(Photo Credit: Joël Marin & Pierre Rondel)
31 pilots met near Limoux for the French F3F Championship. It had been a long time since we'd had such a large turnout for a championship, so it was great to see so many of us!
However, we knew the weather would be challenging as the forecast predicted heavy rain, but fortunately, three days of tramontane winds were forecast, so we were able to fly to St. Ferriol with our cars parked nearby, provided the access road was passable.
On Thursday around 11:15 am, Andreas held the briefing with the usual information. The competition began at 12:00 pm. The conditions were challenging, with wind gusts reaching 20 m/s and dropping to 10 m/s or even below a few seconds later. We completed five races in these variable wind conditions, with one or two interruptions due to rain showers. We finished around 6:30 pm.
Friday was predicted to be the worst day according to the weather forecast, but since the road was dry, we rushed to the slope to stay there for the day. It was going to be a tough day for both the equipment and the pilots. The landing caused a lot of damage, and the frequent downpours meant we regularly had to take shelter and protect ourselves. The wind and humidity made the cold quite noticeable.
Despite everything, we managed to complete five more rounds, but some pilots had already withdrawn, having damaged their gliders and not wanting to risk another one on subsequent flights.
On the competition front, the battle was fierce, especially among four pilots: Sébastien Lanes and JB Deguelle, who were flying on their home turf, and Matthieu Mervelet and myself, who came to challenge them on their own turf! While I was in the lead on Thursday evening, Sébastien made a great comeback and took the lead on Friday evening. Behind him, JB and Matth were fighting to reach the third step of the podium, or even higher!
We ended the day around the table (we are in France, after all!) sharing a good meal and chatting.
The last day, which was supposed to be the driest, played a nasty trick on us. During the night, heavy rain made the road impassable. We met at the St. Ferriol village hall to wait and look for a solution while the few pilots camping there flew in excellent conditions—frustrating!
Finally, around 11:00 AM, Andreas proposed a backup plan: park in a field after the first 200 meters of the road, before it became impassable, then walk up the slope—an 8-minute walk at most.
Around noon, the course was ready, and we could resume the competition. The 5 rounds required to use a second joker were unrealistic, so we did 3 more rounds, bringing the total to 13, which wasn't too bad. I couldn't gain any points on Sébastien, who was still incredibly sharp in his piloting. Meanwhile, a fierce battle raged between JB and Matth for third place. Matth reached the podium in the 12th round, but JB overtook him again in the 13th and final round – what suspense!
It's worth noting the excellent performance of our two juniors, Antoine Darries and Thomas Mervelet, who didn't let the strong winds get to them. It's great to see the next generation!
Congratulations to Sébastien Lanes, who reclaimed his French Championship title after entrusting it to me last year! I finished as runner-up and am satisfied with my performance. JB Deguelle completed the podium for this 2026 championship.
In the end, a great championship with some fantastic flying, with Jean-Luc Foucher achieving a best time of 31.98 seconds.
On the glider side, the one that really caught everyone's eye was the new ODIN, produced in France for Rollin Composites. It made a very strong impression in the hands of pilots like Allan Cohen, Matthieu Mervelet, JL Foucher, JB Deguelle, and myself. This glider is clearly a winner, boasting numerous qualities and top-notch performance. We'll be keeping an eye on it at the upcoming competitions.
A huge thank you to Andreas and the entire organizing team for this fantastic championship. It wasn't a sure thing given the forecast, but they pulled it off, so congratulations! A big thank you to the contest directors, the buzzmen judges, and the launch team—without you, there would be no competition!
See you soon on the slopes!