posted Feb 3rd, 2017 - The first half of the Wind Games 2017 is over, and the first showdown between Weembi Lille and NMP PCH HayaBusa lives up to all expectations.

The Belgian 4-way world champions had a rough start and collected six penalties in the first three rounds, which gave Weembi a 4-point lead. However, HayaBusa was clean and fast in the two following rounds, and that is a winning combination.

The Wind Games is the first of the three confrontations before both teams may or may not have their final showdown at the FAI Indoor World Meet 2017 at SkyVenture Montreal. French Indoor Nationals at the end of March and the unofficial indoor world championships at the World Challenge in Bedford will both follow soon.

Wind Games 2017			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
R.	AAA Class		D,2,P,13	C,21,11	Q,O,17,A	6,10,18	5,E,K,22	19,1,F	8,20,J	L,N,7,9	16,M,15	14,G,H,4	Total	Avg
1	Weembi Lille	FR	29	27	46(-1)	24	32(-1)	-	-	-	-	-	158	31.6
1	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	28(-2)	27(-1)	43(-3)	25	35	-	-	-	-	-	158	31.6
3	RealFly-Sion	FR	25(-1)	28	46	23	29	-	-	-	-	-	151	30.2
4	French Girls	FR	25	24	41	21	29	-	-	-	-	-	140	28.0
5	Qatar Tigers	QA	23	27	38(-2)	21	26(-2)	-	-	-	-	-	135	27.0
6	Gavroche Weembi	FR	23	23(-1)	37(-1)	19	27	-	-	-	-	-	129	25.8
7	Ninja 4	IT	24	22	37	18	24	-	-	-	-	-	125	25.0
8	Wom'in France	FR	20	21	33	16	22	-	-	-	-	-	112	22.4
9	Chimera	UK	20	22	27	15	23	-	-	-	-	-	107	21.4
9	Airheads Realfly	CH	20	17	29	19	22	-	-	-	-	-	107	21.4
11	Amnesya Fly-In	IT	20	20	31	15	19	-	-	-	-	-	105	21.0
12	HF Chicks	CZ	20	18(-1)	29(-2)	17	20(-2)	-	-	-	-	-	104	20.8
13	NFTO	UK	21	19	28	15	19	-	-	-	-	-	102	20.4
14	Tenanine	MA	17	20	23	17	21	-	-	-	-	-	98	19.6
14	Papea Masculino	ES	17	18	26	17	20	-	-	-	-	-	98	19.6
16	Flyspot Chicks	PL	19(-1)	19	24(-1)	16	18(-1)	-	-	-	-	-	96	19.2
17	Monaco Tunnel Team	MC	17	18	24	14	18	-	-	-	-	-	91	18.2
18	Jetmax	BE	17	18	24	14	17	-	-	-	-	-	90	18.0
18	Amrap	FR	16	17	29	15	13	-	-	-	-	-	90	18.0
20	Flyspot Sky4Four	PL	16	17	21	15	19	-	-	-	-	-	88	17.6
21	4motion	PL	14	16	24	14	17	-	-	-	-	-	85	17.0
22	Aladeen	HU	17	15	25	10	15	-	-	-	-	-	82	16.4
23	Shamal Loutres	FR	15	16	20	12	14	-	-	-	-	-	77	15.4
24	Papea Feminino	ES	11(-2)	17	20(-2)	13	15(-1)	-	-	-	-	-	76	15.2
25	Alakran	ES	13	15	18	12	13	-	-	-	-	-	71	14.2
26	Shamal Haut	FR	12	14	19	10	14	-	-	-	-	-	69	13.8
27	Mmmh Shamal	FR	14	13	16	11	14	-	-	-	-	-	68	13.6
28	Not Your March	HU	13(-1)	11(-3)	17(-3)	11	12(-1)	-	-	-	-	-	64	12.8

The above scoreboard combines multiple events that use the same draw and use sufficiently similar rules and judging.

NMP PCH HayaBusa, FAI's defending indoor world champion, does not have a serious challenger in Belgium and will compete in Montreal without a doubt. Weembi Lille still has to qualify by winning the French Indoor Nationals, and there is serious competition for the four former 4-way world champions.

The French national team in 4-way Open, competing under RealFly-Sion in Empuriabrava, will not just hand over to Weembi the French indoor slot for the world meet. RealFly has posted the sole highscore in Round 2 and tied Weembi's highscore in Round 3.

There is a 7-point difference between the two French teams after Round 5; however, the national team has moved significantly closer to Weembi.

Both French teams have competed against each other with the same lineups two times before this week's Wind Games. Weembi was 35 points ahead at the end of the Clash of Champions and 23 points after Round 10 at the FAI Indoor World Cup 2016.

The 7-point difference after Round 5 on Friday indicates that RealFly may continue to reduce the 10-round distance to both top teams at the Wind Games. Then there are almost two whole months for the French national team until the qualification event at the Weembi wind tunnel in Lille.

The French Weembi Girls have to orient themselves once again on the Open Class leaderboard after the departure of the Golden Knights from any 4-way Women leaderboards. Wom'in France, with former national 4-way and 8-way team member Anais Maillet in the lineup, is holding the 2nd place easily for France. However, the French Weembi Girls are performing in a different league, which is the 4-way Open Class.

The Hurricane Factory Chicks are living up to the 20+ average expectations and are holding off NFTO, British bronze medalist at the FAI Mondial 2016. NFTO has come to Empuriabrava with a different lineup though. Catherine Anderson is replacing Maria Russell.

Pete Allum, who lives in Empuriabrava, is back with his Ninja 4 team. The original XL member said that he still cannot "keep his head down". The same counts for one of his former Italian team mates, Livio Piccolo. Together they won bronze medals at the FAI World Meet 2006 in Gera, Germany, with Sinapsi PD. Livio Piccolo replaces Luc Verstrepen who competed with Ninja 4 at last year's Wind Games.

Ninja 4 are battling with French team Gavroche Weembi for the 5th place behind the Qatar Tigers. Former French national coach Jeremie Rollett competes with Gavroche and tries to put pressure on the Qatar Tigers, who he has been coaching since 2015. Julien Olek, Thomas Perrin Gachadoat and Clement Martin Saint Leon complete the Gavroche lineup of four former French 8-way world champions.