posted May 18th, 2017 - The FAI World Cup 2017 is the next major event this year and probably the most relevant outdoor event of the 2017 competition season. The Sun Path Products NSL News will cover the event live from the competition site.

The Fallschirmsportzentrum Saar in Germany is hosting the event, as it did in 2011 for the first time. It was a very successful and exciting meet, even though the last round in 8-way fell victim to a storm that approached quickly and unexpectedly.

It brought the 8-way competition thriller to an earlier end, and the Golden Knights did not have to defend the thin 1-point lead any longer that they had just created in Round 9. France was the defending 8-way world champion of Menzelinsk 2010, and the Golden Knights made the first step in Saarlouis to launch the new U.S. era of 8-way dominance.

The Deep Blue Defenders won the 4-way Women competition with a new lineup after the gold medals in Menzelinsk 2010 and with only one returning Deep Blue world champion, Amelie Tirman. It was also the start of the Golden Knights career in 4-way Women, which ended with the gold medals at the FAI Mondial 2016.

FAI World Cup 2011			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total	Avg
Rank	8-way		7,M,15	8,14,D	5,18,J	B,9,2	Q,K,12,20	21,A,F,10	1,4,E	13,P,H,6	L,19,17	Total	Avg
1	Golden Knights	US	23	18	18	19	23	21	25	20	19	186	20.7
2	Aerodyne Maubeuge	FR	21	18	19	18	23	19	29	21	17	185	20.6
3	Barkli 8	RU	17	15	14	17	16	15	19	19	15	147	16.3
4	EADS	DE	15	13	14	9	16	15	22	15	14	133	14.8
5	VIVA	CH	15	11	12	14	15	14	18	14	-	113	14.1
6	Brit Chicks	UK	10	10	11	11	13	11	15	13	10	104	11.6
7	Sudwest	DE	12	9	8	10	11	11	12	12	11	96	10.7
8	Phoenix 11	RU	11	8	9	11	10	11	9	11	6	86	9.6
9	M8trix	NL	8	6	9	6	9	8	9	11	8	74	8.2
10	Saar 8	DE	7	7	4	7	3	5	5	8	6	52	5.8

Last and not least, the FAI World Cup 2011 in Saarlouis was the first FAI event for NMP PCH HayaBusa's new lineup that would eventually become 4-way world champions in 2014. Dennis Praet had replaced Waedong So in the point slot, while Roy Janssen, David and Andy Grauwels, with Danny Jacobs on camera, came back in 2011 after the 4th place in Menzelinsk.

HayaBusa still finished behind the new French 4-way lineup with Manu Sarrazin in Saarlouis. However, the Belgians turned the table a year later in Dubai and won the FAI silver medals, one single point behind Arizona Airspeed.

The German host had a strong showing with home team Paratec-Saar and won the bronze medals after a 1-point battle with Barkli from Russia.

Two Paratec-Saar members of 2011 (Markus Bastuck, Jorn Thiele) have a comeback on home turf this year with two Airbus members (Thomas Mack, Goran Meyer). The new Airbus lineup will most likely win the German Nationals 2017 a few weeks after the world cup. However, it will be very difficult this year to win a set of medals, as NMP PCH HayaBusa, RealFly-Sion, SDC Rhythm XP and Black Cat will compete in Saarlouis.

FAI World Cup 2011			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		C,22,19	E,M,1,2	12,9,16	O,8,10	Q,14,5	P,17,K,18	21,L,J,13	3,11,B	20,G,H,4	N,F,A,7	Total	Avg
1	Aerodyne Aerokart	FR	22	27	23	22	26	25	25	24	24	37	255	25.5
2	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	22	27	23	21	24	25	21	23	24	39	249	24.9
3	Paratec-Saar	DE	16	23	19	15	19	18	16	19	20	31	196	19.6
4	Sky Panthers Barkli	RU	18	21	19	16	19	16	15	19	19	33	195	19.5
5	Gradient Alpha	RU	17	21	17	13	20	20	19	18	17	27	189	18.9
6	EX3MO4	IT	15	19	17	17	17	16	19	18	16	28	182	18.2
7	Bardagi	SE	15	20	17	15	16	14	19	15	17	29	177	17.7

Teams at this year's world cup in Saarlouis will jump once again from Cessna Caravans, which is the same aircraft as in 2011.

The 2011 event was still applying the old rules with cuts for the semifinals and finals after Round 8 and Round 9. Ten teams qualified for Round 9 after the first cut, and only six teams completed all ten rounds.

The cuts were dropped by FAI/IPC after the FAI World Cup 2015 in Teuge, and all teams completed all ten rounds at the FAI Mondial 2016 for the first time. The same rules are still in place, and all teams traveling to Germany this summer will complete ten rounds, as well.

Airbus member Markus Bastuck will have his hands full, while he is competing in 4-way Open. He is also the official Chief Operator of the skydiving center during the event. His father Helmut Bastuck, Head of the Organizing Committee and Managing Director of the German Skydiving Federation (DFV), will carry most of the administrative burden though. IPC President Dr. Rainer "EXI" Hoenle is the official Meet Director in his homeland. The first competition round is scheduled for Tuesday, August 8th, at 9:00 AM. May 25th is the deadline for registration.