The story of French record The 463-kilometre route, to be completed on 23 April 2024, began in mid-April, when the Alps were hit by cold, snowy weather, forcing the drivers to seek out favourable conditions on the plains. Meticulous preparation was undertaken, orchestrated by a dedicated team of drivers and pilots. An experienced group set off from Notre Dame de la Mer for a dynamic flight in favourable conditions as far as Vendôme. Despite a few challenges near the Loire and Creuse rivers, the group remained united and strong, crossing the symbolic 400-kilometre barrier over the Périgord-Limousin Park. Driven by the wind and the light of the setting sun, the pilots managed to extend their performance to 463 kilometres. They landed together on the plain, celebrating their achievement and recognising the importance of group cohesion and managing controllable parameters to push the limits.
Although the site is modest in size and only allows two paragliders to take off at a time, it was packed to the rafters with dozens of pilots ready to try and break the record. News of the presence of the big names in the discipline spread quickly, suddenly attracting a host of pilots who came to try their luck! underlined Julien. "We counted around 55 sails, which is exceptional for a site of this size.
Six pilots break French paragliding record: a remarkable feat
The team of French paragliders had set themselves some ambitious targets, including setting a new FAI Declared European Record at 350km and an FAI Declared European Junior Record at 250km. Initially, the idea of exceeding 400 km and beating the French record was not on the agenda, as Julien Garcia explained: "We knew it was a good day. But we never thought we'd set a record. Because it's April, we simply didn't think it was possible to exceed 400 km. So what we had in mind was to do a big training run on the plains with the whole team, the group, and maybe we could hit 350 km. The first plan was to beat the declared European record, which was 321 km."
However, the exceptional conditions at the start of the flight, with the leading pack averaging 50 km/h for the first two hours, quickly changed the outlook for the day.
By the time they had committed themselves to reaching the 350km turning point, some of the frontrunners had already set their sights on 400km, a goal that initially seemed unthinkable.
In the end, only two drivers, Jonathan Marin and Remi Bourdelle, reached the declared target. Both achieved it successfully, claiming the new FAI European declared record. Remi landed at the 350km target, while Jonathan managed to catch up with the leading pack and land with them at the end. In addition, Hippolyte Melo, aged 19, covered 250 km to claim the FAI's declared European record in the new Juniors category.
The idea of a team record is not new, and is something that the Brazilians initiated when they set world records in the north-east of the country in the 2010s.
Paragliding distance records should also be mentioned, with the European free distance record set at 500.86 km in Finland on 11 June 2021, and the current FAI world record set at 609.9 km in Texas, USA, on 20 June 2021. These achievements illustrate the scale of what has been achieved in the world of paragliding.
French Paragliding Record Video April 2024
After their record flightFrench team leader Julien Garcia stressed the importance of the team flight to achieve such a performance. After more than 10-hour flightIt was Honorin Hamard, recently crowned winner of the Paragliding World Cup Superfinal, who suggested that all the pilots should land together. "Honorin suggested it. It was slightly higher, maybe 100m, but he said 'OK, if there's a 100m difference, we might as well all land together'." As a result, the team landed in the same place, covering a distance of 457.5 km in a straight linewhich means they can claim the new record as a team.
Group theft and strategy
Flight Strategy
The key to the success of this flight lay in the team strategy adopted by the pilots. After more than 10 hours in the air, it was Honorin Hamard, recent winner of the Paragliding World Cup Superfinal, who suggested that the team land together, marking their collective success.
Explanations: In paragliding competitions, flight strategy generally distinguishes between two types of pilots: the attackers and thehe preservatives. Attackers take calculated risks to exploit favourable weather conditions and gain distance, while conservatives adopt a more cautious approach, favouring the preservation of their position at altitude. An effective strategy skilfully combines these two approaches, enabling pilots to maximise their performance while minimising the risk of landing prematurely.
Previous French record
A notable example of achievement in the field of paragliding is the world record speed record set by Ozone team rider Charles Cazaux on 24 August 2020. He managed to reach an average speed of 46.9 km/h over a 25 km triangular course on the Col du Banchet in France, surpassing his own record in the process. This remarkable feat testifies to the skill and determination of the French to push back the limits of this very special sport.
Several flight objectives
The pilots had set a number of targets, including a new FAI Declared European Record at 350 km and an FAI Declared European Junior Record (men and women) at 250 km.
The idea of flying more than 400 km and beating the French record was not on the agenda at the start, said Julien. "We knew it was a good day. But we never thought we'd set a record. Because it's April, we simply didn't think it was possible to exceed 400 km.
So, what we had in mind was to do a big training run on the plains with the whole team, and maybe we could reach 350 km!
The first plan was to beat the declared European record, which was 321 km." However, after excellent conditions at the start, which saw the leading pack averaging 50km/h for the first two hours, it was clear that the day was going to be a very special one indeed.
By the time they set out to reach the 350km turning point, some of the leading drivers were already aiming for 400km. In the end, only two drivers - Jonathan Marin and Remi Bourdelle - reached the declared target.
Both have achieved it and will claim the new European record declared the FAI.
Remi landed at the 350km target, while Jonathan managed to catch up with the leading pack and land with them at the end. Hippolyte Melo, 19, flew 250 km to claim the FAI's declared European record in the new Juniors category.
The idea of a team record is not unprecedented, and is something that the Brazilians initiated when they set world records in the north-east of the country in the 2010s.
The European record for free paragliding distance is 500.86 km. It was set in Finland on 11 June 2021 by Jouni Makkonen and is the only 500 km flight to date in Europe. The current FAI paragliding world record is 609.9 km and was set on 20 June 2021 by Sebastian Kayrouz in Texas, USA.
New records to beat: the French on the road to excellence
The recent exploits of French drivers are paving the way for new attempts in France. With the establishment of new records and the growing commitment of young pilots, paragliding in France is booming, promising a future full of exciting challenges and remarkable successes. Stay tuned for the next feats that are sure to enrich the history of paragliding in France!
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