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Yesterday, three of Brazil's most accomplished big distance XC pilots, Frank
Brown, Rafael Salladi and Marcelo Preito, foot launched from Brazil's fabled big
distance mecca of Quixada in Ceara state and 461.8 km!
The team took off on Sol Tracer competition wings at 07:30 and managed to
climb out under a cloudy sky. They were part of a group of seven pilots, but the
other four quickly went down. The team of three flew the entire day together and
only landed after night had fallen.
The massive flights across the hot, dry northeast corner of Brazil finally
takes Will Gadd's 2002 record of 426 km. The record had been broken by 5 km
before by the Valic brothers from Da Aar in South Africa, but a technical glitch
in the rules meant the FAI were unable to ratify it. Whether the team have their
paper work in order and are able to get this flight ratified will remain unknown
for several weeks yet.
The new record has been brewing for a while now with the team having already
logged three flights over 400 km from Quixada this year.
With the record out of the way the team can focus themselves on what will be
a massive milestone in the history books of paragliding: the first 500 km flight
by paraglider. With other teams in South Africa and Australia waiting for
conditions the race is on.
More news as it breaks. Full report next issue.
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