25/05/2026
Bassano 2026, task 2
Gin Team reports:
“A super stable start on Task 2 made it difficult to get into a good position before the start, which affected the rest of the race. The first section was a long, slow glide followed by strong ridge soaring, where Luke managed to pull ahead of the field and collect the lead-out points.
The return from the eastern turnpoint brought a big change of pace. For the first 10 km, lift was everywhere and there was barely any need to turn, but after crossing the main gap the lift became weak and slowing down was necessary. Luke stayed in front, but eased up at the valley turnpoint to allow the first gaggle to catch up and help with finding thermals.
The lead gaggle eventually caught Luke, and a group of around 10 pilots pushed on to the western turnpoint, including Aurelius, Tom, Marco, and Luke.
The run back to the final turnpoint was fast initially, but once again required a change of gears as the day began to shut down and the ridge stopped working. Luke pushed ahead low, while the gaggle behind — including Tom, Marco, and Carlos — stopped to climb in weak lift before heading out into the valley on an optimistic final glide to goal.
Luckily, the last 10 km final glide was similar to yesterday’s conditions and lifted everyone into goal after a tense 30-minute struggle to stay airborne. Tom Hodkins arrived 30 seconds ahead of second place, with Marco finishing 4th, Luke 7th with 100% lead-out points, and Carlos 10th.
Gin Gliders continue to hold 1st and 2nd place in the season standings.
Let’s see what tomorrow brings.“
📸
📝
