Competition News

Text by Bruno Liard The 75km task of the day was known to be fairly short due to the good and strong thermal conditions of the Vosges announced. After a very bad start (at least 500m below the highest gaggle), the only way to recover that disadvantage was to push full bar on the optimise line and to screen the thermals to turn only the big ones. The leading gaggle made the mistake to turn some 2-3m/s thermals, instead of looking only for the 4-5m/s ones. Just before the second turn point, I found a massive 6m/s climb and I overflew the leading gaggle. Then, it was all about finding the best line in order to stay as high as possible, were the thermal were the strongest. Before the last turnpoint, we were four pilots in the « Godzilla » thermal (the thermal in front of the takeoff Le Drummont, named like that by the local pilots). At this point, it was all about calculating and managing the margin for the the final glide of 10km, knowing that the goal was an elevated one of 300m. I was slightly too conservative and crossed the goal at 360m, second place. ~~~~~~~~ This marks the end of the Palz Open 2026. As always, the organization was outstanding and the task setting was excellent. Every task offered a good mix of easier and more challenging sections. Stephan Schöpe worked hard to make each day fun and flyable despite difficult wind conditions - and he succeeded. The Vosges may not be ideal for fast retrieves, but the drivers made sure everyone got home safely at the end of the day. Thank you for such an amazing competition! We know you did not hear much from us during the event. The Swiss team was busy enjoying a fantastic team spirit in which everyone played a part: “Dummschnurre” over an early breakfast, collaborative debriefings of the previous day’s task while waiting at take-off, and lively discussions in goal. Whether we were watching the Swiss football team together or repairing gliders, we were busy and having a great time. Meanwhile, Gael's tandem performance in T3 & T4 remains a highlight, as well as Bruno's fifth place Overall. Rankings: Overall: 1. Samuel Tanner 2. Flavio Funiati 3. Stephane Poulain 5. Bruno Liard 16. Markus S. Wicki 20. René Mühlemann 21. Simon Steiner 27. Benjamin Fankhauser 33. Marco Sommerfeld (1. Sport Class) 34. Frederic Monnet (2. Sport Class) 41. Francois Wagner (3. Sport Class) 51. Ruben Hutter 56. Albino Malli 58. Didier Schultz 59. Kaj Witzig 61. Gernot Seitz 63. Laurent Monneron 64. Jeele Johannsen (2. Reynolds Class) 66. Hans Strahm 78. Marco Vergari 89. Gael Frochaux 92. Beat Bischof

René, wie war’s? Unerwartet. Wegen des starken Windes war ein One-Way-Task geplant. Nach dem Start gab es jedoch nur wenig Wind und gute Thermik. Im Flachland hat uns der Wind dann gut vorangeschoben. Das Feld hat wieder einmal gebummelt. Es war ein geduldiges Gleiten, obwohl im Flachland gute Thermik stand. Dabei sein war alles. Die letzte Thermik hat in Kombination mit dem erhöhten Goal schliesslich die Endrangliste entschieden. Zu erwähnen ist auch Gael, der wegen einem defekten Schirm auf den Tandem gewechselt hat und fast bis ins Goal geflogen ist. --------------------- René, comment c'était ? Inattendu. Un parcours aller simple était prévu à cause des vents forts. Après le décollage, cependant, le vent était très faible et les thermiques excellents. Le vent nous a ensuite bien portés dans la plaine. Le parcours était à nouveau lent. Il a fallu planer patiemment, malgré une bonne activité thermique dans la plaine. Le simple fait d'être là était déjà formidable. Le dernier thermique, combiné à l'objectif relevé, a finalement décidé du classement final. Gaël mérite également d'être mentionné ; il est passé au vol en tandem à cause d'une voile endommagée et a failli atteindre l'objectif.

