The 2026 French National Gliding Championships opened at Romorantin-Pruniers on 7 June, with the first contest day producing finishers across both classes. The event, which runs through to 13 June, includesthe Standard/15m combined class (incorporating the General and Women’s categories) and the 20m Two-Seater class.
Standard/15m — Task 1
The Standard/15m field of 33 starters flew a 336 km fixed circuit taking in Villefranche, Richelieu, Buzancais and Herbault before returning to Romorantin. Louis Bouderlique from Aéro Club de Picardie-Amiens Métropole flying an LS 8e neo took the day's maximum 1,000 points with a speed of 84.06 kph over a flight time of just under four hours. Philippe Lata,Aéroclub d'Issoudun, Discus 2a, finished second at 82.46 kph, with Aurélien Doriat and Xavier Tanguy sharing third place, both recording 81.61 kph.
Notable among the finishers was Jean-Denis Barrois, Ventus a 15m, in fifth and Julien Duboc ,Ventus 2ax, in seventh, the latter posting 83.37 kph — a competitive speed that, due to handicapping, placed him below some slower finishers on corrected points.
In the Women’s category, Mariline Abadie Bérard,JS3 15m, led the finishing women, while Lucía Esteban Loring,Discus 2a, flying hors concours, completed the full task at 79.47 kph.
Thirteen of the 33 starters did not complete the course flying out of the scoring with distances ranging from 190 to 299 km.
Three pilots received start-height penalties for departing above the declared maximum altitude.
20m Two-Seater — Task 1
The 16-glider Two-Seater class flew a 307.5 km circuit via Leclerc, La Roche Posay, Reuilly and Blois. The day went emphatically to de Péchy & de Péchy Planeurs d'Ille-et-Vilaine, Arcus M, who completed the task in 3 hours 21 minutes at 91.46 kph for the full 1,000 points. Svobodny & Fierain Arcus followed at 89.45 kph, with Christophe Abadie also in an Arcus M,, third at 85.77 kph. T
One crew, Henry & Bigaré, did not finish, covering 112 km before landing out.
Looking Ahead
With six more contest days remaining through 13 June, results from day one will count in full. Full results, task details and pilot lists are available at soaringspot.com/en_gb/cdf2026-romorantin
