Thursday, May 8
    Even though this morning is slightly cooler, there are no clouds in the sky and thanks to the sharp sunlight the temperature up at Stranik shoots rapidly up. Even the inversion layer has disappeared and the meteorologists promise temperatures of over 30°C for the afternoon. There's not even a threat of strong wind and a weak westerly blows across the starting ground. This doesn't look at all bad.



    Varváro (with a broken wrist and his arm hung on a cord), finally decides to stay, is added to the assignment selection committee by Juraj Kleja, (on crutches with a broken leg), and is now enthusiastically advising on how and where to make the discipline.



    "Czechs on the dandelions, Slovaks on the yellow flowers", specifies Karel Vrbensky in reference to the correct area to land when stalling, below the hill, so as to prevent the trampling of the sprouting wheat and the repetition of complaints by the farmers from Teplicka. The discipline announced today is 40 km long and the first turning point is the village of Lutiše, the second the Hotel Husárik south of Čadca. The goal line is stretched on the usual landing field past the northern edge of the city of Čadca and the start window opens from 12:45 to 15:00.



    The duo of Vejchodský & Škrabálek, as usual, open the start window and are soon turning up to the usable altitude and heading out on a route of their own, not taking part in the race.

    The racing field is busy today and thanks to the thermals from both the southern and western sides, pilots are taking off from both starts simultaneously. Even if catching on is not completely free and more out of breath pilots with packs on their backs keep turning up at Stranik, not quite 30 minutes after the opening of the start window a group of 24 pilots finish off their climbs at around 2100 meters above sea level and head off on the route.




    Sixty-three pilots reach the first turning point on the 13th kilometer at the village of Lutiše, though only twelve make it past the second. The grain is separated from the chaff and only five pilots reach the goal past Čadca. The winner in today's placing , with an average flight speed of 24 km/s is Radek Večeřa, ahead of Martin Slíva, Tomáš Brauner, Juraj Ciernik and Pavel Dohnálek.




    Tomáš Brauner's successful flight to the goal increases his lead in the overall placing of the race to 145 points ahead of David Ohlídal in second place and 169 points ahead of Peter Mensák in third. And while Karel Vrbenský posts results in record time, the "Sherpa Band" is setting up in the hangar and firing up its harmonica-brass rock. The cloudiness of the approaching front begins to stretch across the western horizon and darkness falls rapidly. The first stars appear on the, so far, clear sky and the first fireflies in the grass in front of the hangar. Could tomorrow be the last day ...?