peter |
| B037 | Hope-lang | James |
| B038 | Marek | Przemek |
Number of participants in B competition : 34
Coaching
| No | Surname | Forename |
|---|---|---|
| C002 | Tomlinson | Chris |
| C003 | Talbot | Robin |
| C004 | Nicholls | Bradley |
| C005 | Sands | Tim |
| C007 | Kirby | Nicholas |
| C008 | Traher | Chris |
| C010 | Wood | Tina |
| C011 | Gowler | Ken |
| C012 | Gowler | Jayne |
| C013 | Thorley | Andrew |
Number of participants for Coaching : 10
The 2013 Lakes Charity Classic will be held at the same site as in previous years. The site is in the Buttermere valley on the eastern site of Buttermere just over 1 mile SE of Buttermere village.
The simplest route is to follow the B5289 out of Keswick south towards Borrowdale. This route is recommended if you're new to the area. Keep following the B5289 through Borrowdale; eventually you will start climbing steeply up the Honister Pass. Go right over the pass and descend into Buttermere. At the foot of the pass you will pass through Gatescarth farm. After a short distance the road will turn sharply to the right and will start to skirt the edge of Buttermere lake. The road will then turn left - you should now see the campsite on your left. After another short distance, you will see a gate on the left hand side and a track leading down to the campsite. If you have a large camper van, stay on the road until you see Hasness house on the left - you should park in here.
The shortest and more entertaining route is over Newlands Hause. Leave Keswick to the west going towards Cockermouth and rejoin the A66. Go past the turning for Portinscale and watch out for a fork left to Braithwaite, turn left here. Go past the campsite on your left and watch for another fork left; take this turn. Turn left at the next T-junction and go over the bridge. Follow the road round to the left and continue up the Newlands valley. After just under half a mile fork right - keep following the signs for Buttermere. Eventually, the road will start climbing up to Newlands Hause after which it makes a steep descent into the Buttermere valley. At the foot of the descent, just before Buttermere village, turn left and go up the valley. After a mile you will see Hassness house on your right; all vehicles must now continue onto the field and park there as we have no further consent to use Hassness for parking. Continuing on, as you emerge out of the woods, you will see a gate leading down to the camping field on your right. You will need to make a tight U-turn on the road before you can go through the gate. If you don't like the look of the manouevre, continue onto Gatescarth and turn round there. The track is rough and you go down to the field at your own risk.
If you have a large or heavy vehicle, you are best to avoid the Honister or Newlands passes as these involve very steep ascents/descents. The best way is to come from Cockermouth down the B5292/B5289 through Lorton and down the side of Crummock Water.
Note that mobile phone coverage in the valley is non existent.
The campsite shown at Dalegarth will be open for the event for alternative camping - however your Buttermere Bash fee does not cover camping here - you must pay at the campsite. Your Buttermere Bash camping ticket entitles you to camping on the Buttermere Bash field, the area shown to the right of Crag Wood on the above map. Drivers of large camper vans should go to the Buttermere Bash field.
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Buttermere Bash/Camping |
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The Buttermere Bash and camping at the LCC site is organised by Air Ventures. The LCC registration fee covers the LCC only and does not cover the Bash and Camping. This year, like last year, all camping places and Bash tickets must be pre-booked separately to the LCC registration. IT WILL BE STRICTLY NO TICKET NO ENTRY. We are aiming to open applications for the Bash on 1 April. Before you consider applying, please read the following terms and conditions. We have tried to keep these to a minimum; the Ts and Cs are to increase safety and ensure everyone enjoys the event.
EVENT TERMS and CONDITIONS
(for the LCC, all other Flying, Spectating, Camping and the ‘Bash’)
All attendance is conditional as follows:
-
ADMISSION TO THE EVENT IS ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK:
The organisers will not be held liable for any loss, injury or damage sustained at the event, including damage,
theft or loss to property or motor vehicles, even if the cause is due to the negligence of a ticket holder, the
organisers or the actions of other third parties.
-
HAZARDS:
- There will be CHILDREN on the site. Guardians: be aware of their whereabouts and safety at all times.
Drivers & Pilots: please be especially aware! - There will be a lot of TRAFFIC on the site, particularly for access to and from the camping areas. Please be vigilant and stay away from the access roads.
- The event takes place mainly in tents & on uneven farm land, with many TRIPPING AND FALLING obstacles. Take care around the whole site, particularly if it is slippery or wet, and especially when using stiles.
- Weather permitting, there may be flying, acrobatic and speed competitions. Please be aware that PILOTS MAY BE FORCED TO LAND in non-designated areas.
- Designated LANDING AREAS must be kept clear at ALL times.
- ACCESS to the Bash field is over a very rough farm track. The organisers will not be held liable for any damage caused to your vehicle should you choose to enter.
-
BEHAVIOUR:
- ALL PILOTS (not just competitors): no low flying or swooping over people or marquees. If landing on the LCC field use only the designated landing area, land in a standard manner and as safely as possible.
- Vehicle SPEED LIMIT: 5 mph in all areas.
- Obey all LCC and Bash signs & instructions from event marshals.
- No music or noisy behaviour after 12pm Thursday/Friday, or after 2am Saturday night/Sun morning.
- No open fires or BBQ’s directly on the grass.
- Take your litter & rubbish with you when you leave.
- Do not climb or damage trees or walls.
- Excessive drunkenness is annoying and antisocial, we will ask you to leave.
- Any antisocial or illegal behaviour will not be tolerated and you may be asked to leave the venue. The organisers reserve the right to require anyone to leave the venue without explanation or refund.
- Please bring to the attention of the organisers any spilt fuel or oil ASAP.
- In accordance with UK law, smoking is not permitted in any enclosed area, which includes the beer tent and party tent.
- Vehicle size limit, Due to the narrow local roads and access to the site maximum vehicle length is 8m.
- Please be aware that Buttermere is a quite valley with narrow roads, please respect this beautiful place and be courteous to local people and other visitors.