2026 Central Districts Gliding Championships

Waipukurau, New Zealand,   February 14, 2026 – February 21, 2026

Friday - a wave day to remember

The weather gods again toyed with the contest pilots by changing wind direction pre-launch for another dose of runway gymnastics. With that settled, launches to 3,500ft AGL were agreed to enable pilots to contact the wave which was visible by launch time. Once airborne, strong lift and sink in excess of 15kts was reported along with some extreme turbulence in places. One of the major complaints was the inability to keep out of controlled airspace despite using high speed, airbrakes and wheels down. This caused a number of inadvertent airspace infringements. With the challenging conditions, some pilots decided to abandon the task and land back. Some good speeds were achieved by those who completed the task and there were no landouts. Pilots again had a meal at the airfield and finished the day well sated.

Written by: Jason Kelly on February 20, 2026 at 8:09 AM.

Latest winner

1. Patrick C. Driessen 100.22 km/h
2. Conal Edwards 81.17 km/h
3. Tony Van Dyk 83.82 km/h
Updated: 2/21/26, 5:59 PM
1. Alain Marcuse 68.40 km/h
2. James Foreman 139.02 km
3. Ross G. Perry 105.94 km
Updated: 2/21/26, 5:41 PM

Latest task

Task 8, Feb 21, 2026
Task distance: 117.41 km  /  288.03 km  (201.55 km)
Task duration: 2:00:00
Updated: 2/21/26, 9:01 AM
Task 8, Feb 21, 2026
Task distance: 96.53 km  /  283.41 km  (188.70 km)
Task duration: 2:00:00
Updated: 2/21/26, 9:02 AM
Task 8, Feb 21, 2026
Task distance: 62.12 km  /  154.40 km  (106.77 km)
Task duration: 2:00:00
Updated: 2/21/26, 9:03 AM