Team Langer sends:

Team Langer: The Irish assault on the title for World Champion Sky God suffered a slight setback last night. Team Langer HQ received a call from top Irish pilot Daryn Clements to say that his car's engine had exploded on the motorway while driving down through France to Laragne. Stranded outside Dijon with his wife, girlfriend, new baby (I'll let you form your own mental picture) and over 500 miles to go, frantic arrangements were made throughout the night to rescue this top pilot and his flying gear and get this important cargo to Laragne on time for registration in the Pre-Worlds. Meanwhile, wife, baby and girlfriend were to be left stranded on the side of the motorway in clouds of black smoke to fend for themselves and use their charms to effect their own rescue. Stay tuned for news of the divorce proceedings!

A car putting out black smoke arrived Sunday afternoon.

You can read the bios. Of the Irish team pilots at www.chabre2009.com - Pilot's Blogs. Please give them your full support, they need it more than your own national team!

Upright Moments in Laragne: After a string of really rubbish landings around Laragne last year during the Belgian Open, the Irish team erected a small shrine (sacrificial virgins being is short supply) in offering to the Aluminum Gods to avoid any further carnage. The inscription on the cross reads "Laragne 2007 - To Confidence and Cockiness - RIP."

The shrine had the desired effect for the Irish, but also became a centre of pilgrimage for the unfortunate pilots in the campsite who brought their own mangled aluminum to add to our offering. By the end of two weeks there was a small mountain of broken uprights, leading edges, keels and a whole Lightspeed that had ended up in the trees south of the Chabre ending its life rather abruptly (the pilot survived!) The final toll at the end of two weeks was truly staggering - this photo is of the original monument before it mysteriously started growing every night!