Stéphane Malbos<<stephane.malbos>>
writes:

We (Annecy organisers) received this from the UK from BPHA
President Marc Asquith…

"The BHPA have no concerns about the quality of organisation at this World
Champs. We are sad to hear of the accidents and today's fatality, but it seems
that these have not occurred as a result of any organisational problems. We wish
the organisers everyone from CIVL good luck and good flying for the rest of the
competition."

… and this today from Kitano Masahiro, the Japanese team leader.

"Team Japan members are arriving at home. We really appreciate you all to have
successfully organized the multi class world championships. The winning of our
girls was historic achievement and we are proud of them. It is hard to imagine
how much stressful work you made after the accident of Masakazu. Thanks again
for your biggest efforts to rescue him, then honoring him in the following day,
and to have helped and cheered up our team members. For me Masakazu was two
years senior in the hang gliding club of our university. He taught me everything
important as a pilot. He was like my elder brother. So many things to remember.
In the near future I would like to visit Annecy and fly there. I really want to
see the beautiful view and meet the kind people. Those are what he has
experienced in his last days."

Our web site ( http://dca.ffvl.fr/hg2014/index.php/en/ ) is wrapped up with podium pictures
and a very nice pilots portrait gallery.

As the CIVL Jury President Flip Koetsier expressed as he was officially closing
the championship, one can have only mixed feelings on the event. The death of a
pilot forbid us to talk about success, although most agree that the event was
"safe, fair and satisfying… and reinforced friendship among pilots of all
nations", as requested by FAI.

This was the first Cat 1 for Hang Gliding Class 1 Women, 2 and 5 in 4 years, the
first valid one in 6 years for Hang Gliding Class 1 Women & 5, the first ever
for Hang Gliding Class Sport. Annecy was not a perfect championship (was there
ever one?). The hang gliding world and its rules have also evolved these last
years. There is much to learn from Annecy, and much to improve, starting with
basics like the qualification criteria and ending with Hang Gliding Cat 1 in
general, the lack of bidders and the complexity of multiclass events. We must
take the time to analyze but we will also have to act so the next bidder to a
multiclass World (there was none for 2016 at last Plenary) will have better
bases to work with.