The Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett is the oldest and most prestigious gas balloon competition in the world, established in 1906 by James Gordon Bennett Jr., the son of a wealthy American newspaper magnate and founder of the New York Herald.
His goal was to create a event, combining technological challenge and human, in which participants had to travel the distance.
ORIGINS OF THE COMPETITION
Bennett, who was passionate about sports and discovery, initially
financed other prestigious competitions, such as car races and
overseas expeditions, including Stanley’s expedition to find Dr.
Livingstone in Africa. His for adventure then led him to organize
aeronautical events. In 1905, in Pau, he the Coupe des Pyrénées,
a balloon race the mountains. success, he then the first Gordon
Bennett Cup in 1906 in Paris, at the Jardin des Tuileries. This first
edition attracted more than 100,000 spectators, making the race
an international event from beginnings.
FRENCH VICTORIES
France has made history in the Gordon Bennett on several
occasions, including winning several editions. The first French
victory dates back to 1912, with the crew of Maurice Bienaimé
and René Rumpelmayer, who covered 2,191 km between Stuttgart and Moscow in 45 hours. This flight remained a world
distance record until 2005. More recently, the French team of Eric Decellieres and Benoit Havret won the 2023 edition with a flight of 2,661.40 km in 85h 43 mns consolidating France’s place in the competition’s nations ranking.
Vincent Leÿs, a legendary figure in the French gas balloon, won
the Gordon Bennett 9 times. He trained many pilots and
contributed to saving the practice in France from almost certain
extinction. He is known for his expertise and instinct as a driver,
having marked the history of racing with anthology races. In
particular the one in 2002 from Chatellerault where he and his
brother flew over the Atlantic Ocean for many hours before
returning to cut off the Portuguese coast at their south-western
extremity.
BALLOONS AND TECHNOLOGY
The balloons used in the Gordon Bennett are gas balloons, today
filled mainly with hydrogen. A typical racing balloon has a volume
limited to 1,000 cubic meters, much smaller than traditional hot
air balloons, but it can fly for up to 100 hours without interruption (this duration record was broken in November 2024
by a German crew). Pilots must carefully manage their ballast and gas to maximize the distance travelled. Flying is a true endurance race, where every strategic decision about altitude and winds can make a difference.
LEGENDARY RACES
Several editions of the Gordon Bennett have left an indelible mark on the history of balloon:
• In 1997, departing from Warstein in Germany, after more than
60 hours of flight, the three balloons landed on the shore of the Black Sea, with the French Leys brothers crew winning the race.
• For the 2009 edition, the pilots flew over the Mediterranean for the first time, with French Vincent Leys and Sebastien Rolland landing after more than 70 hours of flight in Portugal, balloons scattered around the sea landing in Sardinia, Algeria, or the Balearic Islands.
• The last 2024 edition started from Münster, Germany where
Moselle pilots Guillaume Jouaville and Christophe Houver
finished fourth, after a spectacular flight of 2084 km in 64 hours,
flying over four countries.the race was marked by a breathtaking
finish. The SUI1 balloon Cape Saint Vincent over the
Mediterranean to land. Alas, the Austrian crew of Christian
Wagner and Stefanie Liller, half an hour later flying over the
Atlantic Ocean, made the same manoeuvre to land barely 1.5km.
(2111.17km for 67 hours of flight) The German GER 3 crew
came up short at 2.8 km from the winners!
Gordon Bennett 2024 : the crews flew over Metz at 7:45 a.m. on
Sunday, September 15
AN EVER-GROWING INTERNATIONAL RACE
The Gordon Bennett continues to attract from the world. The
2024 edition will gather about 30 teams representing 14 nations, each to push the limits of gas balloon. Thanks to the odernisation of the tracking systems and the growing interest in ballooning, the race is now followed by an international audience in real time, making each edition more exciting than the last.
WHY IS GORDON BENNETT IMPORTANT?
More than just a race, the Gordon Bennett represents ultimate
challenge of , strategy and skill. For more than a hundred years, it
has brought together the best pilots in the world, each driven by the desire to push the limits of what is possible. The race
celebrates not only human ingenuity, but also the spirit of
adventure and exploration, captivating spectators across the
globe.