# Task 1 We start the competitiom with a strong but flyable northwind. The start is a challenge but the first leg demands everything from the pilots. The Luv side is broken and does not lift enough. To get up to cloud base, you need to get something from the lee side. Fun and rough. For the next turnpoint up in the north, we have to be faster than the shades comming in. For those who were fast enough goal was reachable. # Task 2 Today we have less wind. But the thermals are weaker and to fly high and stay high is key. The task goes up the noth, then to the west and back to an elevated goal at our campsite. With difficult thermals some pilots loose their patience and fly like monkeys. Many close calls and a mid-air with a swiss pilot involved (both are uninjured) was the result. Beside these incidents, the task was medium fast with some slower sections and a beautiful scenerie. Me and Markus managed to stay with the leading gaggle.

The Swiss Paragliding 2026 come to an end with the following podiums: Junior: 1. Jean Morisetti 2. Noël Oberle 3. Exbrayat Jules (F) 4. (3. in the Swiss ranking) Thierry Stoll Sports Class: 1. Frédéric Monnet 2. Gaëtan Gerber 3. Sarah Zimmermann Women: 1. Sarah Zimmermann 2. Manuela Pfrunder 3. Agnieska Zaborowska (GBR) 4. (3. in the Swiss ranking) Andrea Habegger Overall: 1. Stephan Morgenthaler 2. Dominik Breitinger 3. Borislav Miladinov (ESP) 4. (3. in the Swiss ranking) Steve Cox (Photos: Martin Scheel)

The fifth and final task of the 2026 Swiss Paragliding Open is complete. With predictions for thunderstorms in the Stockhorn area as early as 13:00, we set a short task with a (challenging, as it turns out) leg to the south, and then drew the pilots away from the high mountains to the flats. After the ESS at Gibloux, we set a huge goal cylinder on the west shore of Lac de la Gruyère, allowing pilots to either set down there, or if conditions would allow it, still fly back to Charmey. Except for the windy section near Vanil Noir, the flight went much better than anticipated, tempting some to leave a little too low for the flats. Of the 71 launched pilots, 44 made it to goal. Overall: 1. Benjamin Fankhauser 2. Jean Morisetti 3. Gaël Frochaux Women: 1. Manuela Pfrunder 2. Sarah Zimmermann 3. Andrea Habegger Sports Class: 1. Frédéric Monnet 2. Gaëtan Gerber 3. Nelson Carvalho Junior: 1. Jean Morisetti 2. Jules Exbrayat 3. Noël Oberle The price giving ceremony at L'Enclume will be announced via Telegram.

Weather forecasts are already predicting the first thunderstorms this afternoon, so the task was started early and the deadline was set very early. This is to ensure that all pilots are back on the ground by the time the thunderstorms begin.

Unlike yesterday, we anticipated thunderstorms in the vicinity in the afternoon - and they did not materialize. Conditions were very strong, making up for the still-present easterly winds. So the 83.1 km race to Stockhorn, then Dent de Broc, Schwarzsee and back to Charmey were flown incredibly fast. The winner, Markus Wicki, flew the speed section in 1:42:58, resulting in a staggering average speed of 45.1 km/h. This win was the result of a very gutsy move after Dent de Broc: While the leaders pushed on towards Charmey and the area around launch, Markus did a double-turn to the north, and once back over higher terrain, was able to tag the last turnpoint in straight flight. The main gaggle took a while to reconnect above Charmey, and in the end Markus won by almost 3 minutes. A magic move! Overall: 1. Markus Wicki 2. Roger Aeschbacher 3. René Mühlemann Women: 1. Sarah Zimmermann 2. Linda Hoch 3. Agnieszka Zaborowska (GBR) Sports Class: 1. Marco Sommerfeld 2. Sarah Zimmermann 3. Raphael Oerer Juniors: 1. Jean Morisetti 2. Thierry Stoll 3. Noël Oberle Photos by Martin Scheel. Outlook for tomorrow: The high pressure system that caused this intense heat wave is finally moving on, and tomorrow we will be behind its axis. Which means warmer and more humid air will flow in from the south, increasing instability. Thermal activity should be similar to today, but thunderstorms could build in our area as early as 14:00. We will try to run a short task early in the day, but only if there is a significant chance to do so based on tomorrow's forecasts. In order to do that, we change the program slightly: 9:00-10:00 breakfast, trackers, tickets (like before) 9:30 Task setters meet at the restaurant at the top 11:00 task briefing at the top 11:45 launch window open 13:00 race start All times subject to change, we will keep you posted on Telegram.

