General

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!