2024 FAI F3K European Championship for Model Gliders in Włocławek - days One and Two
The 2024 FAI F3K European Championship for Model Gliders kicked off on Sunday in Włocławek, Poland with an exciting start, as model glider enthusiasts from across Europe gathered to witness and compete in this prestigious event. The competition will run until this Saturday 13 July.
Arijan Hucaljuk of Croatia and junior Leonard Bednarz of Germany are currently in the lead.
Models processing and opening ceremony
The processing of the models was held at the Włocławek airfield in a specially prepared hangar where two teams conducted the necessary checks. In parallel to the registration, the training session commenced, and competitors used every possible second to train and trim their models for best performance.
The opening ceremony was held at the Włocławek airfield, with all the teams present alongside city officials, and even several representatives from the local government and Parliament who had travelled to mark the occasion.
After the opening ceremony, several competitors used the remaining time for extra training, while others convened for the Team Managers’ meeting.
First and second competition days
The competition started in calm weather with a mild wind, as the 56 seniors and 13 juniors went off to fight for the most prestigious European title. The exceptional skill of the pilots and high-end design of the models show that the slightest mistake is highly penalised.
Each point holds a significant value. Aside from possessing top of the range equipment, competitors need have to have an exceptional "throwing hand" because every additional metre gained by the model glider during the throw translates to valuable seconds for their flight, enhancing their chances of finding favourable air currents.
As the competition is halfway through, the best seniors after the first nine rounds are :
| Rank | Name | NAC | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HUCALJUK, Arijan | CRO | 8000 |
| 2 | KOENIG, Paul | GER | 8000 |
| 3 | SIUMBRYS, Adas | LTU | 7995,5 |
| 4 | DUSS, Cederic | SUI | 7988,9 |
| 5 | MERLIJN, Vincent | NED | 7988,1 |
| 6 | DAMJANOVIC, Marko | CRO | 7987,5 |
| 7 | VERRIER, Jean Bernard | FRA | 7979 |
| 8 | HEINLE, Philipp | GER | 7963,3 |
| 9 | SVANTESSON, Soren | SWE | 7936 |
| 10 | CESKEVICIUS, Laurynas | LTU | 7920,4 |
| 11 | KRISTOF, Pavel | CZE | 7912,8 |
| 12 | REZLER, Ondrej | CZE | 7907,7 |
| 13 | JANAS, Cezary | POL | 7906,9 |
| 14 | FLIXEDER, Bernhard | AUT | 7892,9 |
| 15 | VERSCHOREN, Kristof | BEL | 7886 |
| 16 | BRATRSOVSKY, Ivo | CZE | 7881,6 |
| 17 | SCHLOEMMER, Klaus | AUT | 7876,4 |
| 18 | COLLIN, Steeve | FRA | 7874,8 |
| 19 | KUZNIETSOV, Boris | UKR | 7866 |
| 20 | SANDER, Henri | GER | 7864,5 |
| 21 | STERN, Michael | GBR | 7815,5 |
| 22 | ROTTELEUR, Anthony | FRA | 7810,2 |
| 23 | VATULA, Artem | UKR | 7792,9 |
| 24 | FLOREK, Sebastian | POL | 7783,3 |
| 25 | JAKOB, Olivier | SUI | 7768,5 |
The Junior standings currently are:
| Rank | Name | NAC | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BEDNARZ, Leonard | GER | 7806,2 |
| 2 | STRUIK, Luuk | NED | 7770,8 |
| 3 | PTASZEK, Mateusz | POL | 7732,3 |
| 4 | BRUDERMANN, Luca | AUT | 7618,1 |
| 5 | MUELLER, Johannes | AUT | 7252,1 |
| 6 | WALCHER, Simon | AUT | 7170,2 |
| 7 | BEHENSKY, Ondrej | CZE | 6963,2 |
| 8 | CZECHURA, Franciszek | POL | 6834,2 |
| 9 | MIKULA, Szymon | POL | 6826,1 |
| 10 | STRAUSS, Julius | GER | 6723 |
| 11 | SZEPFALVI, Aron | HUN | 6668,8 |
| 12 | CSOMOS, Denes Vilmos | HUN | 6592,2 |
| 13 | FEJER, Benedek | HUN | 5500,8 |
Credit top picture: Izabela Krawczyk
