Competition News

After the first task—an ambiguous 110 km course set in difficult conditions that forced many pilots to land in the rain—the second task was scheduled on a more promising day with an 85 km distance.

The task started in the north, requiring pilots to cross the valley before the start, followed by a leg heading south, another valley crossing toward the east, and finally a long cross north toward the goal located in the northeast of the valley.

Takeoff began immediately after the briefing. Since later takeoffs typically face backwind, there was a rush to get airborne as soon as the window opened—I was among the first 20%. Crossing the valley before the start allowed us to wait in the flats, which offered more space and a wider selection of thermals.

The longer leg heading south provided us with various route options. I initially took a thermal slightly to the right, which immediately created a small gap between the leaders and those of us who followed suit. Even a 20° deviation from the course line proved to be too much. Following a clear, straight route—although at a lower altitude than the leading pilots—eventually allowed me to catch up and even overtake many competitors before the next turn point. The strong thermals were exactly what I had hoped for.

Approaching the valley crossing, we made cloudbase just before crossing and, together with the field, followed a convergent line rather than a perfectly straight one. This strategy enabled me to climb significantly before the second turn point, outclimbing many competitors and ultimately gaining an advantage that I carried further along.

I reached the second turn point at a higher altitude than most, then turned back to the northwest via Roldanillo. With my altitude advantage, I was able to keep pace with Maxime Pinot, who was at the top of his game and had shown exceptional performance thus far.

Together with about a dozen other pilots, we flew a nearly straight course toward the end of the speed section, beginning with a required glide ratio of 13.7 to the goal. It worked out—I crossed ESS placed about fifth pilot. Then we had to climb slightly to safely reach the finish line, a maneuver that would not have been possible without a few turns in lift-rich air.

Final result is 7th for the day with 984.5 points, quite happy.
I'm happy to be back on track after a long break from high-level competition.

Christoph Dunkel
Team Suisse


7th Christoph Dunkel
14th Kevin Philip
35th Tim Rochas
44th Stephan Morgenthaler
71th Roger Aeschbacher

(Day 4 cancelled due to rain)