Maximilian Seis, a 22-year-old glider pilot from France, has won thesixth FAI World Sailplane Grand Prix Championship in Varese, Italy.
The week-long Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) event that concluded Sept. 12 was hosted by the Aeroclub Adele Orsi at the Calcinate airfield among the lakes and mountains near Varese in northern Italy.
Christophe Ruch of France won the silver medal. Sebastian Kawa of Poland, a former world champion, took bronze in the competition in which pilots from 10 countries participated.
Seis won two races, finished fourth in two, and placed sixth on the other race day, adding to his point tally. He was the youngest competitor, and one of the least experienced, but “he proved that talent and motivation are two of the most important factors in winning a FAI Sailplane Grand Prix,” the race organization noted in a news release.
Spectators were able to watch the racing from the airfield and online.
The finale in Varese capped a series of qualifying events held in different countries over a period of approximately a year, and featured the top two finishers from each qualifying round. “The winner is the pilot who, over the period of a week’s competition, has amassed the highest number of points overall,” and is named FAI Sailplane Grand Prix World Champion, according to the news release.
The previous world champion was Didier Hauss of France, who also competed in the just-completed event.
The FAI, the World Air Sports Federation, “is the world governing body for air sports and for certifying world aviation and space records,” the announcement said, also noting that the World Sailplane Grand Prix Championship was one of three competitions selected in 2015 by Breitling, FAI’s official sponsor, for “full branding and support.”
AOPA ePublishing staff
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