A New Competition Takes Flight Over the Pampas
Azul, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina | 15–20 February 2026
The Asociación Aeronáutica Azul hosted the first edition of the CliniCopa in the southern summer of 2026, bringing together thirty pilots from clubs across Argentina for six days of soaring competition over the flat terrain of Buenos Aires Province. The event ran from 15 to 20 February, with pilots flying in a single Multiclase class that accommodated a wide range of glider types.
Azul sits roughly 300 kilometres south-west of Buenos Aires, in the heart of the pampas. The flat landscape and reliable summer thermals make it a practical venue for cross-country tasks, and the local club had clearly put considerable effort into organising a well-structured event for its debut. The name CliniCopa — a blend of clinic and copa (cup) — reflects the event's dual character as both a competitive contest and a learning environment.
The Format
Six tasks were flown over the six contest days, all set as Assigned Area Tasks with a nominal duration of two and a half hours.
The task distances reflected the relatively consistent pampas weather. The final day's task set a minimum leg distance of 137 km and a maximum of 360 km, with the optimum line falling at around 246 km — a straightforward but honest cross-country for conditions typical of an Argentine summer afternoon.
The Competition
Matias Lanzinetti of the Club de Planeadores Bolivar took overall honours, accumulating 2,055 points across the four scored tasks. Flying an ASW 20 CL with a handicap of 108, Lanzinetti was consistent throughout, never finishing lower than eighth on any day. His best single-day result came on the final task, where he placed second.
Nicasio Garcia from Club de Planeadores Tandil finished second overall with 1,974 points, flying a Cirrus Standard — one of the more modest gliders in the field with a handicap of 100. Garcia's result was a solid performance given the competition from higher-performance machines, and his second place on Task 4 was a highlight. Nestor Enrico of Club de Planeadores Cañuelas rounded out the podium with 1,964 points in an ASW 20, only ten points behind Garcia.
The final day produced the tightest racing of the week. Esteban Bengochea, flying an LS 4 for C.A.P. Albatros, won the day with a handicap-corrected speed of 95.50 kph over 237 km. Lanzinetti was close behind at 95.79 kph over a slightly longer 238 km — the small difference in distance meant that Bengochea took the day's maximum 794 points while Lanzinetti received 748. Enrico completed the daily podium at 91.45 kph. Despite winning the last task, Bengochea finished thirteenth overall due to a zero score on Task 4, which cost him any chance of the overall title.
The spread of the field across the week illustrated the challenge of handicapped multiclass competition. Horacio Parisi, flying a Jantar Standard 2 with a handicap of just 100, placed fourth on the final day at 85.32 kph — a creditable result against significantly faster aircraft. At the other end of the speed range, several pilots flying PW 5s and SZD-50 Puchacz trainers completed the full tasks, with the lower-handicap machines generally covering shorter distances within the allotted time.
The Field
Thirty pilots entered, representing twelve different gliding clubs from across Buenos Aires Province and beyond. The gliders ranged from the Club Astir and PW 5 at the lower end of performance to the Ventus 2cT 18m (handicap 118) at the top. The local Asociación Aeronáutica Azul fielded several entries including Team Azul in an SZD-50 Puchacz and a number of individual pilots in Jantar variants and an ASW 20 FL.
The Club de Planeadores Bolivar had the strongest individual showing, with Lanzinetti taking overall victory and his team-mate Osvaldo Ferraro finishing seventh overall. Club de Planeadores Cañuelas placed pilots in both second and third position on the overall leaderboard, and also entered Leandro Lanzinetti in the high-performance Ventus 2cT, who finished twelfth overall despite a challenging start to the competition week.
Looking Ahead
For a first edition, the CliniCopa produced a clean and complete competition with all six tasks flown. The format, combining competitive scoring with a clinic atmosphere, offers something worthwhile for pilots who want structured practice without the pressure of a national championship. The pampas in February provide reliable soaring days, and Azul's location gives task setters room to move in any direction.
Results and task data sourced from SoaringSpot: soaringspot.com/en/clinicopa-azul-2026-azul-2026
