The 2026 French National Gliding Championships wrapped up at Romorantin-Pruniers on 13 June, completing a week of competition that produced seven scoring tasks across two classes, Standard/15m and Biplace 20m. With 33 pilots in the single-seat class and 16 two-seat crews competing, the event provided a full and varied programme of racing over the Sologne and surrounding countryside.
Standard/15m pilots flew a mix of fixed-route tasks and speed-sector tasks, ranging from a compact 185 km effective distance on Task 4 to a 468 km fixed circuit on Task 5. The Biplace 20m class faced similarly varied conditions, with tasks stretching to just over 511 km on their fifth day. Both classes shared the same general task area, using turnpoints familiar to anyone who has flown competition cross-country in the Loire and Creuse valleys.
The final champions were François-Xavier Poisson flying an LS 6 in the Standard/15m class with 4,396 total points, and Christophe Abadie flying an Arcus M in Biplace 20m with 4,386 points — both winning by relatively slim margins over their nearest rivals.
Standard/15m Class — Day by Day
Task 1 — 7 June 2026 — Fixed Circuit, 336 km
Conditions on the opening day were productive enough to send the full field around a 336 km fixed circuit via Villefranche, Richelieu, Buzancais and Herbault. Louis Bouderlique (LS 8e neo) took the day win at 84.06 kph, just ahead of Philippe Lata (Discus 2a) at 82.46 kph, with Aurélien Doriat and Xavier Tanguy sharing third on 81.61 kph. François-Xavier Poisson and Julien Duboc both completed the course in the 82 kph range, placing sixth and seventh respectively. A handful of pilots did not make goal, among them Anne Ducarouge, Jean-Georges Schwartz and Cassiopée Braconnier, while Inès Fournier and Isabelle Romanet did not fly. Several pilots received start altitude penalties.
Task 2 — 8 June 2026 — Speed Sectors, effective ~230 km (2:00 window)
The second day brought a speed-sector task with a two-hour window, and the task value was considerably reduced by generally lower-energy conditions — the maximum on offer was only 637 points, compared to 1,000 the day before. Aurélien Doriat led the day at 90.92 kph, with Daniel Vincent Genod second at 93.48 kph adjusted speed and Julien Duboc third. Céline Rault (LAK-19 15m) flew well in fourth. Several pilots, including Vincent d'Arbonneau and Maxime Barret, fell short of goal, and both Philippe Napoleon and Anais Gaubert did not fly.
Task 3 — 9 June 2026 — Fixed Circuit, 315 km
Task 3 restored the maximum to 1,000 points with a 315 km fixed route via Saint-Savin and Culan, and the day produced the competition's first clean-sweep performance. Maxime Barret (LS 8) took a clear day win at 84.15 kph, with Mariline Abadie Bérard (JS3 15m) second at 85.02 kph and Anne Ducarouge (JS3 15m) third at 84.45 kph. All 33 starters reached goal, with Estelle Tarbouriech (Pégase) completing the course at 61.11 kph after just over five hours aloft — a notable performance given the handicap disadvantage of the older glider. Several penalties were recorded for altitude start violations.
Task 4 — 10 June 2026 — Speed Sectors, effective ~186 km (1:45 window)
Task 4 was a tighter speed-sector task with a 1:45 window and a maximum of 504 points. The day favoured pilots who found working thermals early in the window. Anne Ducarouge led convincingly at 125.38 kph, followed by Omaël Nicolas at 123.42 kph and Louis Bouderlique at 115.25 kph. The day also saw the introduction of PEV (Pilot Event) starts. Poisson placed eighth and Duboc fourteenth, meaning Abadie Bérard's strong second place began to make her a contender in the overall standings. Céline Montorio (Discus 2c 15m) did not reach goal, and Anais Gaubert did not fly for a second time.
Task 5 — 11 June 2026 — Fixed Circuit, 468 km
The longest task of the week — 468 km via Blois, Lignières, Argenton-sur-Creuse, Chenonceau and Châtellerault — produced a day that stood out for its spread of results. Mariline Abadie Bérard won at 94.53 kph, a well-judged performance over a long route, with Omaël Nicolas second at 93.69 kph and Poisson third at 91.09 kph. Duboc was fourth. Fifteen pilots completed the full circuit; the remainder were scored on distance. Several penalties were applied for PEV start violations and altitude infringements. This was the day that began to consolidate Poisson's overall lead.
Task 6 — 12 June 2026 — Speed Sectors, effective ~243 km (1:30 window)
Conditions on the penultimate day were noticeably less helpful — the maximum points available were only 351, reflecting a low daily factor. The task covered roughly 243 km of effective distance via Montrichard, Charost, Vierzon and Écueille. Maxime Barret again showed his ability in difficult air, taking the day at 78.82 kph, ahead of Céline Rault at 77.11 kph and Patrice Cocuaud at 77.03 kph. Poisson finished eleventh, losing some ground on Barret, though Barret's earlier poor days had left him too far back in the overall standings to threaten. Isabelle Romanet finally made goal for the first time in several tasks.
Task 7 — 13 June 2026 — Speed Sectors, effective ~212 km (1:45 window), daily factor 0.795
The final day carried a daily factor of 0.795, meaning the maximum on offer was 382 points — the scoring system's reflection that conditions were modest. The task ran via Charost, Salbris and Chenonceau. Julien Duboc won the last day convincingly at 82.71 kph, Philippe Lata was second at 75.95 kph, and Poisson third at 72.99 kph. The day win for Duboc came too late to affect the overall outcome: Poisson had accumulated enough of a buffer across the week to hold on by six points, 4,396 to 4,390. Mariline Abadie Bérard finished third overall on 4,341 — the leading female pilot throughout the competition.
