08/11/2026 - Bona Bona - The start gate has officially opened, and the first points are on the board at the FAI Sailplane Grand Prix in Bona Bona. After a morning characterized by unusual weather phenomena affecting the South African skies, the grid launched slightly later than planned. The start line officially opened at 13:50 local time, sending the fleet into the bushveld for a demanding, tactical showdown.
It was a test of nerve, strategy, and pure speed, and Germany's Katrin Senne delivered a masterclass in all three to take the first victory of the week.
The Task and Tactical Landscape
Competition Director Jason Adriaan set a 229-kilometre task for Race 1, routing the pilots from Bona Bona through Brakspruit, Bodenstein, and Sannieshof, before turning to Control North and sprinting to Finish North.
The atmospheric conditions provided workable but unspectacular lift, with average thermal strengths sitting between 1.9 and 2.7 m/s across the field. These conditions rewarded precision over raw aggression for the majority of the flight. However, as the pilots turned toward the final sector, the tactical landscape shifted dramatically.
(Note for viewers following at home: Due to a lower density of ground stations receiving FLARM signals in this remote area, livetracking coverage experienced some intermittent updates. Additional coverage is actively being deployed to improve the feed for upcoming races.)
A Difficult Start and a Blistering Finish
Senne (flying JS3 BK) admitted to facing a difficult start, forcing her to fight her way back through the pack. The race was effectively decided on Leg 5, the final run from Control North to Finish North.
While the rest of the field adopted a more conservative approach on the final glide, Senne committed to a full-bore sprint. She posted a staggering speed of 280.2 km/h on this final sector, converting her altitude into sheer velocity.
Even with the time deduction from her start penalty (Starting above maximum start altitude 3324 m - Penalty 48 sec) , Senne's aggressive final glide secured her the win with an official scoring time of 01:38:17 and an average speed of 139.8 km/h.
Official Race 1 Results
The top of the leaderboard was fiercely contested, dominated by the high-performance JS3 and JS1 aircraft.
1st Place: Katrin Senne (BK) – 139.8 km/h | 10 Points
2nd Place: Björn Gintzel (RT) – 138.9 km/h | 8 Points
3rd Place: Holger Karow (JR) – 138.6 km/h | 7 Points
4th Place: Oscar Goudriaan (OG) – 138.3 km/h | 6 Points
5th Place: Phillip Jonker (PN) – 135.7 km/h | 5 Points
Beyond the Track
The simultaneous start and head-to-head sprint to the finish are what make the Sailplane Grand Prix the "Formula 1 of the skies." To give fans an inside look at this unique format, our Day 1 recap (on Instagram and Facebook) features Contest Director Jason Adriaan explaining the technical intricacies of SGP racing, alongside insights from Race 1 winner Katrin Senne and Denmark's Arne Boye-møller.
Fans were also treated to live cockpit footage from Riaan Denner, bringing the intensity of the race directly to screens worldwide.
For the full winner's interview with Katrin Senne—where she breaks down her challenging start and perfect finish—and to catch our morning Grid Walk, head over to our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Race 1 is in the books, but the battle for the Bona Bona title has only just begun. Stay tuned to SGP.AERO for tomorrow's Race 2!
