Tilo Holighaus Secures Race 1 Victory at Starmoen
28/06/2026 - Starmoen, Norway - After two successful practice days dedicated to glider testing and final technical checks, the Series 13 of the FAI Sailplane Grand Prix officially commenced today in Elverum Starmoen, Norway. The pre-race anticipation on the ground quickly transitioned into intense action in the air as pilots took to the stunning Norwegian skies for the opening event.
Dynamic Weather and a High-Speed Task
The regatta start took place at 14:00 when the Race Director announced the now famous opening of the Start Line: “3, 2, 1, GO! The Race is ON!”. The day's task challenged the pilots with a 261km task. The flight path directed the fleet north into one of Norway's premier thermalling areas. Competitors navigated through turnpoints at Atna, Åkrestrømmen, Hovdedalen, N Løset, and reporting point ‘Hernes krk’ before making their final approach to the Starmoen finish line. Along this northern route, the pilots were treated to spectacular views of the Rondane and Sølen mountain ranges.
The meteorological conditions were primed for a fast day of racing. A westerly wind shaped the afternoon, providing a forecast cloud base exceeding 2,500 metres. While pilots had to remain cautious of overdevelopment and potential rain showers over the mountainous terrain, there was some possibilty to exploit ridge and wave lift to gain a crucial competitive advantage. In the end, the powerful thermals were more than enough for our pilots to race with a strong pace: close to 130km/h average, and a long, intense and very fast finish glide.
Race 1 Results: Holighaus Takes the Lead
Delivering a brilliant flight through the valleys and rolling hills, Germany's Tilo Holighaus claimed the first victory of the competition. Capping off the afternoon with a fantastic podium celebration, Holighaus set a high benchmark for the days to come.
The full results and podium positions for the opening race are highlighted below, and the complete official scoring grid can be reviewed below:
1st Place: Tilo Holighaus (Germany) – 02:02:59 | 127.5 km/h | 10 pts (Ventus-3T)
2nd Place: Petr Panek (Czech Republic) – +3:20 | 124.1 km/h | 8 pts (JS-1b JET)
3rd Place: Michael Pfennig (Germany) – +7:07 | 120.5 km/h | 7 pts (JS 3 TJ 18m)
Norway's Kato Kvitne finished in a strong 4th place (+09:01, 118.8 km/h), banking 6 points on his home turf, closely followed by Estonia's Teet Jagomägi in 5th place with 5 points.
First Livestream of the Season & Video Highlights
Today also marked a major milestone for fans worldwide with the broadcast of our very first livestream of the season. Bringing the global audience directly into the cockpit and onto the grid, the live coverage captured the tense post-briefing atmosphere on the ground and the tactical maneuvers in the air. The incredible energy at Starmoen and the stunning Norwegian landscape made for a truly unforgettable season opener.
If you missed any of the live action, you can watch the complete race recap and explore the breathtaking aerial maneuvers by viewing our official daily video highlights on the sgp.aero YouTube Channel.
The competition is only just beginning, and there is plenty more world-class racing to come. Stay tuned for live telemetry, scores, and updates throughout the week at sgp.aero/results, and be sure to join us tomorrow for Race 2 at sgp.aero/live.
