11/08/2026 - Farrenberg, Germany - After weather forced the cancellation of yesterday's race, the skies cleared on 11 August 2026, delivering a dynamic and highly tactical arena for the FAI Sailplane Grand Prix of Germany. The reshuffled deck provided a mix of blue thermals and cumulus clouds, setting the stage for a spectacular 317-kilometer race across the Black Forest and Swabian Alb.

In a race defined by patience followed by explosive acceleration, local hero Conrad Hartter (OT) executed a perfectly timed breakaway to claim a stunning home victory.

The Task: 317 km of Tactical Terrain

With the cloud base starting around FL75 and rising to approximately 2,600 meters, the Race Director set a demanding route. Starting above the spectacular Hohenzollern Castle, the fleet navigated a five-turnpoint web: Furtwangen, Forbach, Tuttlingen, Riedlingen, and the RP Heufeld, before returning to Farrenberg for the finish.

The grid launched at 12:30 Local time, with the start gate opening at 13:45 LT. A strict minimum finish altitude of 1000m was enforced to ensure safe energy management across the line. Nineteen of the twenty starters successfully completed the circuit.

The Race Breakdown: From Pack Flying to a High-Speed Sprint

The opening legs of the race saw the fleet moving cautiously as a tight gaggle. Morning climb rates hovered mostly between 2.1 and 2.8 metres per second, forcing the pilots to fly efficiently rather than aggressively.

The Breakaway at Turnpoint 3

The race fractured irreversibly on legs four (Forbach to Tuttlingen) and five (Tuttlingen to Riedlingen). Navigating alongside Joachim Schwenk (WO), Hartter (OT) initiated a massive joint attack to escape the main pack at 2400m QNH, roughly 90km from the finish line.

From that point, Hartter found another gear. He ran leg four at a blistering 161.7 km/h and leg five at 150.4 km/h. His thermal discipline was exceptional; averaging 2.4 m/s with a peak of 4.3 m/s, and spent exactly 35% of his flight time climbing. By choosing his lift well rather than often, Hartter built an insurmountable lead by the time the field reached Riedlingen.

The Battle for Second

While Hartter ran away with the lead, the chase for the remaining podium spots was fierce.

Michael Reiner (MR) suffered a punishing leg three, dropping to 109.6 km/h as he lost ground descending toward Forbach. However, he recovered emphatically, posting 162.2 km/h and 151.7 km/h on the next two legs to surge back into contention.
Joachim Schwenk (WO) logged the highest average climb rate on the podium, averaging 2.8 m/s. Despite this strong climbing performance, a slower leg five (129.4 km/h) ultimately cost him the chance to match Reiner's late-stage speed.

In the final dash to Farrenberg, Reiner seized his opportunity and overtook Schwenk in the closing stages to claim second place.

Official Podium & Race Results

4 - Race Updates - STORY - Live (12).png

4 - Race Updates - STORY - Live (13).png

4 - Race Updates - STORY - Live (14).png

4 - Race Updates - STORY - Live (15).png

4 - Race Updates - STORY - Live (16).png

4 - Race Updates - STORY - Live (17).png

4 - Race Updates - STORY - Live (18).png

4 - Race Updates - STORY - Live (19).png

4 - Race Updates - STORY - Live (20).png

4 - Race Updates - STORY - Live (21).png

When the pack hesitates, the bold take the win. Hartter pushed his JS-1 glider to the limit, leaving the grid behind.

1st Place: Conrad Hartter (OT) took the victory with a race time of 02:19:01 and a commanding average speed of 136.5 km/h. He secured 10 points for the win.
2nd Place: Reiner Michael (MR) finished second at 134.3 km/h, earning 8 points. He crossed the line 2 minutes and 15 seconds behind Hartter.
3rd Place: Joachim Schwenk (WO) rounded out the podium with a speed of 134.1 km/h and 7 points. He finished just 11 seconds behind Michael.

Further down the grid, Ulrich Messmer (LR) slotted into fourth, demonstrating incredible reading of the sky with only 26 thermals and a lean 33% thermaling time.

The Championship Shift

Consistency pays off in the Sailplane Grand Prix. With today's 3rd place finish, Joachim Schwenk (WO) jumps to the top of the overall competition leaderboard with 12 total points. He is closely followed by Peter Millenaar (MM), who sits in second place with 11 points after finishing fifth today.

With local hero Conrad Hartter now carrying the momentum of a massive home win, the battle for the Farrenberg title is wide open. The grid will reset, and the tactical chess match will continue tomorrow.

Enjoy your evening, and see you tomorrow for another racing day at ‘The Farrenberg’, for the German Grand Prix!