The weather looks great today, Friday. Thunderstorms may develop later this afternoon, so the task setters have planned an 83-kilometer task designed to avoid the thunderstorms. The positive atmosphere continues, and the participants are motivated!

Today the thermals on the west face of Vounetz were strong enough to overcome the weak easterly winds. We set a task to Gurnigel, then to a little hill called Gibloux in the flats between Fribourg and Bulle, and a leg to the south towards Montreux, with goal near Grandvillard. As expected, the first thunderstorms developed in the Gstaad area. We observed them closely, but thanks to the weak easterly winds, they did not move towards our task area. But they spread out and shaded most of the task area while pilots were still flying back from Gurnigel. The furthest made it just to Gibloux, while most of the filed landed east of lake Gruyère. Overall: 1. Benjamin Fankhauser 2. Dominik Breitinger 3. Gaël Frochaux Women: 1. Agnieszka Zaborowska (GBR) 2. Andrea Habegger 3. Corina Heldstab Sports Class: 1. Frédéric Monnet 2. Marco Sommerfeld 3. Mahdi Karimi (IRI) Junior: 1. Jean Morisetti 2. Arnaud Hirschi 3. Noël Oberle The forecasts for tomorrow are similar, with slightly better thermals than today early in the afternoon. Also, the air will be drier than today, which reduces the probability for early thunderstorms, compared to today. We expect a good day tomorrow, and therefore will follow the same schedule as today: 9:00-10:00 breakfast, trackers and cable car tickets 10:00 task setters meet at the restaurant at the top 11:30 task briefing at the north launch 12:30 launch window open 14:00 race start Photos by Martin Scheel

Great weather and light winds—that certainly makes for a good task. The plan is to cover 80 kilometers. For those wondering why the goal is set on a mountain, here’s a brief explanation. Thunderstorms are possible toward evening, so this option gives participants the chance to land safely in a secure location. If the thunderstorms aren’t a problem, they can fly to the landing site in Charmey. We’re looking forward to it!

Due to the increase in north-easterly winds, we moved launch to Grandvillard, which is much better protected from this kind of wind. Launch was a little wild and steep, which caused a few desperate dives after ballast bags and helmets that were rolling down the hill - and also a few less-than-elegant launches. Conditions in the air were reported to be strong and at times more turbulent than expected by the task committee, especially on the ridge behind the Charmey launch. Most of the field managed those challenges and was rewarded with a beautiful flight out to the western-most hills of the Fribourg Alps before coming back to Charmey via a detour to the south. Unfortuantely, there were three incidents today: Two pilots lost control of their gliders at altitude and came down under their reserve parachutes. While one walked away unscathed, the other had to be helicoptered out due to ultimately minor injuries. And at the very end of the day, in tricky shifting wind conditions at the Charmey landing field, one pilot stalled their glider from a few meters altitude, leading to another helicopter rescue due to what turned out minor injuries. Speedy recovery to the injured pilots, and a huge thank you to everyone reporting and assisting. Overall: 1. Roger Aeschbacher 2. Stephan Morgenthaler 3. Steve Cox Women: 1. Sarah Zimmermann 2. Manuela Pfrunder 3. Agnieszka Zaborowska Sports Class: 1. Gaëtan Gerber 2. Frédéric Monnet 3. Sarah Zimmermann Junior: 1. Jean Morisetti 2. Exbrayat Jules 3. Noël Oberle Photos: Martin Scheel According to the latest models, the north-easterly winds should be weaker tomorrow than today. We see a 50% chance for a task from Vounetz, and will make the final decision tomorrow at 9:30. We will only go up for a task if the wind is considerably less than today and allows for safe launches from Vounetz. We do not consider another task from Grandvillard launch.

The pilots are on their way to the launch site. Due to the wind, the launch site was moved to Grandvillard today—a move that the organizing committee handled very well from a logistical standpoint. Now we can look forward to an exciting 74-kilometer task. Conditions are expected to be similar to yesterday’s, with slightly more wind and a slightly higher chance of thunderstorms. The task has taken these conditions into account.

