Celebrating 20 years of SGP: Back to Where It Began
August 21 2025, Saint Auban
In September 2005, on the sun‑warmed slopes of the southern French Alps, the world of gliding experienced something new. For the first time in the history of the sport, sailplanes lined up not for staggered starts, not for individual time trials, but for a head‑to‑head showdown simple and impressive for both pilots and spectators alike. Saint‑Auban, home of the French National Gliding Centre (CNVV), hosted the inaugural FAI World Sailplane Grand Prix—and in doing so, set the stage for a major change in competitive soaring.
A new vision for gliding
Until then, gliding competitions were largely invisible to the outside world. Pilots would start the race as much as an hour apart returning hours later with the results to be decoded on the ground. Exciting for participants, yes—but hard to follow for the casual fan. The Grand Prix format promised something different: mass starts, clear finishes, live tracking, and a sporting narrative anyone could follow. It was gliding’s answer to Formula 1, a bold experiment to make the sport not just technical, but also spectacular.
The concept was simple but radical: short tasks, no waiting tactics at the start line, no handicap formulas, just pure speed and tactical flying. Whoever crossed the finish line first would be the winner. The stage was set in Saint‑Auban, a venue chosen both for its Alpine ridges and for its history as a training ground of champions.
The line‑up of pioneers
Seventeen pilots representing 11 nations took part, flying an array of cutting‑edge 15‑metre gliders at the time: Ventus 2, Discus 2, ASW 27, a Diana 2, and others. The field included five current or former world champions and several of the world’s top‑ranked pilots. Some arrived with full support crews, others travelled light and found help on site—reflecting the ethos of the Grand Prix: streamlined, accessible, and open.
Among them was a Polish pilot who would go on to become the defining figure of the format: Sebastian Kawa, flying his Diana 2. By the end of the week, he would write his name into the history books as the first ever Grand Prix champion.
The 20th Anniversary logo pays tribute to the pioneers of the sport
Racing under unsettled skies
The southern Alps are famed for their reliable sunshine and soaring conditions. But in September 2005, the weather had other plans. The long dry summer broke just as the competition began, bringing the “missing rain” of the season in on dark clouds. Yet, despite the unseasonal downpours, organisers pulled off something remarkable: five valid race days that delivered exactly the kind of close, tactical racing the format had promised.
The starts were electric. With six towplanes hauling gliders into the sky in under 20 minutes, pilots would circle briefly before the start opened. A strict maximum start altitude of around 1,000 metres and a speed cap of 170 km/h made sure the contest began fairly. Then the gaggles broke apart, streaking across Alpine ridges and valleys in tight packs. From the ground, the drama was visible not just in the sky, but also on the big screen inside the hangar.
Tracking the untrackable
Pilots carried prototype vPos transmitters that relayed their positions to a display system in the contest hall. Every thirty seconds, updated positions appeared on screen, letting crews, organisers, and curious spectators follow the tactical chess unfolding above the Alps. Some even experimented with streaming the race into 3D simulation software—a glimpse of innovations that would become standard in later years.
It was a breakthrough moment: gliding was suddenly visible, understandable, and—crucially—watchable.
The drama of arrival
If the starts were thrilling, the finishes were even more so. Gone were the days of silent, solitary returns. Now, sailplanes streamed across the line in dramatic trains, sometimes crossing within seconds of one another.
The scoring system also offered valuable lessons. The inaugural event used pure time‑based scoring converted into place points, where small time gaps could lead to noticeable differences in points. Pilots shared feedback on their experiences, prompting refinements in the rules in the months that followed. From the very beginning, the Grand Prix format was not a fixed script, but an evolving idea, continuously improving to balance challenge, fairness, and excitement.
Crowds, crews, and cameras
For the first time, a soaring competition felt like a true event. Over the final weekend, Saint‑Auban hosted an exhibition and air show that drew close to 1,000 visitors. Manufacturers brought their aircraft, spectators mingled in the hangar, and the Grand Prix found its audience. Online, the contest website recorded more than 23,000 visitors—a staggering number for 2005—who followed race news, image updates, and even experimental 3D replays.
The organising team was compact, barely twenty people, yet they created a show that felt much larger. From the hangar at CNVV, gliding had found a stage worthy of its drama.
The first champion
When the week ended, one name stood above the rest: Sebastian Kawa. The Polish pilot’s precision, tactical nerve, and relentless speed earned him 39 points and the title of the world’s first Sailplane Grand Prix Champion. Behind him, Germany’s Mario Kießling and the Czech Republic’s Petr Krejčířik rounded out the podium. The list of finishers read like a who’s who of the sport—pilots who would go on to shape Grand Prix racing for the next two decades.
A milestone for soaring
Looking back, it’s clear that Saint‑Auban 2005 was more than just a competition. It was a proof of concept, a gamble that paid off. By taking the quiet beauty of gliding and packaging it into a format that audiences could follow and celebrate, the FAI and its partners laid the foundation for a series that has since travelled across continents, captivated fans worldwide, and inspired a new generation of pilots.
At the centre of this pioneering effort was Roland Stuck, who served as the very first Contest Director of the Sailplane Grand Prix. His leadership, calm authority, and willingness to adapt on the fly were vital in guiding an untested format into a smooth, safe, and successful debut.
As the Sailplane Grand Prix marks its 20th anniversary, the story of Saint‑Auban 2005 reminds us of the courage of those first organisers, the skill of the pioneering pilots, and the enduring magic of watching sailplanes race wingtip to wingtip across the sky.
Today, 20 years after that first historic competition in Saint-Auban, the 12th FAI Sailplane Grand Prix Final is set to take flight on Sunday, 24th. As the pilots prepare to take off once again over the stunning southern Alps, we celebrate two decades of gliding excellence, camaraderie, and the thrill of racing wingtip to wingtip. Let the soaring begin!
Watch the trailer of the 12th FAI SGP - World Final - 20 years later!
