Fatraglide 2026 was held at the airfield in Martin, northern Slovakia, from 25 April to 2 May 2026. Sitting at 420 m above sea level amid the Fatra mountain ranges. Three classes flew the week: Club class, Combi 15M+ and Combi 18M+. A practice day was held on 24 April, followed by seven competition days, one of which (26 April) produced no task due to weather. Six scored tasks were flown by the 15M+ and 18M+ Combi classes, while the Club class flew seven tasks in total. Tasks ranged from straightforward racing tasks to assigned area tasks (AATs) with pilot-selectable routes through defined sectors.
The Fatra, Tatra and surrounding Slovak ranges provided strong orographic lift when conditions allowed, but also complex airspace that caught a number of pilots across the week — airspace infringements and PEV (post-elevation verification) start violations were among the most common penalties recorded.
Practice Day – 24 April
The practice day gave pilots a chance to familiarise themselves with the local airspace and task structure. Results from this day were not scored. It set the tone for a week in which conditions in the Slovak mountains would vary considerably, from solid cross-country weather to more marginal days requiring careful route planning within the AAT areas.
Task 1 – 25 April
Club Class
The first scored task for Club class was a 201.43 km racing task routing from Horny Jaseno north-east to Pred Hola, back west to Raksa quarry and home to Martin. Only seven gliders completed the full course — a sign that conditions on the opening day were selective. Jozef Kozar (LS 1-f, AK Martin) took the day with a time of 2:50:04 and a handicap-adjusted speed of 71.07 kph. Matyas John (Standard Cirrus, AK Brno Medlánky) was second at 57.82 kph and Edmund Schuller (ASW-24 WL, SGC Martin) third at 58.99 kph. Several pilots were penalised for airspace violations, and two did not start.
Combi 15M+
The 15M+ class flew a longer 256.09 km route taking them south-east via Certova Hola before returning through Raksa quarry to Martin. Only three of the 13 starters completed the full task. Tibor Noga (Discus 2b, SGC Martin) led the finishers at 72.98 kph, with the Arcus M crew Jakubcak & Sulirova second and Lubomir Doupal (Arcus M) third. Airspace violations were recorded against Martin Sabla and the Kromka/Kollar crew.
Combi 18M+
The 18M+ class flew the same 256.09 km task as 15M+. Again only a handful completed. Marek Straka (Ventus 2cxT 18m, AK Dubnica) won at 79.35 kph, Milos Srank (ASG-29E 18m, AK Nove Zamky) was second at 78.12 kph, and Janos Sindely (JS1-CTJ 21m, Alfoldi) third at 76.36 kph. Pavol Cerny received an airspace penalty and Branislav Jesensky was flagged for hazardous flying.
Weather on 26 April prevented a task being set for any class. The rest day gave pilots and crews an opportunity to regroup before what turned out to be a strong flying period over the following days.
Task 2 – 27 April
Club Class
With a 313.15 km racing task on the board — north to Vapenica, east to Vricko, a long leg south-east to Jezova and back to Martin — this was the first full cross-country day for Club class. All 30 starters launched and 23 completed the task. Simon Siska (ASW 24 WL, AK Martin) took maximum points, finishing in 2:53:10 at 108.50 kph. Daniel Smolka (ASW-20 15m, AK Prievidza) was a fraction behind at 108.42 kph, and Jozef Kozar third at 100.50 kph. The day produced good cross-country conditions and multiple pilots averaged over 100 kph. Piotr Cioch did not start following an airspace penalty carried from the previous day.
Combi 15M+ and 18M+
Task 2 was equally productive for the two Combi classes. In 15M+, the Jakubcak/Sulirova Arcus M crew took the day win, with Jan Kovalcik and Lubomir Doupal close behind. In 18M+, Pavol Cerny put in a strong performance to take maximum points in his Shark 304MS, with Milos Srank second and Janos Sindely third.
Task 3 – 28 April
Club Class
Task 3 was an assigned area task (AAT) with a 2:30:00 minimum time. The nominal distance was 243.76 km but pilots who worked the areas well stretched it to over 280 km. Simon Siska again led the way, covering 271.91 km in 2:29:37 at 108.76 kph, taking 809 points. Jozef Kozar was close behind with 270.21 km at 103.38 kph for 804 points. Tamas Mayer (ASW-20 15m WL, Malev Aeroclub) covered the most ground of anyone — 282.28 km — though at 108.64 kph on handicap he scored 771 points for third. Several pilots accumulated warnings for PEV start procedure violations and one airspace infringement before the start.
Combi 15M+ and 18M+
Task 3 was a good day for the Combi classes. In 15M+, the Kromka/Kollar Arcus M crew took the day, with Petro & Snirc (DG 1000T) second and Tibor Noga third. In 18M+, Aneta Chabora (ASG 29 18m, Leszczyński) posted the best result of the week to this point, winning with 944 points. Pavol Cerny was second and Milos Srank fourth.
Task 4 – 29 April
Club Class
A 256.12 km racing task routing via Katova Skala, V Tribec, Valca-Kycera, Vtacnik and home. Conditions were strong: Edmund Schuller (ASW-24 WL, SGC Martin) finally broke through for a day win, covering the task in 2:09:59 at 118.22 kph, ahead of Simon Siska (118.03 kph) and Piotr Cioch (C-101A Pegase, 110.53 kph). Twenty-seven gliders completed the task. Three gliders did not start, all having incurred airspace penalties before the gate.
Combi 15M+ and 18M+
In 15M+, Jakubcak & Sulirova won again, with Jan Kovalcik and Lubomir Doupal completing the podium. In 18M+, Pavol Cerny maintained his consistency with another day win, with Branislav Jesensky (JS1C TJ 21m) and Milos Srank behind him.
