Competition News

After heavy rain and thunderstorms yesterday, we woke up to cool, fresh air. A cloud band hovered over the valley, covering everything, so it took a while for the day to get started. I also counted three inversion layers that gradually burned off. After 12:00, the conditions improved, and the PWCA team decided to allow pilots into the air, setting the air start for 2:00 PM.

Roger and I decided to launch early to explore the air and assess our options. He had a big knot on the left side but luckily managed to open it in the air. As for me, I had to top-land and untangle a mess with my risers, so the early start didn’t really work out. I had to return to the launch line and waited another 15 minutes.

In the end, nearly all the Swiss pilots were well positioned for the air start—let the race begin.

The start was fast as always. In our briefing, we had agreed to stay high and fly conservatively given the conditions, and it paid off. More than half the field essentially raced themselves into the ground, while we stayed high in the mountains, making sure never to get too low. It worked out perfectly—almost all Swiss pilots were in the top 21.

The task was stopped after about 65% due to thunderstorms and rain. However, it still counts, and it’s an important one because of the significant point gap between the top 22 and the rest.

Tomorrow looks promising—let’s fly smart again.

Ranking Today:

4. Jérôme Kägi
8. Dominik Breitinger
10. Steve Cox
11. Morane Montavon
12. Alfredo Studer
14. Roger Aeschbacher
21. Sarah Zimmermann
49. Davide Licini
53. Cédric Aymon

Ranking Overall:

6. Steve Cox
9. Dominik Breitinger
12. Jérôme Kägi
21. Alfredo Studer
40. Sarah Zimmermann
77. Davide Licini
83. Roger Aeschbacher
91. Morane Montavon
100. Cédric Aymon

Foto credits:
- Morane Montavon
- Dominik Breitinger