Wednesday, 3 September 2003
    The early morning sky was almost overcast with stratified clouds, and the minds of many competitors overcast…oh, I guess that's already been written. But just like yesterday, the morning clouds dissolve very quickly and the wise already know that the conditions will be truly excellent today.

    At the briefing at noon, the competition's director announces a speed run starting again at Campo Croce, with the turning point at Castalunga, a.k.a. Little Grappa, the starting marker at Punta Musce, then 40 km westward to Cogolla, back to the San Quore convent and through Costalunga to the goal at Semonza. Today's route will be just 3.9 km short of the magic 100.



    From the starting marker, Karel and I take off in the lead group. But then Karel turns off his turbo and the rest of us are left wondering how he could have given us the slip so quickly. The conditions are truly fine: flight ceilings of up to 1800 meters above sea level and those who are turning three meters today have no chance of keeping their tempo pace. About one-quarter of the way through the course I find a nice thermal and also manage to separate from the lead group. But they pursue me like a pack of greyhounds the rest of the way, only to catch up right before the goal.



    It seems that somebody doesn't want Karel to win either. Just as he's flying to the next to last turning point the entire area becomes engulfed in shade and Karel loses his almost fifteen-minute lead. The winner is Aljaz Valic, I came in 4th, Karel 5th and the Czech representation is completed with Martin Pacejka ranking an excellent 8th. Although our team has just three members, thanks to today's performance we place second in the ongoing ranking of teams.

Thursday, 4 September 2003
    Just try and guess what it looked like on Thursday morning. However, even today the morning cloud cover disappears as if someone waved a magic wand. At the briefing in the camp, called for 9 a.m. today, it is decided that we'll go all the way to the starting point below the monument on the peak of Monte Grapp and there's talk of a distance discipline. At 11:30 we learn that today's conditions will be worse than yesterday's and so we'll fly a "mere" 120 km. It will be a race to goal from the Monte Grappa starting point to Col di Serai - Cogollo - San Quore - the second time through Brent on Tortima - Punta Musce - and, as the tradition goes, through Costalunga to Semonzo.

    The conditions really are considerably weaker: clouds form very sporadically only above the distant peaks of the Dolomites and we only rarely find thermals exceeding 2-3m/s. Even the ceilings have worsened due to the inversion around 1600 meters above sea level, so it is clear relatively quickly that reaching the finish line won't be a piece of pie today. I stick with the lead group for a long time but during the return jump through Brent I stay up a little longer and fly the rest of the way more or less alone.

    But it's a long trip and with some concern I observe the sun moving ever nearer the horizon and the GPS still showing almost 40 km to the goal. I'm at the next to last turning point around 5:15 and the ridge facing the southeast in this area is already completely shaded. Despite that, I manage to rise to the altitude I need to reach Costalunga and glide into the goal on the last strip of sunlight in the sky. That wasn't the case with Karel Vrbenský or Rafal Luckos, who needed to be just a few meters higher to reach the Costalunga section. Only nine pilots make it to the goal. First was Federico Nevastro, followed by the brothers Urban and Aljaz Valic. Sixth place in today's round and landing at the goal before Rafal Luckos secures me third place in the overall ranking before the last task.


Friday, 5 September 2003
    For the first time this week, the morning sky looks as if it's been swept clean and it is obvious that we won't miss the round on the last day of competition.