Antonio Ramos Spanish Hike & Fly Champion with Puma 2
The Puma 2 made an outstanding competitive debut, taking the Spanish classification win and securing three of our team pilots in the Overall Top 10.
41 pilots took part in the event, including Gin H&F Team pilots Antonio Ramos, Benoit Brunet-Poirier and Aner Bueno, all flying the new Puma 2.
The race covered a 197 km course through the central Pyrenees, linking a series of turnpoints that competitors had to reach by a combination of hiking and flying. Starting from Panticosa, pilots faced a variety of route choices before heading towards the first turnpoint at Pelopín, followed by Ezkaurre, Oturia, Blancas and Otal, before returning to the finish near Panticosa.
Conditions throughout the event were particularly demanding, with strong south-westerly to westerly winds influencing both route selection and flight strategy. A pronounced inversion layer on Friday added a further level of difficulty, making the initial climb out of the valley and the approach to the first turnpoint a decisive moment in the race. Pilots then faced powerful mountain conditions and a long leg flown into headwind, which put both decision-making and flying skills to the test. Despite the challenging environment, feedback on the Puma 2 was exceptionally positive, with our pilots reporting outstanding comfort, confidence and performance, even in some of the most demanding conditions of the competition.
Antonio Ramos finished fourth overall and was the highest-ranked Spanish pilot, securing the title of Spanish Hike & Fly Champion. In addition, all three Puma 2 pilots finished within the overall top ten.