Ein würdiger Abschluss bei meist sehr guten Bedingungen :-) (der "richtige" Bericht von Jörg wird noch folgen).

Die Schweizer Nationalmannschaft ist gut, komplett und mit allem Material in Kruševo (Nord Mazedonien) angekommen. Das diesjährige Nationalteam besteht aus: - Sarah Zimmermann / Ozone Enzo 3/Zeno 2 / Gin Genie Race 5 - Noé Court / Niviuk Iceapeak X-one / Niviuk Rocket R - Stephan Morgenthaler / Ozone Enzo 3 / Ozone Submarine - Jérôme Kägi / Ozone Enzo 3 / Ozone Submarine - Roger Aeschbacher /Ozone eNZO 3 / Ozone Submarine - Tim Rochas / Niviuk Iceapeak X-one / Niviuk Rocket R - Dani Graf / Teamleader Der 8. August können die Pilotinnen und Piloten locker angehen, es steht die Registration, freies Fliegen und das General Briefing an. Der 9. August wird aus einem Trainingstask bestehen. Ab dann gilt es ernst und es werden bis am 19. August Tasks geflogen. Die Wartezeit auf das (reservierte!!) Mietauto war dann allerdings fast so lang wie der Flug, doch das Team zeigte sich motiviert und auch diese Unannehmlichkeit wurde locker weggesteckt. Drückt uns die Daumen!

The forecasts hold, everything is shaping up great for a big day: Sunny, weak winds from the SW, good thermals, no rain. The program stays, see you at Caischavedra middle station for a 10:15 task briefing.

In short: The best day of the week, let's go big! We will be at the south side of a high-pressure system centered over Germany. This brings drier and cooler air to our area. At altitude, we still expect westerly winds, but quite weak in the afternoon, only 5-15 km/h, maybe 20 km/h at 4000 m. Thermals should be stronger than today, at a 2.5 m/s average (today was indicated with 1.5 m/s), up to 3400-3600 m, where cumulus clouds will form. The air in our area is drying, so no overdevelopment is expected, as well as no rain in the main valley and to the north of it. There is a small chance for some isolated showers to the South-East of us. The plan is as usual: Get up by 9:30/10:00, be ready for a 10:15 task briefing. We expect to set a big task, get enough rest! Next update at 8 tomorrow morning.

Task distance: 35.8 km Launch window: 11:15 Race start (SSS): 12:15 Status: Task stopped due to incoming rain in the east — but with most pilots already safely on the ground A Short Window, A Fast Task Today's weather only offered a narrow window to fly, so the task committee opted for a short but punchy task. It turned out to be exactly the right call: a compact 35.8 km course that delivered fast, tactical racing and a goal field full of smiling pilots. Conditions Before the start, cloudbase sat low at around 2300–2400 m, gradually building through the morning. By the time the start gate opened at 12:15, cloudbase had climbed to roughly 2700 m — enough to give pilots a solid position for the start. The clouds themselves developed quickly, and staying clear of cloud base in the final minutes before the start proved tricky for the field. The Route Out of the start, the task led west along the ridge to the first turnpoint, then out into the valley for the second. From there, pilots faced the day's first real tactical choice: take the longer line along the high ridge, or push the shorter, lower ridge line toward turnpoint 3. The leading gaggle chose the low route — but arrived at the crossing point undercooked, leaving the valley crossing to turnpoint 4 with only around 2300 m. That decision would go on to define the entire race. The Key Moment The chasing group played it safer, topping up to around 2800 m before committing to the same crossing — a difference of roughly 500 m that proved decisive. On the other side, the leading gaggle pushed for the ESS on the south side of the valley first, but their thin altitude margin forced them to cross back to the north side in search of lift just to reach ESS and goal. Not everyone made it — several pilots landed just a few hundred metres short of the ESS cylinder. The chasing group, by contrast, arrived with height to spare and could fly the optimised line straight to the ESS without any detours — closing, and in many cases erasing, the gap to the leaders in the process. The Finish With rain moving in from the east, the task was eventually stopped — though by that point the vast majority of the field was already on the ground. A well-timed call all around: the short window was used to full effect, producing a fast and genuinely exciting racing task. Most pilots came into goal with a smile. Results: Overall: 1. Morane Montavon 2. Lars Meerstetter 3. Martin Kubicek Sports Class: 1. Stefan Bahn 2. Raphael Oerer 3. Thierry Stoll Women: 1. Violeta Jimenez 2. Agnieszka Zaborowska 3. Martina Hauri Juniors: 1. Thierry Stoll 2. Nicola Heiniger 3. Jean Morisetti Fotos: Martin Scheel

A quick 35 km task to Piz Ner and back. Livetracking: https://lt.flymaster.net/bs.php?grp=7409