FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact: media@balloonfiesta.com
Albuquerque, NM – The 66th Coupe Aeronautique Gordon Bennett, sponsored by BayoTech, is in its third day of competition. As of the 5:00pm MDT update from the Command Center, only two balloons remain in flight Germany 1 (GER-1) and France 2 (FRA-2); both are north of Columbus, Georgia. Near the end of the day, leaders France 1 and United States 1, both landed near Savannah and Dublin, Georgia, respectively.
Team FRA-1’s landing near Savannah marks the longest distance traveled in this year’s race, so far. However, the remaining teams, Germany 1 (GER-1) and France 2 (FRA-2), have a track that is further north than the leaders which could provide a pathway to the Gordon Bennett Cup title because of the ability to get additional distance by flying into South Carolina. The remaining teams are expected to continue flying through the night.
Competitors of this prestigious long-distance gas balloon race launched on Saturday evening, October 7th from the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
Team Updates (5:00pm MDT 10/10/2023)
| Team # | Position | Country | Distance (km) | Distance (miles) | Landed? |
| FRA-1 | 1 | France | 2359.95 | 1466.40 | Landed |
| USA-1 | 2 | USA | 2224.62 | 1382.31 | Landed |
| GER-1 | 3 | Germany | 2010.19 | 1249.07 | |
| FRA-2 | 4 | France | 2000.46 | 1243.03 | |
| USA-2 | 4 | USA | 1947.68 | 1210.23 | Landed |
| ESP-1 | 3 | Spain | 1727.17 | 1073.21 | Landed |
| GER-2 | 8 | Germany | 1648.86 | 1024.55 | Landed |
| AUT-2 | 9 | Austria | 1496.42 | 929.83 | Landed |
| USA-3 | 7 | USA | 1461.6 | 908.20 | Landed |
| AUT-1 | 10 | Austria | 1165.42 | 724.16 | Landed |
| GBR-1 | 11 | United Kingdom | 1091.89 | 678.47 | Landed |
| POL-1 | 12 | Poland | 978.02 | 607.71 | Landed |
| POL-2 | 13 | Poland | 872.48 | 542.13 | Landed |
| GER-3 | 14 | Germany | 494.20 | 307.08 | Landed |
| LTU-1 | 15 | Lithuania | 395.76 | 245.91 | Landed |
| SUI-1 | 16 | Switzerland | 293.33 | 182.27 | Landed |
| FRA-3 | n/a | France | n/a | n/a | No start |
For the most up-to-date information and to track the balloons in real-time, please visit the official Gordon Bennett Cup website at https://balloonfiesta.com/Gordon-Bennett-2023 and our dedicated tracking site at https://live.gordonbennett.aero. Don’t forget to tune in to Gordon Bennett TV for exclusive coverage and insights.
The next update will be provided at 9:00pm MDT 10/10/2023.
About the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta & Gordon Bennett Cup
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, powered by ExxonMobil, is the host for the 66th Gordon Bennett Cup. The Balloon Fiesta is a festival of hot air balloons that takes place in October in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. For details on events, schedule, entertainment and photographs visit our website www.balloonfiesta.com and follow us on Twitter @BalloonFiesta and Facebook.
Media Contact
Name: Tom Garrity
Phone: 505.898.8689
Email: media@balloonfiesta.com
