The Head Game: ‘You have to tough it out – it’s a real mental battle’

“After 12 hours all you want to do is land.” Talking before the race launch on Sunday night, British balloonist Jonathan Harris, who has been a pilot in the Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett and was there supporting Team GBR 01, explained a little about the mental side of this sport...

“After 12 hours all you want to do is land.” Talking before the race launch on Sunday night, British balloonist Jonathan Harris, who has flown in the Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett and was there supporting Team GBR 01, explained a little about the mental side of this sport.

“It’s freezing cold, you’ve got to understand that. There is no way of heating yourself up. There’s no burner, and you can’t take fuel for heating as it’s too heavy. So at night it’s cold to your bones.

“If you climb high, then the temperatures drop. As soon as you see the sun after your first night you’re thinking about landing. From then on it’s a mental battle to keep going for another night, and then another.

“The guys that can win, you can see them here, they’ve all got that look in their eye, focused. Leys for example, he’s won it more times than anyone else. Yes he's got an amazing balloon and lightweight kit, but he wins because he’s mentally strong. The winners are the ones who can tough it out the longest.”

Photo: Nicolas Tieche and Laurent Sciboz (SUI-02) greet the sun at 7am today