SRS Ozone Edition: Baptiste Lambert Leads a Six-Task Masterclass in Le Grand Bornand
Chasing the pilot ahead of you — “pimping” in comp slang — is usually something racers try to avoid. Yet at the SRS Ozone Edition in Le Grand Bornand, it became the strategy of the week, as the field threw everything into staying on the wingtips of the local hero: reigning world champion and multiple World Cup winner Baptiste Lambert.
Ozone had invited Lambert to join the sports-class gathering, and he admitted afterwards that flying with a target on his back felt unfamiliar. “I could clearly feel the aggression in the flying, everyone trying to beat me. In the end they managed it, so it’s cool. I’m very happy,” he said.
The Annecy-region pilot ran away with the first five tasks. Then, on the closing day, he was forced to bail out after failing to connect with La Tournette, the 2,351m summit that towers over Lake Annecy. That opened the door for Luke Nicol, Pascal Blum and Nick Lloyd, who pounced to build a four-minute cushion. Nicol tracked down the “magic line” onto the Aravis chain and turned it into a nail-biting final glide to goal. “My plan was simply not to bomb out,” he explained. “I sat in the second gaggle, then jumped over the pilots who got stuck. It was perfect.”
Even so, Lambert’s early dominance secured the overall title. Nicol finished second, with 16-year-old Victor Aguilera Lozano (ESP) rounding out the podium in third. Mette Krum (DNK) placed 11th overall to claim the women’s win, ahead of Lene Spaarwater (CHL) and Linda Hoch (CH).
“It’s always nice to be on the podium and go home with medals,” Krum said, “but honestly, for me it’s not about the ladies’ ranking — it’s the overall, and that’s what I’m chasing.” The team prize went to Gin 2, formed by Nicol, Aguilera Lozano, Marco Sommerfeld and Simon Steiner.
Lambert had wondered whether he’d be welcomed or eyed with suspicion in an EN-C sports-class event, but was relieved to find pilots treated his presence as a chance to soak up as much as they could. He helped design tasks, delivered morning briefings on how to read each course and its dangers, and even gave a talk on speed-to-fly theory. In a sporting touch, he flew a Delta 5 rather than Ozone’s quicker EN-C Photon. “I love racing these wings,” he said. “It makes me want to step down even at major events.”
The headline of the week, though, was the weather. Le Grand Bornand served up a full six-from-six of flyable tasks across a spectacular arena spanning the Bornes Massif, La Tournette, Lake Annecy and the Chaîne des Aravis. It wasn’t all mellow — early conditions turned punchy, with Sommerfeld reporting a vario reading of 11m/s. Task setters trimmed the middle days to keep pilots inside the valley, before a stable, cloudless final day tested everyone. Distances ranged from 48km up to a 91.7km monster on day two that sent the field across Lake Annecy — and gave the retrieve drivers plenty to do.
“What an incredible week at SRS,” Blum wrote afterwards. “Six challenging tasks, countless decisions in the air, and an unforgettable competition.”
Events like this are a reminder of how much smart logistics matter around the flying itself. Whether you’re hiking to launch or shuttling between valleys, a well-organised kit setup keeps your focus on the air. A durable Fast Pack Bag makes quick turnarounds between tasks far easier, while a quality Concertina Bag helps protect your wing’s leading edge across a long week of repeated pack-ups. Pilots looking to sharpen technique between comps can also drill positioning and reflexes on a Harness Simulator.
Results
Overall
- Baptiste Lambert, Ozone Delta / Submarine — 5,909.3
- Luke Nicol, GTO3 / Genie Race 6 — 5,643.2
- Victor Aguilera Lozano, GTO3 / Submarine — 5,419
Female
- Mette Krum, GTO3 / Genie Race 5 — 5,054.7
- Lene Spaarwater, Tau DLS / Submarine — 4,719.4
- Linda Hoch, Tau DLS / X-Rated 7 — 4,432
Teams
- Gin 2
- Airtribune
- Alpine Wings
Photo: Stéphane Boulanger. Report adapted from event coverage.
Gearing up for your own big flying days? Explore pilot-tested kit at Yowfly — from packing solutions to training tools — and keep a Your Journey Bottle handy to stay hydrated on launch.