14/05 - Dutch Sailplane Grand Prix, halfway update!
📍 Location: Terlet, the Netherlands
🗓️ Dates: May 10–17, 2025
It’s Wednesday 14th May, so we are well on our way with the competition.
Exciting! It is our first, so everything is new.
We are happy with the pilots from Germany and Belgium who were eager to enjoy the Grand Prix concept flying from our beautiful Terlet. They, and their helpers, are nice to work with, ambitious to take the podium and the scoring points, but letting us Dutch take the 1st and 2nd place on the third day of the competition. And coming to the Talkshow table to tell about their ‘story of the day’ - and share their insights about how to become a champion!
Our Competition team, though very experienced organizing many Dutch National Championships, had to solve a lot of questions to make the Grand Prix concept and rules fit for the circumstances around Terlet and for the Dutch - and nearby German – airspace. The Regatta start from Terlet was worked out in theory, then tested in a Condor format with a lot of online competitors. Some things had to be adjusted. Now it is happening in real life - and it works! Finals: close finishes every day; thanks to the Regatta start and a strong field of competing pilots.
Our Dutch weather, famous for the mostly Western winds coming from the North Sea, often a rainy day... Nothing like that! We have warm easterly wind and very dry. So we had to rebuild the setting somewhat, use another strip than planned, adjust rules for finishes – in front of the Thermiekbel, our restaurant and competition office. Seems that the wind is changing so we’ll have new conditions for the second half of the competition.
Our social media team was busy warming up the socials for a few months - so now there is an online beehive making a lot of video, foto, links, clicks, likes and shares. Regional TV made an item – and top of the pack: our daily Talkshow at sunset, on top of the Gallow Mountain, to be followed on YouTube. A nice idea but rather complicated to make it happen – now halfway the competition week, things have fallen into place, the team is working smoothly together and knows how to lockstep from photographer / content producer to social media experts and Talkshow technique and hosting. Practical people preparing the runways, towing up the gliders, mowing a grid and make big letters GP25, catering the team, and so many other activities. All that is needed to make the event work. Language: everyone speaking ‘English’ which is no one’s native speak, keeps us aware that DSGP is really an international tournament; thanks to our captain Robert Jungblut, the second ever international gliding tournament in the Netherlands.
So far, we are happy and proud; we hope the next days of the competition to be just as pleasant, with interesting competition and beautiful and safe gliding.
🎯 Key Dates:
🏁 May 11–17: Daily Races
🎉 May 17 (evening): Closing Ceremony
🗓️ Daily Schedule (can vary per day):
11:00 - Briefing
13:00 - Take-offs
17:00 - Finishes
20:00 - Price giving
20:30 - Live talkshow
📱 Follow the Action Online:
Stay updated with social updates, live tracking, race results, pilot highlights, daily journals and interviews, and behind-the-scenes stories all week long!
👉 Website: sgp.aero/netherlands2025
👉 Daily and total results: Results DSGP — Sailplane Grand Prix
👉 Daily Media Coverage: sgp.aero/dsgp-media-coverage
👉 Live tracking Onglide: FAI Sailplane Grand Prix - Series XII - Netherlands - sgp
👉 Live tracking Weglide: Weglide LIVE: FAI Dutch Sailplane Grand Prix 2025
👉 Day recaps on Youtube: SGP Serie XII - Netherlands 2025 - YouTube
👉 Facebook: Dutch Sailplane Grand Prix
👉 Instagram: Dutch Sailplane Grand Prix
👉 Meet the DSGP pilots: DSGP Pilots — Sailplane Grand Prix
👉 Our DSGP sponsors: DSGP Sponsors & Partners — Sailplane Grand Prix
