Sunseeker will be pitting its high-performance Hawk 38 against a Jet Pitts biplane at next month’s Bournemouth Air Festival…
Which is faster: a boat or a plane? In a straight line, it’s no contest – the plane would win every time, but what about on a 1km slalom course?
Visitors to the 2022 Bournemouth Air Festival (September 1-4) will find out as a 62-knot Sunseeker Hawk 38, fitted with twin Mercury 400R outboards, is going head-to-head with G-JPIT, a Jet Pitts biplane that features a pair of Lynx Turbojets.
As if this wasn’t a tough enough challenge for the Sunseeker, the plane will be piloted by retired RAF pilot and renowned aerobatics daredevil Rich Goodwin.
Dubbed the Sea & Sky Sprint challenge, this promises to be an exciting showdown during the last two days of the show.
“I am very excited by the challenge of doing something a little bit different at the Bournemouth Air Festival,” said Goodwin. “Taking on the incredible Sunseeker Hawk 38 at Bournemouth Air Festival is a great opportunity to push the boundaries of aerobatic flying once more. It’s shaping up to be a wonderful occasion!”
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Bryan Jones, Marketing Manager at Sunseeker International, added: “We are delighted to have helped put together this incredible demonstration which will see the Hawk 38 being driven at its limits across a 1km slalom course just in front of the beach, whilst the plane will be following both a horizontal and vertical route in an attempt to cross the finishing line first. Given the agility and performance of both machines, it’s going to be an exciting challenge.”
The UK’s largest air show, Bournemouth Air Festival features performances by the Red Arrows, as well as flypasts by a veritable who’s who of British aircraft: Typhoon, Chinook, Hurricane, Lancaster and Spitfire.
The show is free to attend, but if you’re after a luxury experience, hospitality tickets are on sale now, with prices starting from £85 per person.
Sunseeker are getting involved for the third year in a row after huge parades of vintage Sunseekers took place in 2020 and 2021, with MBY’s own Hugo Andreae judging the best in show.