Task 1 is complete, the race ended with a photo finish between Stephan Morgenthaler and Dominik Breitinger. After 2:24:33, Stephan took the win with a lead of 4 seconds only. We have 55 pilots in goal. Those who made it reported an intense, but beautiful flight. Overall: 1. Stephan Morgenthaler 2. Dominik Breitinger 3. Joel Fuchs Women: 1. Sarah Zimmermann 2. Andrea Habegger 3. Manuela Pfrunder Sports Class: 1. Frédéric Monnet 2. Gaëtan Gerber 3. Sarah Zimmermann Junior: 1. Jean Morisetti 2. Noël Oberle 3. Arnaud Hirschi Photos: Martin Scheel Plan for tomorrow: The conditions will be very similar to today concerning thermals, thunderstorms (or the lack thereof). The only change is that the wind may be a little bit stronger. We do not want to risk sitting at Vounetz and not being able to launch. So we move to Grandvillard for the launch. To make that work, we need your collaboration: Pick up your live tracker and be ready at the parking lot at 10:00 tomorrow morning, including drinking water and ballast - there is no water at the Grandvillard launch. We will then drive half the field directly to the launch in little buses. The rest of us will take the public bus to the nearest station, where the shuttle will pick us up and also drive us to launch. A little adventure, but this way we will get to fly again. Thank you for helping us make this work.

The first task is set! The route covers a little over 96 kilometers. Starting from Charmey, the route heads to Stockhorn in the Bernese Oberland, then on to Albristhorn, then via Lenk to Les Moulins, and finally the last leg via Grandvillars to Goal near Charmey.

Today's training task was heavily inspired by the Regio West race a week ago - thank you for that! It led over 62 km around the Charmey valley, then south past Grandvillard, back to the Dent du Chamois, then Moléson, and back home with goal in Charmey. The main challenge were the stable conditions down below launch level, which caused a lot of waiting at lauch (or a bonus cable car ride for some), But once this hard layer was passed we were presented with a view from 3000 m and more, far into the high alps, over lake Geneva and the Jura chain. The weather tomorrow looks very similar to today, with also about the same wind speeds. So there is high hope that the thermals will block the north-easterly wind at launch. The biggest difference is that the inversion that sat at around 1500-2000 m today moves up to 3000 m tomorrow, so we should be able to launch and get up much earlier. Winds at altitude are from north-easterly directions, at 10-15 km/h. This looks like a fabulous day. For the next two days we anticipate the north-easterly flow to be too strong to allow for launching at the Vounetse launch. But we are working on moving everybody to Grandvillard if needed, where launch in such conditions will work. More on that tomorrow. Now enjoy your welcome Fondue, and see you all at the briefing at HQ tomorrow at 9.

The weather forecast is quite solid and stable for the whole week: (very) high temperatures, moderate to high instability leading to good thermal conditions and high cloud base. But also leading to a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoons, and the wind may turn towards northerly directions at launch shortly after noon - which is not ideal for that launch. But in general, especially since Monday looks like the best day of the week, we continue as planned: - Sunday training day and final registration from 18:00-19:00 - Monday final registration from 08:00-09:00, then briefing, and task 1 Fotos Martin Scheel

Welcome to the Swiss Paragliding Open 2026 in Charmey!



Important files


Waypoints files

Waypoints map

Airspace files


Airspace files for weekdays

Airspace file for Saturday and Sunday


Briefing document




Great weather ahead, you can still join!
The weather is shaping up for a fantastic week, and the forecasts show altitudes we do not see often in that area. Tell your friends, we still have a few spots open. To sign up, click on "Register now" on the competition page.


Training day
On Sunday, June 21, tickets will be available at the cable car station. Details on how to get them will follow in Telegram. We will set a task to get to know the area. The task briefing will be at the top at 12:00.

Eine mental anspruchsvolle Woche in Tolmin fand für mich einen versöhnlichen Abschluss. Was nach langen Startverzögerungen als verkürzter 46-Kilometer-Task begann, verwandelte sich in einen kompromisslosen Highspeed-Sprint, den ich auf einem starken 20. Rang beendete. Besonders erfreulich: Mit meinem Team Gin 2 durfte ich am Ende sogar auf das Podest steigen!



