SAFA Skysailor Magazine

24 SKY SAILOR March-April-May | AUTUMN 2026 This year’s Bright Open came with a few more hurdles than usual… Early in the planning phase, Hancock Plantations advised us they would be harvesting the trees surrounding Mystic launch. This meant our usual access road would be closed for around three months, and an exclusion zone would be in place over Marcus Ridge during the usual com- petition period. Although the club had a contingency route to launch, the disruption would almost double the drive time, lose access to the main house thermal, and significantly increase turnaround time for re‑flies. In short, the competition would be unworkable under those conditions. When we received more detailed infor- mation from HVP, we discovered a narrow window in January when logging opera- tions would pause and the track would reopen. It wasn’t our usual month – and we knew January can bring stronger, less predictable conditions – but it was the only viable option. We locked in the dates and pushed ahead. Two weeks before the event, a severe heatwave settled in and the landscape became worryingly dry. As the BOM began forecasting 40ºC days and unstable winds, a fire broke out to our north near Walwa, followed later that same day by another to the west at Longwood. Both fires escalated Against all odds – Bright Open 2026