13/11/2026 - BONA BONA, SOUTH AFRICA - Race 6 of the FAI Sailplane Grand Prix of South Africa delivered high drama across the North-West Province, upending the championship leaderboard on a demanding 509 km task. After missing the opening two days of competition, Uys Jonker produced another clinical masterclass to win his third race in four starts, crossing the finish line just 16 seconds ahead of Riaan Denner to seize the overall championship lead with 36 points.
While Jonker surged to the front in a thrilling five-glider sprint separated by less than a minute, overnight leader Holger Karow suffered a devastating setback early in the flight, virtually outlanding after just 70.8 km due to an airspace infringement. With thunderstorms forecast for the final day of competition, Race 6 may well prove decisive in the battle for Bona Bona honours.
High Stakes on the Grid and a 509 km Challenge
The tension on the Bona Bona launch grid was unmistakable prior to take-off at 12:00 local time. With just a single point separating overnight leader Holger Karow (27 points) from Uys Jonker (26 points) and uncertain weather looming for tomorrow's finale, pilots approached Race 6 knowing every decision could determine the week's outcome.
Task-setters confirmed a 509.2 km (508 km) cross-country route designed to test both endurance and late-day tactical execution:
Start: Finish North (gate open 11:45 UTC)
TP1: Mansfield
TP2: Christiana
Reporting Point: NewCSouth
Finish: Bona Bona
Fourteen gliders took to the sky, with Oscar Goudriaan, Laurens Goudriaan, and Klaus Kalmbach registered as Did Not Compete (DNC) for the day.
Championship Shockwave: Airspace Infringement Ends Karow's Race
The biggest story of the afternoon unfolded early on the opening leg. Looking to defend his razor-thin one-point advantage in the yellow jersey, Holger Karow (JS3 TJ) clipped restricted airspace 70.8 km into the task, resulting in an immediate virtual outlanding (DNF).
Frozen on 27 overall points with zero score for the day, Karow could only watch the Championship title flying away, as his closest title rivals pressed on across the remaining 430 kilometres, throwing the general classification wide open.
Five Gliders Within 58 Seconds in a Blistering Final Glide
Out on course, workable highveld thermal conditions averaging 2.7 to 3.1 m/s punished hesitation and rewarded pilots who committed cleanly to each transition. After more than three hours of tight tactical racing through Mansfield and Christiana, the leading gaggle arrived at NewCSouth locked in a high-speed duel for the podium.
Keep your seatbest fastened before reading this: On the final sprint home to Bona Bona, Uys Jonker (JS3 TJ) converted the altitude from his final climb at 4,400 m AMSL into blistering kinetic energy, sustaining ground speeds over 300 km/h on the run-in toward the finish floor, thanks to strong tailwind and dense altitude, stopping the clock at 03:18:38 with an overall speed of 153.6 km/h to claim maximum points.
Behind him, the battle for the remaining podium places went down to the wire, with the top five finishers separated by just 58 seconds:
Riaan Denner (JS3 TJ) pushed Jonker all the way to the line, taking second place (+00:16, 153.4 km/h) to earn 8 crucial points.
Katrin Senne (JS3 TJ) delivered a composed, high-speed finish to claim third (+00:20, 153.4 km/h, 7 points), returning to the podium at a critical juncture.
Attie Jonker (JS3 TJ) secured fourth place (+00:33, 153.2 km/h, 6 points).
Arne Boye-Møller (JS3 RES) rounded out the top five (+00:58, 152.9 km/h, 5 points).
Further down the order, finish-line infractions proved costly for several contenders: Björn Gintzel finished sixth (+02:08, 4 points) after absorbing an 88-second penalty, Rene Lans placed eighth (+10:27, 2 points) with an 80-second penalty, and Phillip Jonker took 11th (+14:36, 0 points) following a 36-second penalty.
Overall Championship Standings After Six Races
Three victories from four starts have propelled Uys Jonker into commanding position at the top of the standings with 36 points—an extraordinary turnaround after sitting out Races 1 and 2. Katrin Senne's podium finish lifts her back into second overall on 29 points, while Riaan Denner's back-to-back podiums in Races 5 and 6 move him up to 27 points, edging ahead of Holger Karow (also on 27 points) for third overall.
Looking Ahead: Final Day Showdown Under Threatening Skies
One day remains on the Bona Bona calendar, but the weather holds all the cards. With thunderstorms forecast to move across the region tomorrow, competitors and race officials face a tense morning briefing to determine whether a seventh and final task can be safely launched.
If the skies cooperate for a finale, Katrin Senne (7 points adrift of Jonker) and the tied pairing of Riaan Denner and Holger Karow (9 points behind) will have one last roll of the dice to mount a late charge. Should storm activity keep the fleet on the ground, Uys Jonker's remarkable four-race streak will stand as one of the most dominant comebacks in Sailplane Grand Prix history.
Stay tuned to our social media for our Race 6 winner interview with Uys Jonker, morning weather updates, and final-day coverage from Bona Bona!
