From 5 to 11 July 2026, Vinon-sur-Verdon hosted the French National Gliding Championships for the 18 Metre and Open classes, organised by AAVA. The airfield sits at the edge of the Verdon, within reach of the Luberon, the lakes of Haute-Provence and the southern Alps, giving pilots a wide choice of terrain: the rolling ridgelines close to home, or the higher and more committing ground toward Jausiers, Barcelonnette and the Écrins. That range of options shaped the tasks and the tactics all week.
Eighteen gliders were entered in the 18 Metre class and thirteen in Open, several flown two-up. A handful of overseas pilots, including German entries, flew Hors Concours (HC) alongside the French national field.
Four practice days ran from 1 to 4 July before scoring began. The championship itself comprised six scheduled race days, of which five produced valid tasks; the final day was cancelled after the gliders had already been gridded.
First race
The championship opened with a racing task, sending both classes out toward Castillon, Cruis and the Serre-Ponçon reservoir. The 18 Metre course covered 466.97 km, and Open flew a slightly longer 507.97 km.
In the 18 Metre class, Thierry Boilley of AAVA Vinon, flying a JS3 RES, took the win at 135.20 kph, with Nicolas Bernhard second at 129.65 kph and Anaïs Gaubert third at 125.45 kph. HC pilot Erik Borgmann was quickest on the day at 132.14 kph but did not score. In Open, Didier Hauss set the tone for the week early, winning at 141.55 kph in his JS5, ahead of the two-seat crew of Corbillé & Corbillé at 133.72 kph and de Péchy & Bouderlique at 130.32 kph.
Further into the Mointains
The second task pushed further into the mountains, with a leg out to Maljasset before returning via Sainte-Croix and Col de Montgenèvre. Distance rose to 510.82 km for 18 Metre and 505.31 km for Open, and speeds climbed with it.
Omaël Nicolas won the 18 Metre class at 149.18 kph, just ahead of Thierry Boilley at 146.82 kph and Nicolas Bernhard at 145.63 kph; HC entrant Erik Borgmann was again the fastest glider around the course, at 151.91 kph. In Open, Didier Hauss took a second consecutive win, also at 151.91 kph, from Sylvain Gerbaud at 143.02 kph and the crew of Le Gall & Bruyère at 134.73 kph.
West and South
Task 3 turned west and south again, routing through La Cluse, Jausiers, Sédéron and Savines. Distances were shorter than the previous two days, at 446.30 km for 18 Metre and 434.97 km for Open, but the smoke noted drifting in from the west on the day added an extra variable to the reading of the sky.
Omaël Nicolas backed up his previous day's win to top the 18 Metre class again, at 115.67 kph, with Nicolas Bernhard second at 116.56 kph and Victor Mallick third at 116.49 kph; Thierry Boilley, the overall leader after two days, dropped to fourth. In Open, the crew of Galea & Bourdeau took their first win of the week in the ASH 25 at 135.84 kph, ahead of Corbillé & Corbillé at 133.93 kph and Didier Hauss, still consistent, in third at 137.89 kph.
AAT for Race 4
The format changed for day four, moving to an assigned area task with sectors rather than a fixed circuit, giving pilots a minimum distance of around 256 km for 18 Metre and up to 532 km if the maximum area was flown, within a three-hour window. Most pilots settled on a course close to 400 km.
Hugo Roche won the 18 Metre class at 132.05 kph over 409.15 km, with Omaël Nicolas second at 128.81 kph and Yvon Puyou third at 125.05 kph. In Open, Galea & Bourdeau took their second win of the championship at 132.58 kph, with Didier Hauss second at 134.01 kph and Corbillé & Corbillé third at 126.43 kph.
Big Day for Race 5
The fifth task was again flown as a sector task, this time with a longer three-and-a-half-hour window and a maximum area distance of nearly 656 km for 18 Metre. Pilots who read the day well were able to fly well beyond 500 km.
Thierry Boilley reclaimed the 18 Metre lead on the day, covering 525.06 km at 145.87 kph, ahead of Victor Mallick at 142.37 kph and Nicolas Bernhard at 137.75 kph. In Open, Didier Hauss produced the fastest speed of the championship, 153.64 kph over 568.16 km, with Sylvain Gerbaud second at 147.72 kph and Le Gall & Bruyère third at 137.10 kph.
Accident
The French gliding community is mourning the loss of Daniel Vincent-Genod, who died on Thursday, July 9th, following an accident during the French Gliding Championship at Vinon-sur-Verdon. According to preliminary reports, the accident occurred near Tête de Siguret during a competition flight. Daniel was flying a Schleicher AS 33 when the glider came down. He was alone on board. The cause of the accident has not yet been determined,
Day 6 – 11 July: Task 6, Cancelled
A task was set for the final day, a shorter sector task routed through Thorame-Basse and Valenty with a maximum distance a little over 270 km for both classes, but conditions did not allow it to be flown. The gliders were prepared and briefed, with the organising team describing a day of sunshine over the airfield giving way to rain, and the task was cancelled before any competitor got away. All entrants in both classes are recorded as did-not-fly for the day, and the championship was decided on the five tasks already completed.
Final Results
In the 18 Metre class, Thierry Boilley (AAVA Vinon, JS3 RES) took the national title with 4,667 points from five days, ahead of Omaël Nicolas (AAPCA Fayence, JS1) on 4,591 and Nicolas Bernhard (AAPCA Fayence, Ventus 3T) on 4,563. Hugo Roche and Yvon Puyou completed the top five. HC pilot Erik Borgmann finished with the highest points total of the week, 4,851, but as a non-competing entry did not take the title.
In the Open class, Didier Hauss (AVCASA, JS5) won convincingly with 4,864 points, having led or podiumed on almost every task of the week. Corbillé & Corbillé (ATVV Graulhet, ASH 25) finished second on 4,594, with Le Gall & Bruyère (CVVIT, Arcus M) third on 4,344 and de Péchy & Bouderlique fourth on 4,306. Sylvain Gerbaud rounded out the top five.
Full daily results, task sheets and tracking links for the championship remain available at https://www.soaringspot.com/en_gb/cdf2026-vinon/
