Wednesday, May 7
    The forecast passing of a weak cold front is indicated only by the torn veil of high straggly cloudiness and a calming of the wind to mildly variable. The inversion is clearly more visible and its upper level lies much lower. It's not going to be easy today.

    The morning temperature is relatively high compared to the previous days and so some pilots have finally decided to really wash. Radek Simonik even goes to the extreme of ordering a hairstylist up to Stranik.






    At the usual noon briefing on the starting ground a 41 km long return discipline is announced with a goal in the saddle under Stranik and two turning points in the villages of Lutiše and Vyšné Vane. The start window is open from 12:50 to 15:30 and the sharp noon sun begins to create a reliable thermal draft on the southeast starting ground.



    Most of the first pilots, however, die out just after taking off, and land on the landing ground by Teplicka, including the leader of the race, Tomas Brauner. Only Jarda Sembera gets up several hundred meters over the start, which, though, do not seem to be enough for him to take off. He is not aware that he's reached the highest altitude of today.

    Shortly after 14:00, the wind begins to pick up and several racers finally get up to just under 200 meters over the peak of Stranik. The altitude is only considered enough for taking off by David Ohlidal and he disappears to the North. Ballooning in the zeroes and weak risers, he gets all the way to the first turning point and lands in the strong wind on the edge of the village of Lutiše. As is later shown, he was the only pilot who took off on the route of today's discipline.



    "One more time we say, let's get the hell out of here!", emphatically states an unnamed Slovak team leader, which the increasing wind quickly turns to the West. The last handful of pilots in the air begins to heavily fall below the southeast bank and three of them are even blown into the valley at the eastern foothills of Stranik.



    At 14:50, in increasing wind, Miro Jančiar the race manager, declares today a non-competing day and the coverall placing then stays the same. The hangar at Stranik is immediately full of hungry pilots and the cooks can hardly keep up.

    The forecast for Thursday and Friday seems relatively good but Saturday and Sunday should be more overcast. So hopefully at least four valid rounds will work out.