Richard Westgate is the current holder for this record. He wasn't content with the previous record of 113km that he held, so he did it again. The following report has been taken from his article published in Skywings Septembers issue.
Richard Westgate, test flying a Gradient
Aspen on July 24th at the XCIent winch field
near Cheltenham, landŽed near Newmarket after
five hours in the air, having covered 171,6km.
"With 25km/h reported at Frocester I
was surprised that it seemed OK when I got
to the winch field at mid-day," reports
Richard. "I was committed after a couple
of 360s although the sky looked average with
high cirrus and broken, weak climbs. I struggled
past Banbury at 50km; my climbs seemed to
disintegrate above 3,000ft but I was able
to drift along at 25km/h. I found out later
that sailplanes were climbing to 8,000ft
in wave in the area, which helps to explain
the conditions! I nearly decked it just past
the M1, but a risky glide over Salcey Forest
forest rewarded me with a low save. My track
took me between Northampton and Milton Keynes
and just north of Bedford. After exceeding
the winch-record mark at 113km the conditions
ahead started looking good and I got up to
5,500ftA street stretched to the horizon,
and at 80km/h the coast at 260km looked possible,
but the wind had swung west-north-west towards
Duxford where there was temporary air space
due to an airshow. I couldn't remember the
restrictions so I pushed north around Little
Gransden and Bourn towards Cambridge. I couldn't
outrun the effects of a sheet of alto-stratos
and I spent the last hour under a miserable
sky with no sun on the ground. I managed
to find half and 1 ups to maintain 2,500ft
past Cambridge and over Newmarket racecourse
(100 miles), eventually landing at Dalham
in Suffolk. National Express got me to Cheltenham
and a taxi from there got me back to the
car at 3.40 am! Thanks to all at XClent for
the fantastic winch operation, and sponsors
Gradient and Skyview Systems."