Above: the German team comes supplied with no fewer than five, repeat five, sponsored Mercedes. The Swedes keep asking where our Bentleys are (Helen Evans)

Above: the Nash family, from left, Michael, Jane in Mosquito FBN, and Steve, with team captain Melissa and fellow Club Class pilot Liz in the background (Helen Evans)

Update from briefing: "The forecast is very optimistic," announced the Met Woman cheerily, before spoiling the effect by adding: "I don't believe it". There is a soarable window moving north and shrinking, with cloudbase allegedly rising from 1,000m to 3,000m, thermals at 1 to 2 m/s, with possible spreadout. Lovely. We're on the grid, the sun has come out, and for the first time the organisation has set fallback tasks. 

Club Class: 228km or 185km

Standard and 15-Metre Classes: 262km or 218km.

First launch: 12.00hrs

Pictures from a day out for Gill, Liz, Jane and various other pilots and crew. Doubtless Liz will tell you more tomorrow.

It seemed a really good idea to me,

to have an British Team Official Poet.

But I was clearly wrong and now I know it -

she heaps on pilots this foul calumny.

To set the record straight I’m moved to rhyme