What's Coming Up on the Competition Calendar

The 2026 soaring season is getting underway in earnest. With several competitions already wrapped up across Australia, New Zealand, and South America, attention now turns to what is coming next. The following events are either days away or sit within the next two months, giving pilots time to plan, register, and prepare.

Pôle France No. 1 — Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban, France

Dates: 20–29 March 2026 

The first of the French national training and racing weeks kicks off at Saint-Auban in the Durance valley, one of the most reliable soaring sites in Europe. Fourteen competitors are entered across a single class im an early-season shakedown for pilots heading to national championships later in the year.

2nd Spring Provence Glide — Vinon, France

Dates: 21–28 March 2026

Running almost concurrently with the Pôle France event, the Spring Provence Glide at Vinon draws on the same southern French air mass. This is its second edition and has attracted 30 competitors to a single class. Entry was capped at 30 pilots, with places finalised according to IGC ranking when the limit was reached. Vinon sits on the Verdon plateau and is well known for long ridge and wave soaring routes toward the Mercantour and Luberon ranges.

Copa Albatros 2026 — San Andrés de Giles, Argentina

Dates: 21–24 March 2026 

Argentina's autumn soaring season is well underway and the Copa Albatros brings 23 competitors to a single-class competition at San Andrés de Giles, northwest of Buenos Aires. The flat pampas terrain around this region suits classic racing tasks with strong thermal development in autumn afternoons, and cross-country speeds regularly reach 120–140 kph on competitive days.

Copa Raul Ortiz / Alonso 2026 — Cañuelas, Argentina

Dates: 21–23 March 2026

A smaller event also in the Buenos Aires province, the Copa Raul Ortiz takes place at Cañuelas over three days. Registration numbers are modest, which makes it a practical choice for pilots looking for structured flying in a lower-pressure environment before heading into larger regional contests.

53° Trofeo Città di Torino — Torino-Aeritalia, Italy

Dates: 1–7 April 2026

Now in its 53rd year, the Turin City Trophy has twenty pilots entered in a single class at Torino-Aeritalia. The site provides access to the Po Valley as well as the western Alpine foothills, and pilots can expect a mix of flatland thermal tasks and terrain-influenced cross-country routes depending on the weather window each day.

Cranwell Easter Soaring Weekend — Cranwell, United Kingdom

Dates: 3–6 April 2026

Held over the Easter long weekend at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire, this event is aimed  at pilots looking to shake off the winter and begin cross-country training or racing ahead of the British season proper. The organiser has framed it as preparation time, noting that conditions may allow some early cross-country work if the weather cooperates. Three competitors are currently registered, though numbers at informal soaring weekends of this kind often grow closer to the date.

Arboga Easter Open 2026 — Arboga, Sweden

Dates: 3–6 April 2026

Also running over the Easter period, the Arboga Easter Open in central Sweden represents one of the earliest competitive soaring events in Scandinavia each year. With daylight hours lengthening rapidly in April at this latitude and thermal activity beginning to establish, the event gives Swedish pilots an early chance to assess conditions and log competitive flights before the main season.

XXII Trofeo Colli Briantei — Alzate Brianza, Italy

Dates: 24 April – 3 May 2026 

Now in its 22nd year, the Trofeo Colli Briantei at Alzate Brianza, north of Milan, is the largest upcoming event on the Italian calendar with 14 competitors across two classes. The site lies between the Brianza hills and the foothills of the Prealps, providing consistent thermal conditions in late April and early May. Two-class operations give pilots options across different performance categories.

Fatraglide26 — Martin, Slovakia

Dates: 25 April – 2 May 2026

Martin in central Slovakia is the setting for this competition in two classes. The site sits in the Turiec valley surrounded by the Malá Fatra and Veľká Fatra mountain ranges, making it a genuinely terrain-influenced contest where knowledge of valley thermals and ridge lines can make the difference in task results.

Kitzbühler-Alpen-Pokal 2026 — St. Johann in Tirol, Austria

Dates: 1–9 May 2026 

The Kitzbühler Alps Cup at St. Johann in Tirol is the most heavily subscribed upcoming contest on the calendar, with 45 competitors entered across two classes. Up to 30 of the 45 places are reserved for pilots without self-launching capability. International competitors are explicitly welcome. The contest runs for nine days, making it one of the longer events of the European spring season and a genuine test of mountain soaring across the Kitzbühler Alps at speeds that on good days can reach 110–130 kph despite the technical terrain.

You can follow the races as they take place here at Gliding News

The full list of registered competitors, task results, and any updates to the above events can be found at soaringspot.com