John Aldridge <john> writes:

It is worth noting that the FAI has also validated the first 3 of
the records you report as South American Continental Records – see
http://records.fai.org/data?c=10. 
This category of record has only become available since 1st May and only one
other record has been approved – a paragliding tandem record.

There are two other recent World Records which would also qualify as Continental
Records if the NACs applied for them, another female paraglider record set by an
Italian and Dustin Martin’s hang gliding speed record. It also looks as if Phil
Schroder’s Class 2 speed record in Australia claimed recently will also qualify
if it is validated and claimed as such by Oz.

CIVL is looking forward to seeing other continental records set individually,
rather than as an “extra” to a world record. The minimum distances required to
set the initial records in each category are going onto the FAI website now and
some for Europe can already be seen at the link above.

The FAI states:

FAI has ratified the European record:

Category: Multiplace Paragliders

Type of record : Out-and-return distance

Course/location : Sorica (Slovenia)

Performance : 167.3 km

Pilot : Toby COLOMBÉ (UK)

Crew : Cefn HOILE (UK)

Paraglider : Bi_Golden XC / Gradient

Date :26.07.2009

Previous record :  no record set yet

FAI has ratified the following South-American records:

Category: Feminine Paraglider

Pilot : Kamira PEREIRA RODRIGUES (Brazil)

Paraglider : Tracer / Sol Paragliders

Type of record : Straight distance to a declared goal

Course/location : Quixada, CE (Brazil) - Castelo Do Piaui, PI (Brazil)

Performance : 285.3 km

Date :14.11.2009

Previous record :  no record set yet

Type of record : Straight distance

Course/location : Quixada, CE (Brazil) - Novo S Antonio (Brazil)

Performance : 324.7 km

Date :14.11.2009

Previous record :  no record set yet

Type of record : Distance using up to 3 turn points

Course/location : Quixada (Brazil)

Performance : 131.5 km

Date :10.11.2009

Previous record :  no record set yet

Laura Nelson <funwings> writes:

If I read the General Sporting Code and the Section 7 Sporting
Codes correctly, then a pilot can only be awarded a Continental record if
his/her record is declared a National Record (the same as for a World Record).
This, in my understanding, means that for a South African pilot to set any
Continental distance record anywhere on any continent in the world, he will have
to beat Nevill Hulett's 502km, only because he happens to be South African.

Pilots from countries where the National Record is maybe far less (e.g. 200km
perhaps), can then fly a 250km distance in SA, thereby setting a new National
Record in his country as well as being able to claim the African Continental
Record. So unfortunately Nevill's fantastic world record has now blocked SA
pilots from setting Continental distance records, unless they can manage to
exceed 502km.

John Aldridge <john> writes:

You are correct that a flight must first be declared as a national
record before being declared an international one i.e. either a continental or
world record.

Pilots can only set continental records for flights starting (and largely flown)
in the continent where they hold a FAI Sporting Licence. CIVL followed the IPC
in adopting this rule as it did not wish to encourage "Record Tourism" where we
might see a few cash and time rich pilots travelling the globe "bagging"
continental records.

This means that pilots from other continents cannot set continental records in
Africa, though they can set world records there. Conversely pilots holding an
FAI Sporting Licence issued by an African country cannot set continental records
elsewhere - whether they are able to beat Neville's distance or not. However it
is still possible for some South African pilots to set feminine or multi-place
continental straight distance and distance to goal records with considerably
shorter distances.

Neville's record flight was made before the introduction of continental records
on 1st May 2009 so it cannot actually be such a record. However it might seem
strange if another pilot should be awarded an African Continental Record for a
lesser flight so CIVL set his distance as the minimum distance to beat for
initial continental straight distance record claims. Unfortunately no data on
national records was submitted to the FAI by an African nation before these
records were introduced so CIVL set some arbitrary distances for initial claims
for the various records and categories. These should be available to view at
http://records.fai.org/data?c=10 soon and the full list of rules and record
types can be found by anyone downloading Section 7D of the FAI Sporting Code
from http://www.fai.org/hang_gliding/documents.

I hope this is of some help - and that we can read about pilots setting new
African Continental Records soon.