Français plus bas / English below

Bericht / Rapport / Race report: Simon Steiner



----- Deutsch -----

Mentale Hürden und Material-Feintuning
Diese Woche war für mich alles andere als einfach. Mental klappte es einfach nicht so, wie ich es mir vorgestellt hatte. Am ersten Tag flog ich zwei grosse Umwege und war am Ende ziemlich abgeschlagen. Am Abend trimmte ich zusammen mit Gaëtan meinen Schirm neu – nach rund 50 Flugstunden war er bereits ordentlich langsam geworden. Der zweite Tag lief mit dem frischen Trimm zwar etwas besser, aber der Anschluss an die absolute Spitzengruppe gelang mir noch immer nicht. Lauf drei am Lijak war dann ein zähes Rennen in teils schwacher Thermik, bei dem ich zweimal extrem geduldig ausgraben musste.


Die zwei Tage Wettkampfpause wegen des schlechten Wetters taten gut. Am Morgen des vierten Tasks machte ich mit Gaëtan einen Spaziergang, um den Kopf zu lüften. Er führte mit mir sogar eine kleine Visualisierungs-Meditation durch, damit ich den Flow besser finde. Leider brachte das beim gestrigen Lauf noch nicht den erhofften Durchbruch: Nach dem ersten Drittel verlor ich abermals den Anschluss an den Leading Pulk, drehte zu schwache Thermik und fiel Stück für Stück zurück. Nun lag es also am letzten Lauf, meine durchzogene Bilanz aufzubessern.



Warten im Dunst und ein blitzschnelles Rennen
Das Wetter kooperierte heute zunächst gar nicht. Es war dunstig, hohe Zirren zogen auf und die Aussichten waren mau. Selbst die Freiflieger konnten sich kaum in der Luft halten. Das Startfenster wurde immer wieder nach hinten verschoben, und die Organisation kürzte den Task schliesslich auf 46 Kilometer: Zweimal zwischen Kobarid und Kobala hin und her, garniert mit ein paar Lenkungsbojen im Tal.


Doch dann startete das Feld in sich deutlich verbessernde Bedingungen! Um 14:30 Uhr ging das Rennen endlich los. Was ursprünglich als Aufgabe für marginale Bedingungen geplant war, entwickelte sich zu einem kompromisslosen Hochgeschwindigkeitssprint. Jedes Abbremsen wurde brutal bestraft. Unabhängig von den Luftmassen war ununterbrochenes Vollgas die klare Devise des Tages.



Die Knacknuss am Camp Gabrje
Nur die Ridge über dem Camp Gabrje stellte eine gewisse Knacknuss dar: Wer hier hoch einsteigen konnte, nahm deutlich mehr Aufwind mit, während es weiter unten extrem zäh wurde. Gaëtan und ich konnten dieses Mal super mithalten und platzierten uns im vorderen Feld. Vom Kobala ging es ein leichtes letztes Mal Richtung Kobarid. Hier kamen wir nochmals ein Stück tiefer an, und es gab an der Ridge kaum noch verwertbare Thermik. Ich konnte mich gerade noch in einem sich abschwächenden Schlauch hocharbeiten. Das reichte: Der Final Glide war mit genügend Höhe am Schluss sehr tragend, während die tieferen Piloten hart kämpfen mussten, um das Ziel überhaupt zu erreichen.


Für mich endete diese Woche mit einem tollen 20. Rang im Task versöhnlich. Die Spitze an einer SRS-Competition ist enorm dicht mit herausragenden Piloten bestückt. Wenn da nicht alles hundertprozentig zusammenpasst – vom mentalen Zustand bis zum Material – wird es gnadenlos schwierig. Pal Takats sicherte sich am Ende überlegen den Gesamtsieg. Soner Yorgun schliesst als bester Schweizer auf einem fantastischen 12. Gesamtrang ab! Ein absolutes Highlight gab es für mich zudem in der Teamwertung: Mit meinen Teamkollegen von Gin 2 konnten wir uns den hervorragenden 2. Platz auf dem Podest sichern!