Standard/15m Final Standings (Top 5)
François-Xavier Poisson (LS 6) — 4,396 points
Julien Duboc (Ventus 2ax) — 4,390 points
Mariline Abadie Bérard (JS3 15m) — 4,341 points
Louis Bouderlique (LS 8e neo) — 4,318 points
Omaël Nicolas (JS3 15m) — 4,244 points
Biplace 20m Class — Day by Day
Task 1 — 7 June 2026 — Fixed Circuit, 307 km
Sixteen two-seat crews set off on a 307 km route via La Roche-Posay, Reuilly and Blois on the opening day. The de Péchy & de Péchy crew (Arcus M, flying the callsign "O" for Planeurs d'Ille-et-Vilaine) took a clear day win at 91.46 kph, with Svobodny & Fierain second at 89.45 kph. Christophe Abadie was third at 85.77 kph. The tail of the field saw Henry & Bigaré (GH) unable to complete the circuit, finishing with only 112 km covered.
Task 2 — 8 June 2026 — Speed Sectors, effective ~213 km (1:45 window)
A second consecutive difficult-conditions day for the two-seat class, with a maximum of only 521 points. Svobodny & Fierain led at 103.72 kph, with Abadie second at 99.27 kph. Chatelain & Beloeuil flew well to third at 92.17 kph. Two crews — Henry & Presleux (28) and Henry & Bigaré (GH) — did not make goal, and Boilley & Rouaux (KI) and Mauvais & Kasmi (TM) also fell short.
Task 3 — 9 June 2026 — Fixed Circuit, 343 km
The longest fixed circuit for the two-seat class — 343 km via Clion, Argenton-sur-Creuse, Lurcy-Lévis and Lignières — was worth the full 1,000 points and saw the day's honours go to Bouderlique & Cordonnier (Arcus M) at 92.25 kph, with Henry & Presleux second at 89.43 kph and Abadie third at 87.55 kph. The Péchy crew, who had led the competition to this point, dropped to ninth with a penalty-affected run of 77.42 kph. Mauvais & Kasmi (TM) and Henry & Bigaré (GH) suffered badly, with airspace and altitude infringement penalties leaving them with under 50 km credited.
Task 4 — 10 June 2026 — Speed Sectors, effective ~226 km (1:45 window)
Task 4 brought a fast day, with Abadie clocking 128.61 kph to take the day convincingly ahead of Chatelain & Beloeuil at 125.94 kph and de Péchy & de Péchy at 122.66 kph. The entire field completed the task, the only clean finish of the week for the Biplace class. Two crews received start altitude penalties. Abadie's day win, combined with steady performances across the preceding days, moved him into a clear overall lead.
Task 5 — 11 June 2026 — Fixed Circuit, 511 km
The week's longest task by some margin — 511 km via Amboise, Centre France, Argenton, Châtillon-sur-Indre and Mirebeau — was only partially completed by any crew, with the daily factor applied to the five who got furthest. De Péchy & de Péchy led at 100.66 kph, followed by Abadie at 99.15 kph and Svobodny & Fierain third at 97.50 kph. The majority of crews were scored on distance rather than speed. This task consolidated the top-three overall positions, with Abadie, Svobodny & Fierain, and the Péchy crew separated by less than 100 points at this stage.
Task 6 — 12 June 2026 — Speed Sectors, effective ~250 km (1:30 window), daily factor applied
Conditions were poor again on the penultimate day, with a low daily factor and a maximum of only 310 points. Only four crews completed the full task. Henry & Presleux took the day at 69.68 kph, with Abadie second at 68.87 kph and Svobodny & Fierain third at 65.98 kph. Henry & Bigaré received a PEV penalty and were credited with zero points for the day. The de Péchy crew, having started late in the window, were unable to complete the circuit and fell to eleventh on the day, which opened a useful gap back to Abadie in the overall standings.
Task 7 — 13 June 2026 — Speed Sectors, effective ~251 km (1:45 window), daily factor 0.938
The final day ran via Lignières, Orcay and Chemillé-sur-Indrois with conditions only marginally better than the previous afternoon. De Péchy & de Péchy took their second day win at 79.27 kph, ahead of Blanc & Blanc (Duo Discus) at 74.74 kph and Abadie third at 78.56 kph — with the speed difference between first and third smaller than it looks given the relatively short effective distance. Abadie's consistent placings across the week were enough to hold the overall lead. Svobodny & Fierain finished fourth on the day and second overall; de Péchy & de Péchy, despite winning two days, finished third — the penalty-affected Task 3 having cost them significantly.
Biplace 20m Final Standings (Top 5)
Christophe Abadie (Arcus M) — 4,386 points
Svobodny & Fierain (Arcus M) — 4,282 points
de Péchy & de Péchy (Arcus M) — 4,173 points
Henry & Presleux (Arcus T) — 3,795 points
Blanc & Blanc (Duo Discus) — 3,652 points
Both classes used a combination of the traditional Épreuve de Vitesse sur Secteurs (speed sectors with observation zones at each turnpoint, reducing the influence of precise turnpoint selection) and the Course sur Circuit Imposé (fixed route, requiring pilots to pass through the actual turnpoint sectors). PEV (Pilot Event) starts were introduced from Task 4 onwards in both classes, adding a start-window discipline element.
The Hors Concours entries — Lucía Esteban Loring (Standard/15m) and Wim De Croock (Standard/15m) — flew all or most of the contest but were not eligible for prizes. Esteban Loring in particular posted results that would have placed her in the top fifteen on most days.
Full results are available at soaringspot.com/en_gb/cdf2026-romorantin
