Cuban, breaking own record, rolls longest cigar

Havana: A Cuban cigar roller broke his own record on Tuesday by rolling the world's longest cigar, a monster smoke that stretched 268 feet 4 inches, or most of the length of a football field.

Resting on tables, it sprawled through El Morro, an old Spanish fort overlooking Havana Bay, where Cuba is holding its annual International Tourism Fair.

The cigar, once it is officially accepted by Guinness World Records in London, will eclipse the previous record cigar of 148 feet 9 inches, both rolled by Jose Castelar Cairo, better known as "Cueto".

The monster smoke stretched 268 feet 4 inches, or most of the length of a football field.

Cueto, 67, has set the record four previous times and feels it is a matter of national pride for Cuba, producer of the world's finest cigars, to keep it.

"It has to be in Cuba always because Cuba is where the best tobacco in the world is," he said.

Cueto, who learned cigar rolling when he was 5 years old, started work on the current cigar on April 25 and had help from several assistants.

The length of the cigar was verified by Rhys Patrick of the British embassy in Havana, who said the information would be sent in a letter to Guinness requesting confirmation of the record.

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