----- Français -----

SRS Naviter Edition Tolmin 2026 - Manche 5 : Sprint à grande vitesse pour une fin réconciliatrice



Une semaine mentalement exigeante à Tolmin s'est achevée sur une note positive pour moi. Ce qui a commencé par de longs retards et une manche raccourcie de 46 kilomètres s'est transformé en un sprint sans compromis, que j'ai terminé à une solide 20ème place. Cerise sur le gâteau : nous décrochons une place sur le podium au classement par équipe avec Gin 2 !



Obstacles mentaux et réglages matériels
Cette semaine n'a pas été facile pour moi. Mentalement, les choses ne se sont pas passées comme je le voulais. Le premier jour, j'ai fait deux grands détours et j'étais assez abattu. Le soir, j'ai recalé mon aile avec Gaëtan – après environ 50 heures de vol, elle était devenue bien lente. Le deuxième jour s'est un peu mieux passé avec ce nouveau calage, mais je n'ai toujours pas réussi à accrocher le groupe de tête. La troisième manche au Lijak a été une course difficile dans des thermiques parfois faibles, où j'ai dû m'extraire patiemment à deux reprises.


Les deux jours de pause dus à la météo m'ont fait du bien. Le matin de la quatrième manche, j'ai fait une promenade avec Gaëtan pour m'aérer l'esprit. Il a même fait une petite méditation de visualisation avec moi pour m'aider à trouver le "flow". Malheureusement, cela n'a pas suffi hier : après le premier tiers de la course, j'ai de nouveau perdu le contact avec le groupe de tête, j'ai enroulé des thermiques trop faibles et j'ai perdu du terrain petit à petit. Il ne me restait donc plus que cette dernière manche pour améliorer mon bilan mitigé.



Attente dans la brume et course éclair
La météo n'a pas du tout coopéré au début. C'était brumeux, avec des cirrus, et les perspectives étaient mauvaises. Même les pilotes de vol libre peinaient à rester en l'air. La fenêtre de décollage a été repoussée à plusieurs reprises, et la manche a finalement été raccourcie à 46 km : deux allers-retours entre Kobarid et Kobala, avec quelques balises dans la vallée.


Puis, le peloton a décollé dans des conditions qui s'amélioraient nettement ! À 14h30, la course a enfin commencé. Ce qui était prévu comme un parcours pour des conditions marginales s'est transformé en un sprint à grande vitesse sans compromis. Le moindre coup de frein était brutalement puni. Indépendamment de la masse d'air, la consigne du jour était claire : plein barreau sans interruption.



Le point clé au Camp Gabrje
Seule la crête au-dessus du Camp Gabrje a posé un certain défi : ceux qui arrivaient haut profitaient d'une meilleure ascendance, tandis que c'était très laborieux plus bas. Gaëtan et moi avons bien suivi le rythme et nous nous sommes placés aux avant-postes. Depuis le Kobala, direction Kobarid une dernière fois. Nous sommes arrivés plus bas et il y avait très peu de thermiques exploitables sur la crête. J'ai tout juste réussi à remonter dans une ascendance faiblissante. C'était suffisant : le plané final s'est avéré très porteur avec l'altitude acquise, alors que les pilotes plus bas ont dû lutte pour atteindre le Goal.


Pour moi, cette semaine se termine de manière réconciliatrice avec une belle 20ème place sur la manche. Le niveau des pilotes de tête sur une SRS est incroyablement dense. Si tout n'est pas parfaitement aligné, du mental au matériel, cela devient très vite difficile. Pal Takats remporte la victoire générale avec brio. Soner Yorgun termine meilleur Suisse à une fantastique 12ème place au général ! Grand moment également pour moi au classement par équipe : avec mes coéquipiers de Gin 2, nous nous offrons une magnifique 2ème place sur le podium !



----- English -----

SRS Naviter Edition Tolmin 2026 - Task 5: High-Speed Sprint for a Conciliatory Finish



A mentally demanding week in Tolmin ended on a positive note for me. What began with long launch delays and a shortened 46-kilometer task turned into an uncompromising high-speed sprint, which I finished in a strong 20th place. Even better: we managed to grab a podium spot in the overall team rankings with Gin 2!



