After an exciting final race Max Seis cruised home to win the first qualifying round of SGP Series 12 at Santa Cilia. Fellow Frenchman Kevin Faur took 2nd place and will join Max at the SGP Final at St Auban in August 2025. Jon Gatfield took 3rd place.
Fourteen competitors took part in the and enjoyed excellent soaring weather on six race days.
1st Max Seis 56 points
2nd Kevin Faur 45 points
3rd Jon Gatfield 42 points
The next SGP qualifier will take place at Starmoen, Norway 19 - 25 May 2024
You can follow all the action at Gliding News
Race 4 Jon Gatfield Wins Race 4 at SGP Santa Cilia
Jon Gatfield pulled ahead to win the 268 km Race 4 at Santa Cilia. He was closely followed my Max Sies in 2nd an Kevin Faur in 3rd place.
The top three pilots overall are separated by eight points with two races to go. Max Seis is in the lead with 38 points. Jon Gatfield is in 2nd place with 32 points and Kevin Faur is 3rd with 30 points.
The weather has been improving day by day and we can look forward to two more days of racing action and there are six pilots who could still end up on the podium. But the top three pilots are well placed to keep their positions.
There are three more race days to go. You can follow the racing action here and at youtube.com/@faisailplanegp@faisailplanegp
Stanislaw Biela waiting to launch for Race 4.
Race 3 Max Seis Cements Lead after 3rd Day Win
Max Seis won his third day in a row at Santa Cilia cementing his lead with 30 competition points. He completed the 237.74 km task at 106.6 kph. He said, “The turnpoint at Huesca was tricky but there were some very good conditions on the ridges north of Huesca but we had to do a very long glide to the turn point and then back on the ridges. When we go to the ridge but it was not good and we all lost time there. There were six of us together at the end and I got very lucky on the last climb.”
Max Seis after his third day win in a row.
Kevin Faur came 2nd again gaining 8 points and keeps his 2nd place overall on 23 points total.
Kevin said, “The start was tricky, the altitude was low. The gaggle headed off together and it was great until the last leg on the mountains. But then conditions were good until the end and it was a great finish with Stanislaw.’
Kevin Faur maintains his second place overall.
Stanislaw Biela from Poland came 3rd putting him in 4th place overall behind Jon Gatfield who took 4th place today. Stanislaw said, “I have been flying better every day. I am angry with myself that I reached the final turnpoint too late. But I am happy with third place.”
Stanislaw Biela took 3rd place his best result so far in the contest.
There are three more race days to go. You can follow the racing action here and at youtube.com/@faisailplanegp@faisailplanegp
Full race results at sgp.aero/spain2024
Race 2 Max Seis Wins Race 2 Santa Cilia
Max Seis won Race 2 as SGP Cilia completing the course at 115.4 kph and earning 10 points. Jon Gatfield came in 2nd place followed by Kevin Faur. After two races Max leads Jon by 4 points with four more racing days to come.
Max Seis winner of Race 2
Wave was forecast but in the end the competitors stayed above the ridges and used thermals up to 3,000m.
Max said, "There was some wave just west of the first turnpoint, and we could have climbed in it but I don't think it would have been quicker. The thermal cloud base was already at 3,000m and there not many gaps in the wave clouds, so I don't think going above the clouds would have been useful"
Jon and Max were together for the last 70 km but Max was above him. Jon changed tack to climb in the wave but Max pulled away and Jon was unable to catch him.
Jon Gatfield in 2nd place overall after two races.
On the podium after Race 2, Jon Gatfield 2nd, Maxamillian Seis 1st and Kevin Faur in 3rd position.
Race 1 Sailplane Grand Prix - Santa Cilia - Spain
Max Seis, winner of Race 1 as SGP Santa Cilia
The first qualifying contest of SGP Series 12 began with an exciting 142 km race in the Pyrenees Moutains flying from Santa Cilia Spain.
Maximillian Seis from France won the day with a speed of 117.6 kph. Also from France Kevin Faur took 2nd position followed my Jon Gatfield from Great Britain.
The weather lookks good for the rest of the week. There should be an addition al five races up to the finish of the conterst on Saturday 11 May.
You can see how the races unfolded the racing action here and at youtube.com/@faisailplanegp@faisailplanegp
Full race results at sgp.aero/spain2024
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