posted Jan 19th, 2017 - The recently posted Team World Indoor Rankings 2016 included a 4-way team in the Top 10 that has attended only indoor competitions, a total of six in 2015 and 2016.

The Weembi team project was launched by Julien Degen, who works at the wind tunnel in Lille, together with French Girls member Christine Malnis. They had Sophia Pecout and Thomas Perrin in the first Weembi lineup at the World Challenge 2015 where they finished in 3rd place.

Julien Degen has been a member of the French national 4-way and 8-way teams since 2005 and has collected two FAI world meet gold medals in 8-way (2006, 2008), one in 4-way (2010) and several sets of silver and bronze medals. His most recent and latest FAI medal was a silver one in 8-way at the FAI Mondial 2016.

Team World Rankings 2016			Indoor Meets	Av.
1	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	29.2 - 32.0 - 30.6	30.6
2	France Women	FR	28.6 - 27.9	28.3
3	Golden Knights Gold	US	28.2	28.2
4	France 4-way Open	FR	27.6 - 27.9	27.8
5	Golden Knights F4	FR	27.6	27.6
6	Weembi Lille	FR	25.6 - 26.6 - 25.3 - 30.2	27.5
7	Thunder ISR	BE	24.7 - 26.4 - 29.3	26.8
7	SDC Rhythm XP	US	26.8 - 26.8	26.8
9	Black Cat	RU	25.5 - 27.5	26.5
10	Perris Fury	US	26.3	26.3

Julien Degen is not a current member of the French 4-way Open Class team, even though his changing Weembi lineups have lost only one meet against the current national team, and the destiny of the French national 8-way team is also not finally defined yet.

However, the indoor competition world has its own dynamics and opportunities, and Julien Degen has found a new spot that is just as exciting as world class outdoor competition. Weembi has an indoor 4-way team, and the French 8-way world champions are also still training and competing at the wind tunnel in Lille.

Last year's Team World Indoor Rankings are actually not showing the true strength of the Weembi team with the signature lineup. Julien Degen, Roy Janssen, Mathieu and Guillaume Bernier competed two times for Weembi, first time at the Clash of Champions 2015 and then again at the FAI Indoor World Cup 2016, where Belgian 4-way world champion of 2014, Roy Janssen, competed officially for France.

Clash of Champions 2015			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		J,13,8	K,20,5	9,21,19	C,3,6	7,O,15	A,18,1	2,H,P,D	16,L,11	E,N,10,B	12,Q,F,22	Total	Avg
1	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	26	32	30	28	33	29	41	28	37	29	313	31.3
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	28	30	29	30	34	27	39	28	34	26	305	30.5
3	Weembi Lille	FR	27	28	30	29	33	27	35	28	30	28	295	29.5

FAI Indoor World Cup 2016			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	T.	Avg
R.	4-way Open		15,11,6	7,2,A	J,B,18,5	E,19,Q,3	8,P,21	12,L,O,C	G,20,F,16	10,D,22	N,9,K,4	14,M,17	T.	Avg
1	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	25	32	33	31	24	31	32	26	41	31	306	30.6
2	Weembi	FR	24	30	33	33	25	33	31	26	36	31	302	30.2
3	France 4-way Open	FR	20	27	29	29	26	30	29	23	35	31	279	27.9

This Weembi signature lineup was seriously challenging NMP PCH HayaBusa at Flyspot in October last year and is planning to do the same even more often. Weembi is actually the undisputed #2 of the indoor world in the absence of Arizona Airspeed.

The lineup consists of four of the most experienced and successful 4-way and 8-way competitors in the world. Julien Degen, Mathieu and Guillaume Bernier have won all their gold medals for France together, and original HayaBusa member Roy Janssen left the Belgian 4-way world champions after winning his own gold medal in Prostejov 2014.

The complete Weembi lineup combines for more competition experience and FAI world meet medals than the current HayaBusa lineup has to offer. It is no surprise that HayaBusa is under serious pressure when this Weembi lineup has signed up for the same competition.

Not only the Weembi wind tunnel allows the team to train enough and be in competitive shape all the time. It has become much easier for the best "pickup teams" in the world and for any indoor teams to be somehow prepared for an upcoming competition.

Weembi's signature lineup will challenge the reigning indoor and outdoor world champions from Belgium three times in the first months of the 2017 season. The first showdown is scheduled for the Wind Games in Empuriabrava at the beginning of February, followed by the French Indoor Nationals and the World Challenge.

NMP PCH HayaBusa is well aware of the challenger, with former team mate Roy Janssen in the lineup, and will try to be ready for it. Both teams compete only in 4-way at the Wind Games and will then also measure up in 8-way at the French Indoor Nationals, France with the lineup of 8-way world champions and HayaBusa with the new 8-way team Fly-In Machine 44. It will be an exciting start of the 2017 competition season...