Cornizzolo Eventi

Now the sky is clear, it is a pre-frontal day with a cloud base forecast up to 2600-2800m and a development of cumulus in the late afternoon that will lead to a moderate possibility of thunderstorms (40%)

The take off time will be anticipated as much as possible to avoid the cloud blanket forecasted in the late afternoon

3.00 p.m.

A progressive overcasting is coming from N/W showing that the weather forecast was quite accurate despite to the morning blue sky.

The task start has been anticipated as much as possible. The competition theme is a 73 km race to goal:

start on Rivodutri

Città Ducale

Moro Reatino

S. Rufina

Piedifiume

Landing.

Some of the pilots are judging it 'easy' but later they will discover that they are totally wrong...

After the start the gaggle is thermalling well above 2700m and it seems everything will be fast and easy but...

4.00 p.m.

the cloud are incoming and the thermals are now difficult to be found. A lot of pilots are forced to land on the grass field and a sensible west wind is coming. Some of the 'best' decided to stay in a good thermal trying to save altitude waiting for the coming sun.

After one hour the west wind makes the sky clearer and the pilots still in the air can start for the last turnpoint, but now the problem is the wind: almost acceptable at high altitude but stronger at low levels.

So... the pilots having low altitude have few chances to staying on flying.

The task is now becoming very technical and difficult (accordingly to the previsions...)

5.00 p.m.

Luca Donini, former World Champion, European Champion and Italian Champion wins the first task after a 4 hours flight.

He is followed by the Bulgarian pilot Yassen Savov and the slovenian Urban Valic that are crossing the goal line together, the 4th is the Italian Paolo Zammarchi

Luca this is year is well fitted, he is flying constantly (when he won the European title he did only 5 flight hours in 6 months) and is flying th last Gin's proto (but this doesn't matter)

Luca did the task costantly at the attack position, but before the last turnpoints he decided to wait for the other competitors to avoid risky routes alone on the flatlands.

Ad usual... he won the last run to goal just pulling at full speed the speed without any hesitations.

At the end 49 pilots reached the goal and a lot have been forced to land shortly the end line because of some descending areas.