Mental Hurdles and Equipment Fine-Tuning
This week was anything but easy for me. Mentally, things just didn't click the way I wanted them to. On the first day, I flew two big detours and was quite beaten down. In the evening, I re-trimmed my glider with Gaëtan—after about 50 hours of flying, it had become quite slow. The second day went a bit better with the fresh trim, but I still couldn't connect with the absolute lead gaggle. Task 3 at Lijak was a tough race in sometimes weak thermals, where I had to patiently dig myself out twice.


The two days of rest due to the bad weather did me good. On the morning of the fourth task, I took a walk with Gaëtan to clear my head. He even did a little visualization meditation with me to help me find the flow. Unfortunately, it didn't bring the desired breakthrough yesterday: after the first third of the race, I once again lost touch with the lead gaggle, cored weak thermals, and lost ground piece by piece. So it was down to the last task to improve my mixed track record.



Waiting in the Haze and a Lightning-Fast Race
The weather didn't cooperate at all at first. It was hazy, with high cirrus clouds, and the prospects were bleak. Even the freeflyers could barely stay in the air. The start window was pushed back time and time again, and the task was eventually shortened to 46 kilometers: back and forth between Kobarid and Kobala twice, with a few turnpoints in the valley.


Eventually, however, the field launched into improving conditions! At 2:30 PM, the race finally got underway. What was originally planned as a task for marginal conditions developed into an uncompromising high-speed sprint. Full speed was required, and any braking was brutally punished. Regardless of the airmass, continuous full bar was the clear motto of the day.



The Crux at Camp Gabrje
Only the ridge above Camp Gabrje presented a bit of a challenge: those who could enter high took much more lift, while it got much tougher further down. Gaëtan and I were able to keep up well this time and positioned ourselves at the front of the pack. From Kobala, we headed towards Kobarid one last time. We arrived a bit lower here, and there was less usable thermal activity on the ridge. I just managed to work my way up in a weakening thermal. It was enough: the final glide was very buoyant with sufficient height at the end, while the lower pilots had to fight hard just to make it into goal.


For me, this week ended on a conciliatory note with a 20th place finish in the task. The top of an SRS competition is incredibly densely packed with top-tier pilots. If everything doesn't fit together perfectly—from your mental state to your equipment—it quickly becomes very difficult. Pal Takats secured a dominant overall victory. Soner Yorgun finishes as the best Swiss pilot in a fantastic 12th place overall! There was also an absolute highlight for me in the team standings: with my teammates from Gin 2, we secured an excellent 2nd place on the podium!



Resultate Task 5 / Résultats Manche 5 / Task 5 Results (Swiss Team)


20. Simon STEINER

22. Soner YORGUN

82. Gaetan GERBER

113. Jan LUEBBIG




Overall Competition / Classement Général / Overall Standings


1. Pal TAKATS (HUN) - Photon/Submarine - 4878.5 Pkt.

2. Luke NICOL (GBR) - GTO 3/Genie Race 5 - 4762.9 Pkt.

3. Matthijs DERKS (NLD) - Photon/Submarine - 4616.4 Pkt.

12. Soner YORGUN (CHE) - Photon / Genie Race 5 - 4466.2 Pkt.

23. Simon STEINER (CHE) - GTO 3 / Genie Race 5 - 4306.8 Pkt.

37. Gaetan GERBER (CHE) - Photon / Submarine - 4084.1 Pkt.

114. Jan LUEBBIG (CHE) - Artik R 2 / Arrow - 1759.3 Pkt.




Overall Teams / Classement par Équipe / Overall Teams Standings


1. Ozone (Arnold CASTRO, Rafael ROSA, Pal TAKATS, Ulric JESSOP)

2. Gin 2 (Thomas FRANCES, Simon STEINER, Mark HAYMAN, Gerry MCNICOL)

3. Airtribune (Marius TANASOIU, Oleg BURLACA, Tudor DOROBANTU, Kuba STO)

15. Alpine Wings (Zoltan FORDOS, Gaetan GERBER, Ulrich BECKER, Stefan WASSERBAUER)