A SKYDIVER has set a new British record by completing 60 skydives in a day - one more than the previous record holder, his father from Honiton.

Dan Guest, 32 from Bristol, set the new record at Skydive Langar in Nottinghamshire on June 12, jumping once every 11 minutes on average from an exit altitude of 3,500 feet.

He worked with the skydiving centre to put plans in place, including a dedicated aircraft, dedicated landing area, spare parachutes and a portaloo.

Speaking of the record attempt, Dan said: “It was hard work but also a lot of fun. The most jumps I’ve ever done before in one day is 17 so this was quite different. It felt like a long day but also passed quickly at the same time; from 8.30am, it was go go go and everyone worked together so well to make it happen for us. We’re very grateful to Skydive Langar and the whole team there for helping us achieve this ambitious goal.”

Dan is a multiple time national champion in skydiving and has represented Great Britain at a number of world level events.

Having grown up around the sport, Dan has also been able to jump with his brother, his mum and his dad Andy - who held the previous record at a total of 50 jumps in a day.

Speaking of his son’s new record, Andy Guest, 66 from Honiton said: “Daniel and I used to play in a table tennis league together. Anyone that has seen us play table tennis against each other would have seen the intense fast games we have, clearly showing the rivalry between us. So it came as little surprise to me when he told me about his record attempt!

“I would like to congratulate them all on an excellent achievement.”

Dan was joined on the day by his dad Mikey Lovemore. The team used a dedicated Cessna 206 aircraft which will operate alongside the centre’s normal skydiving programme, a separate landing in a separate area and with their own team of parachute packers.

Mikey Lovemore dedicated his jumps to fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support who provided support to him after a tongue cancer diagnosis in January 2021. He has since recovered from cancer, having undergone a series of treatments, and took to Facebook to announce his fundraising attempt.

He continues to accept donations on his Justgiving page. 

He said: “A few years ago I discovered a cancerous tumour on my tongue. It was dealt with quickly and amazingly by the consultant surgeons at Maxillofacial department in Bristol Royal Infirmary and I was supported from start to finish through the process by Macmillan Cancer Support.

“I have an opportunity to say thank you to Macmillan for the amazing work they do to support people through cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery, most of whom go through a much tougher time than I did.”

Josh Carratt, Drop Zone Manager at Skydive Langar, said: “It was a pleasure for us to host the record attempt, which presented a number of challenges and considerations for us to work through with the team. We’ve hosted a wide array of skydiving records at our airfield over the years, though this is the first attempt at the most individual jumps in a day. We’re very pleased Dan and his team managed to achieve their goal and congratulate them all for a great job.”

The original record was set by Andy Guest in 2022 at 50 jumps, done to mark the Queen’s jubilee.