HONOLULU, Hawaii (Reuters) - British tycoon Richard Branson was undaunted on Saturday by the failure of his third round-the-world balloon record attempt - despite losing a $300,000 bet on his latest exploit. "I think the most important thing is that in the last seven days we`ve just had the greatest adventure of our lifetimes," Branson told reporters at a news conference with his two co-pilots - American Steve Fossett and Swede Per Lindstrand. The three were plucked from the sea off Hawaii on Friday by U.S. Coast Guard helicopters as bad weather forced them to abort their bid to be the first to fly nonstop around the world in a hot-air balloon. They were winched to safety after jumping into the water from their capsule, which was dragged bouncing across the rough seas for miles by the attached balloon. All were unhurt. Fossett, a millionaire Chicago stock options broker who teamed up with Britain`s best-known entrepreneur after two unsuccessful solo record attempts this year, said Branson had bet $300,000 with British bookmakers, who were giving odds of 10-1 against them, that they would succeed this time. "If he won, it would have been a $3 million prize which he was going to contribute to his charities," Fossett said. Their giant hot-air balloon, which took off from Morocco on Dec. 18, travelled about 8,200 miles (13,120 km) - about half the distance of its intended odyssey - before the dejected adventurers decided to abandon the record bid on Christmas Day when an area of low pressure blocked their path. East winds taking the balloon to the U.S. coast turned south and with no way through and only four or five days fuel left, the men were forced to abandon their flight and head for the safety of Hawaii. On landing, the capsule was dragged bouncing along the water for about 10 minutes until the wind eased enough for the crew to jump out. "It was the most hairy landing I`ve ever been through," said the 48-year-old Branson, who heads up the Virgin Group companies and has made two previous unsuccessful attempts at the last great aviation record. But he was characteristically vague about whether he might be tempted to try yet again. "I`ve definitely used up my nine lives, I suspect we all have used up our nine lives. At the same time we now know we have the technology that can do it ... a balloon that is capable of sailing around the world," he said. In August, the 54-year-old Fossett survived a death-defying fall of thousands of yards (meters) into the South Pacific when lightning storms ripped his balloon and ended his fourth round-the-world bid. "When Richard and I jumped out and we`re in the water and we`re right close to each other, I reached over and shook hands and said `We`ve survived,`" Fossett said. In London, project director Mike Kendrick said: "I know it`s a failure, but it`s a glorious failure." Another seven crews across the globe are in varying stages of preparation to launch their own attempts at the record. Four are ready for an attempt this winter, and Branson said there was a good chance one would succeed. "I wouldn`t be surprised if somebody manages to beat us before we are able to fly again," he said.