Helen to Atlantic Balloon Race won in record time

A balloon floats above the Blue Ridge after lifting off from a field in Helen early on Thursday, May 30, 2024.Photo byDaniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com

And we have a winner…

Balloonist Bill Smith of Simpsonville, Kentucky, crossed the finish line first in the Helen to the Atlantic Balloon Race on Thursday, May 30. Race officials say Smith crossed I-95 in record time at 1:35 p.m. EDT.

At 6 hours 35 minutes, race organizer Catherine Cleiman says it was the fastest race ever.

Balloonist Mark Meyer of Vass, North Carolina, came in a close second. “To have a first and second in record time and within minutes of one another is incredible,” Cleiman added.

As the day progresses, thermal winds can become a hazardous condition for balloonists. It is the reason hot air balloons are flown in the early morning hours and the evening. Cole Cleiman said one of the balloonists was reaching 35 to 45 miles an hour, which for a balloon is fast.

The winner wins a large beer stein and “all the glory,” Cole Cleiman says.

This is the second year that Smith has participated in the Helen to Atlantic. Distance is no stranger to Smith. He did a long-distance flight of 753 miles from North Dakota to Kentucky.

Mark Meyer has been ballooning since 1996. It was his third year as a participant in today’s race. He finished just minutes away from Smith’s record-breaking finish.

Photo byDaniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com

Photo byDaniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com

Photo byDaniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com

A hot air balloon floats high above Yonah Mountain in White County, Georgia, the morning of May 30, 2024.Photo byDaniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com

Race kicks off 3-day festival in Helen

Smith and Meyer were among six hot air balloon pilots who competed. They took off from a field on the outskirts of Helen Thursday at 7 a.m. EDT. The goal was to cross I-95 anywhere between Maine and Miami.

Thousands of spectators turned out at dawn to watch the start of the race. Cleiman says 3,500 attended Thursday morning’s launch. It’s the largest crowd they’ve had in the past twenty years.

The Helen balloon race is one of the most spectacular recurring sights in Northeast Georgia, now in its 51st year.

The balloonists who stayed back will remain in Helen for a three-day festival, which runs through Saturday, June 1.