Fifth victory for Switzerland at the 68th Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett
Switzerland’s Team SUI-1, composed of Kurt Frieden (above right) and Pascal Witprächtiger (left), have secured their fifth victory in the Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett, the FAI World Long Distance Gas Balloon Championship.
The 68th edition of the race began on Friday 5 September, with take-off from Metz, France. After three challenging nights in the air, Frieden and Witprächtiger landed on the banks of the Danube in Romania, having flown the furthest distance from the launch site. Their winning flight covered 1,359.09 km in 2 days, 19 hours and 30 minutes.
Second place was taken by the German team GER-3, Benedict Munz and Matthias Schlegel, with 1,258.93 km. Third place went to the French team FRA-2, Éric Decellières and Benoit Havret, who landed close behind with 1,257.55 km.
Benoît Havret and Eric Decellières braving the cold
With their fifth win, Frieden and Witprächtiger confirmed their place as the most successful team in this year’s competition. With more than three decades of experience and over 3,500 hours in gas balloons, they remain a benchmark of precision and excellence in the sport.
Every team in this year’s race delivered a remarkable performance. Whether seasoned veterans or first-time competitors, all braved difficult weather, long nights, and complex navigation challenges to push the limits of distance ballooning.
Cathy Picard, President of the Organising Committee, said:
“We extend our gratitude to the volunteers, local partners, sponsors and the entire ballooning community whose dedication made this edition of the Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett an outstanding success.”
Friday, launch day in Metz, France - credit: Bennie Bos
