Increasing Difficulty

The day began with promise, much like the previous ones. After the first task’s huge success, with 106 out of 111 competitors reaching their goals, the task committee decided to increase the difficulty of Task 2 to provide a greater challenge. Task 2 was a 101km race to goal, starting at 12:30, just like the previous day. Pilots, learning from past experiences, quickly formed a long line for takeoff, knowing it was best to launch early. However, the conditions at launch were not as favorable as expected, slowing down takeoffs considerably and causing some pilots to struggle with timely departures.

Immediately after the start, conditions were much smoother than on previous days, yet strong, with thermals reaching 6m/s and altitudes over 4000m. The race began swiftly but slowed around the second turnpoint due to weaker thermals. Choosing the right lines and thermals was crucial at this stage. As the race neared the convergence from the beginning, the pace picked up again, and pilots had to decide the optimal moment for their attacks. Once again, they arrived at the goal with significant height.

Martin Jovanoski secured the win for this task, while Violeta Jimenez continued her dominance in the women’s ranking.