Game over

[Kristof]

Don't really know what to say or do right now ... broken into my car at Imola when I was 2 minutes away from it and everything's gone ... 2 camera's, 4 lenses, flash, extenders, filters ... everything, it's ALL gone.   Stuff was in the trunk so whoever did this must have been following me.  Lock forced, flat tyre (so I probably won't be able to go after them), and car empty as hell.

I'm gutted, devastated, angry, ready to kill someone ... whatever !  Police/Carabinieri isn't working today (no surprise over here), all the extra hassle with Hertz about the car ...

Guess that's it for me then, don't have the budget to buy all that stuff new again on a short notice, surely not being able to do those great deals I've had on my last lens and camera.  Typical also : new website was ready to go online after Imola, new project in real estate photography was ready to start up after LM ... Guess I'm properly f*cked right now 

[jimclark]

Ouch!!!   'Sorry to hear...  >

[Lord Steve]

Oh f**k!
Unspeakable bad luck mate. I'm presuming that all your gear was insured.....does the Hertz policy cover contents?
Can't really help with that stuff but you know that Club Arnage members will help out where we can. Presume I can speak for all of us when I say we'll do what we can for you at Le Mans. Got an old Olympus you're welcome to borrow if you want.

[nopanic - neil]

what complete and utter b@stards!

sorry to hear, if I could help I would, but my camera's are box brownie style

If you need anything brought over from the UK, I'm in Brugge in early June on the way down to Le Mans, let us know

[Boorish Grobian]

Big ouch!  Don't know what to say other than hang in there Kristof.  What a shitty thing to do to someone.  Hope they catch the thieving bastards and string them up by the short & curlies.
Fax

[Nordic]

Truly awful thing to happen.

Hang in there and I am sure a solution will present itself to get stuff back on track

[Snoring Rhino]

Bastards.

[Chris24]

Oh man I don't know what to say. That sucks ! I really hope everything was insured. Hang in there my friend, although everything will feel shitty right now.

[Newcastle Dave]

I am sorry to read this. I feel your pain.   

[smokie]

That's awful news, really sorry to hear it Kristof. I do hope they are able to catch someone for it, also that you are insured, but having had my house burgled last year, I know neither money or justice make up for the annoyance, inconvenience and time wasted by some toe rag thief.

[Grand_Fromage]

That sucks Kristof. I know at least a little of how you must feel. Last time I had gear stolen was about ten years ago, like you it was out of the back of a car. It was a big Peli case with everything in it. I replaced the major items on insurance but I lost a huge number of small low value treasured gadgets that I'd accumulated over the years, that no amount of money could replace.

Commiserations my friend. I feel your pain.
 

[mgmark]

That's a real pi**er.  I hope you're able to get recompense somewhere to replace and continue the fantastic pictures you take.

MG Mark

[Stu]

Bring back hanging. Hope they rot in hell.

[lofty]

Kristoff bad luck comes to us all someday.Hope some sort of insurance will come into play but it wont make up for loss of the race. I have a canon and 300mm lens you can use at Le Mans ill be there wednesday swap back camera and post cards when you finish downloading at home if you like.Your pictures allways make me inspired to read all the instructions and make full use of the functions.It would be better in your hands than mine.I hope you got to Watch some of the race,the last few laps were a blinder.Well done Simon Dolan.What ever you think know dont let the thieving C@~TS put you off. Hope to meet you in june.

[Kristof]

Thanks everyone for all your posts, texts, mails I've got since yesterday and all the offers to use someone elses gear.  Means a lot to me and keeps me going right now !

Decided to let everything go to get accredited at LM this year, can't imagine myself walking around there without my proper gear. Getting all my stuff back together will cost me 2 kidneys and will take more than a year, but I've still got my old camera and a 300 f4 gathering dust, so they'll have to do for the moment.  Some stuff will be replaced real quick (full frame & wide angle) 'cause I need that most, everything else will be replaced when the budget allowes it.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger !  It bloody hurts, but I'm gonna try everything I can to stay in ELMS this season and get cracking pics out of my old gear.

@ Lofty : let's meet up at LM and shoot together for a while !  I followed the race untill my kit vanished, with an hour to go ... cracking race (again), ELMS is getting better and better.
@ GF : What you said, all the gadgets and small things you've gathered can't be replaced, and counting everything they're also worth a good amount of money.

If anyone has some grandstand tickets left for LM, please let me know ... I'm looking out for some.  Time to put some more faces on nicknames down there and have a few beers instead of watching the race through a lens !