Task 5 – 30 April
Club Class
The best day of the week for Club class. Task 5 was a 3:00:00 AAT with a nominal distance of 346.17 km and an upper limit exceeding 545 km. All 30 gliders completed the task. Tamas Mayer flew 370.06 km at 121.45 kph to take 1,000 points — the maximum available. Simon Siska covered 340.31 km at 112.32 kph for 904 points, with Edmund Schuller third at 110.72 kph over 365.57 km. The routing took gliders north into the Polish ranges via Lipnica Wielka and as far east as Cigel, making it the most extensive task of the week. The full field finished, with Rastislav Krak (ASW-19B) at the foot of the table still managing 356 points.
Combi 15M+ and 18M+
Note: The Combi classes flew only six tasks during the week (Tasks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 in the scoring). Their fifth flying day corresponded to Task 5 in the calendar but this task did not appear in their final scored results list — possibly due to a scoring amendment or the results being merged differently. Their next scored day was Task 6 on 1 May.
Task 6 – 1 May
Club Class
Task 6 was a 2:30:00 AAT with a tighter scoring factor, reflecting more difficult conditions. The nominal distance was 306.80 km but the Fcr (completion ratio) of 0.768 indicated a day where few reached their full potential. Only seven gliders completed the task within the time window; the remaining 22 recorded distances rather than speeds. Jozef Kozar won the day with 77.16 kph over 250.48 km (768 points). Edmund Schuller was second at 74.27 kph, and Eliska Kudejova (LS 4, Strakonice) took third. The Combi day wins went to Petro & Snirc in 15M+ and Janos Sindely in 18M+.
Combi 15M+ and 18M+
In 15M+, Petro & Snirc (DG 1000T, AK Nitra) took the day in difficult conditions. In 18M+, Janos Sindely (JS1-CTJ 21m) won, with Marek Straka second and Pavol Cerny third.
Task 7 – 2 May (Final Day)
Club Class
The final day produced the longest Club class racing task of the
week at 312.11 km, taking gliders south from Sklabina ruins through V Vapenica and Lysec to Handlova, then north-west to Sivy Vrch before returning to Martin. Conditions were good and 17 gliders completed the full course. Mateusz Kruszynski (SZD-55-1, Cerdanya) took the day win at 97.76 kph for 964 points. Jozef Kozar was second at 92.31 kph with 944 points, and Edmund Schuller third at 89.84 kph. The result was enough for Kozar to confirm his overall Club class win.
Combi 15M+
The final day 15M+ task of 351.67 km saw Petro & Snirc take the day win at 114.03 kph, with Tibor Noga second (114.36 kph on handicap adjustment) and Jakubcak & Sulirova third at 115.52 kph. Unusually, the raw speed order inverted on handicap — a reminder that the DG 1000T’s lower handicap rating relative to the Arcus M crews worked to Petro & Snirc’s advantage.
Combi 18M+
The 18M+ class flew the longest task of the week at 400.64 km, routing through Sklabina ruins, Kral Hola, Smrekovica, Vtacnik and Giewont in Poland before returning to Martin. Pavol Cerny (Shark 304MS 18m, SGC Martin) won at 114.75 kph for 982 points. Janos Sindely was second at 122.45 kph raw (946 points on handicap) and Marek Straka third at 115.71 kph. With the day win, Cerny confirmed his overall 18M+ title.
Final Overall Results
Club Class — Top 5
1. Jozef Kozar (LS 1-f, AK Martin) – 5,393 points. A consistent week built on two day wins (Tasks 1 and 6) and strong finishes throughout. Kozar proved that a well-flown LS 1-f with a 100.3 handicap can be competitive in mixed Club class company.
2. Edmund Schuller (ASW-24 WL, SGC Martin) – 5,255 points. Schuller’s day win on Task 4 at 118.22 kph was the highlight of his week. He was a reliable finisher across all seven tasks.
3. Tamas Mayer (ASW-20 15m WL, Malev Aeroclub) – 5,231 points. The 1,000-point haul on Task 5 was the standout performance of the week for any Club class pilot, though earlier inconsistencies cost him a higher overall placing.
4. Simon Siska (ASW 24 WL, AK Martin) – Two day wins on Tasks 2 and 3 but a difficult final day dropped him to fourth overall.
5. Mateusz Kruszynski (SZD-55-1, Cerdanya) – The final day winner, Kruszynski moved up the order strongly through the back half of the week.
Combi 15M+ — Final Standings
1. Petro & Snirc (DG 1000T, AK Nitra) – 3,747 points. Two day wins, including the final day, secured the title despite a difficult Task 1 where they scored only 80 points.
2. Jan Kovalcik (Arcus M 20, AK Bratislava) – 3,696 points. The only pilot to score above 900 points in three different tasks. Consistent across the week.
3. Lubomir Doupal (Arcus M, LKKM) – 3,586 points. A solid week flying the Arcus M in two-seat configuration.
Combi 18M+ — Final Standings
1. Pavol Cerny (Shark 304MS 18m 600kg, SGC Martin) – 4,375 points. The week’s standout 18M+ pilot. Cerny won Tasks 2 and 7 and scored consistently high across all six days, including 1,000 points for Task 2. His Shark 304MS proved well-suited to the Slovak mountain terrain.
2. Janos Sindely (JS1-CTJ 21m, Alfoldi) – 4,038 points. Flying the JS1 at 21m, Sindely was the fastest glider on course on the final day at 122.45 kph. He also won Task 6. The JS1’s higher handicap of 127.1 made consistent scoring more demanding.
3. Aneta Chabora (ASG 29 18m, Leszczyński) – 3,822 points. An impressive week capped by a Task 3 day win and strong finishes in Tasks 7 and 2.
Full results at soaringspot.com/en_gb/fatraglide26-martin-2026
