Third Consecutive Win For France

The French team of Vincent Leÿs and Christophe Houver has won the 57th Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett balloon race. The pair landed Wednesday at 8:00 am (local time) after a flight of 1402 km (757 nautical miles). The official distance is subject to the validation of the Event Director. This is the 3rd consecutive victory for France.

The two French pilots landed on Wednesday, August 28th at Lamas (Portugal). They flew 72 hours non-stop from their takeoff on Sunday August 25th, at 6:30 am, from the Grand Nancy Tomblaine Aeropole at Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine, France. Eighteen competitors started the famed distance race in the sky. By Tuesday, August 27th, at 8:00 pm, they were alone in competition. The Germans landed at about 6:00 pm, followed by the Swiss team, which landed just before 8:00 pm.

With 8 victories, Vincent Leÿs (1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013) overtakes the Austrian Josef Starkbaum (1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1993) on  the winners list of the Gordon Bennett race, which was first flown in 1906. France also gets to keep the Trophy for the second time. When the race is won three times in a row by the same nation, it is awarded the trophy to keep.

Vincent Leÿs, who hails from the North of France, is now in the “Hall of Fame” of the aerosation World.

FMI: www.gordonbennett2013.org\