HGFA Skysailor Magazine

SKY SAILOR 31 November | December 2018 T he current World Number 3 recently sailed into first place at the Brazilian Nationals, having glided to glory in two tasks to win the competition with a few hundred spare points. With 60 competing pilots, Jonny, who is world- renowned for his unique feats and world firsts, said the competition wasn’t without its set of challenges, with many of the top pilots having to the land in the final task. “I flew my own race and was in front nearly the whole day. I won the task by over 25 minutes on the first start gate,” he said. “Brasilia offered its typical weather – strong thermals, high cloudbases and quite windy. It's one of my favourite places in the world to compete when the weather is good.” Jonny has been flying for most of his life. “I've been flying for 23 years and have competed in over 200 competitions around the world. My father started flying when I was nine and I used to go tandem flying with him until I was old enough to fly by myself.” Brazil has become one of Jonny’s favourite flying locations and a challenging competition one. “My first trip to Brazil was in 2001 when I was 20, and I come back once or twice a year. Brazil is one of the hardest places to win a comp, as the pilots are great and everyone loves to race. Over the years, Brazil has proven to have the most consistent flying on the international circuit.” Gliding to Glory World record holding hang glider pilot, Jonny Durand, has always set his sights sky high when it comes to competing on an international stage, and the Brazilian Nationals held in Brasilia were no different.  First place in the Brazilian Nationals 2018 Photo: Courtesy Moyes Gliders