Weekend 1 Recap: Three Races, Three Winners, One Leader – Rozak Top of the Table
Austria, 26/01/2026 – The first weekend of the 3rd FAI World Virtual Sailplane Grand Prix Final has delivered everything gliding fans hoped for: tactical masterclasses, heartbreaking low saves, and a leaderboard that refused to sit still. Over three days of intense racing in the high-performance 18-meter class, the virtual Alps tested the world’s best pilots with every condition imaginable, from ridge-running in gale-force winds to hunting invisible lift in the blue.
While three different pilots claimed victory flags, it is Poland’s Witold Rozak who emerges from the chaos as the championship leader, proving that in the Grand Prix format, consistency is the ultimate weapon.
Race 1: The Jennen Masterclass
Location: Slovenia (Postojna - Divaca)
Winner: Jeroen Jennen (Belgium)
The championship kicked off in Slovenia with a deceptively tricky task. A stiff 21 km/h South Wind turned the ridges into high-speed highways, but only for those who respected the "blue holes." Belgian ace Jeroen Jennen opened his campaign with a flawless performance, ignoring the aggressive terrain-hugging of the main gaggle to fly smooth energy lines. He secured the first 10 points with ease, while Witold Rozak signaled his intent with a stunning recovery drive to snatch 2nd place from Nico Bianchi in a photo-finish drag race.
Race 2: Churchill Conquers the Border
Location: 3-Border Region (Slovenia/Austria/Italy)
Winner: Sean Churchill (UK)
Day 2 threw the form guide out the window. A massive cross-border task saw the fleet split early, with pilots debating whether to detour for ridge lift or dash through the valleys. While Race 1 winner Jennen struggled to find his rhythm (finishing 9th), British pilot Sean Churchill read the Austrian transition perfectly. Navigating the trap between Turnpoints 2 and 3, Churchill cleared the mountain pass into Italy with energy to spare, holding off a charging Norbert Kiss (Hungary) to claim his first victory. The result blew the championship wide open.
Race 3: The Blue Thermal Gamble
Location: Austria (Red Bull Ring - Turnau)
Winner: Witold Rozak (Poland)
The weekend finale at the Red Bull Ring was a race of two halves. A stormy, congested start saw the fleet struggling to climb out of the Zeltweg basin. But as the race pushed east, the clouds vanished, forcing pilots to switch gears into "Blue Thermal" flying mode.
Here, Witold Rozak played his ace. While rivals like Frank Schwerdtfeger took long detours to find visible clouds, Rozak trusted his mental map of the airmass. Flying a direct line through the blue, he connected with invisible lift exactly where he predicted, surging past the doubters to take the win and the overall championship lead.
Current Standings: The Battle for Consistency
After three races, the table highlights the value of the "never give up" attitude. While Jennen and Churchill have race wins, their inconsistency has cost them. Witold Rozak (1st, 2nd, 5th) and Nico Bianchi (2nd, 4th, 2nd) have been the standout performers, racking up points every single day. It is important to note that Jeroen Jennen was not able to attend Race 3.
The Road Ahead: Two Weeks to Recharge
The pilots now have a critical two-week break to analyze their telemetry and refine their tactics. The virtual gliders are hangared, but the tension remains.
Mark Your Calendars for the Finale:
The 3rd FAI World Virtual SGP Final resumes for the deciding weekend in February:
Race 4: Friday, February 6th
Race 5: Saturday, February 7th
The Grand Final: Sunday, February 8th (One-Shot Final Race)
Join us live on our YouTube and Twitch channels at 19:00 UTC on February 6th as we return to the skies to crown the World Champion!
