Pavullo, Italy - It all came down to the wire in the final race of the 2nd FAI Virtual Sailplane Grand Prix in Pavullo, Italy. After Race 6, Arne Martin Güettler led with 31 points, closely followed by Wojciech Soltysik with 27 points, Sean Churchill with 25 points, and Tim Kielstrup Madsen with 21 points. The winner of this race would earn 11 points, leaving the world championship title still up for grabs… and big opportunities for the podium’s contenders!

Race 7 - The Decisive Race

The racecourse remained familiar as the pilots set out from the Aquarius start. They had a 248-kilometer task ahead of them, taking them through a series of challenging turnpoints.

The race began with a dash to the first turnpoint: Berceto, 66.8 kilometers away from the start. Tim Madsen was determined to stay as a top contendor for the World title and was the leader of the race at this turnpoint first. However, Wiek Schoenmakers and Arne Martin Güettler were hot on his heels, ready to challenge.

The next leg took them to Solignano, only 11 kilometers away from TP1. Here, the race intensified. Tim Madsen, Wiek Schoenmakers, and Arne Martin Güettler were still in the lead, but the main pack was just behind! Wojciech Soltysik was always close to them, protected by the polish team.

After Solignano, the pilots headed toward Futa, in the valley where the highways lies, between Bologna and Firenze, very close to the Mugello track. A leg of 117.2km, the longest one for this last day. It was a great opportunity for Tim Kielstrup Madsen to fly his own route, his own way to try to get the lead. It was the only option for him, to try the win the world title. Flying with Anre Martin and Wojciech, would not have been enough. Sean Churchill was in difficult conditions behind the main pack and struggled throughout the race to get back in front of the race. As the pilots were approaching the TP3, Tim Madsen could not manage to seize the lead despite all his efforts. Wiek Schoenmakers took a risk and left a good thermal a few kilometers before TP3, to take another one 10 kilometers away.

Zbyszek Tkocez, Joshua Arntz, Arne Martin Güettler and the rest of the pack quicly joined him.

The last stretch covered 54 kilometers from Futa to Pavullo Airport, via the well-known reporting point Mirage. Wiek Schoenmakers held onto his altitude advantage, taking the lead. Arne Martin Güettler, despite his earlier gamble, managed to maintain sufficient altitude to comfortably reach the finish line. Tim Madsen was determined to keep the pressure on, without any success, while Sean Churchill couldn’t manage the pace. Wojciech Soltysik was still there, ready to jump on the front runners…

As the gliders approached Pavullo Airport, tension reached its peak. The race results would not only determine the winner of this final race but also the world champion.

Wiek Schoenmakers displayed remarkable determination, securing a race victory with an exceptional performance. Zbyszek Tkocz earned a well-deserved second place, while Arne-Martin Güettler, the overall leader, finished strongly in third. The top 10 pilots all crossed the finish line within the same minute, creating an impressively tight finish. Tamas Mayer and Artur Dziuk even arrived at the finish line in the same second, which was truly remarkable.

It was incredibly exciting to witness these arrivals, and the commentators had to carefully record all the finishers to establish a preliminary ranking. Determining the podium placements proved challenging due to the tie between Wiek Schoenmakers and Zbyszek Tkocz, both accumulating 26 points. Contest director Antoine Havet had to consider factors such as daily wins, second-place finishes, third-place finishes, and fourth-place finishes to determine the podium standings.

With the conclusion of Race 7 and a total of 37 points earned over seven fiercely contested races, Arne-Martin Güettler from Norway emerges as the WORLD CHAMPION of the 2nd FAI Virtual Sailplane Grand Prix! 🥇

This victory is a testament to his skill, consistency, and strategic brilliance throughout the week of competition. Arne-Martin's performance has been nothing short of extraordinary, and he is truly deserving of this prestigious title.

As the sun sets over Pavullo, Italy, we congratulate Arne-Martin Güettler and all the participating pilots for their incredible achievements in this virtual sailplane grand prix. We'd also like to extend our appreciation to our viewers worldwide for their unwavering support.

Thank you for joining us on this thrilling journey through the world of competitive sailplane racing. Stay tuned for more soaring adventures in the future, as the FAI Virtual Sailplane Grand Prix continues to captivate the world.

From all of us here, it's been an incredible week of racing, and we look forward to the next soaring adventure. Until then, safe flights and blue skies! 🛩️✨