Enniskillen Air Race - The Championship Battle Intensifies

Royal Aero Club RRRA
Aug 31
6 min read

Updated: Sep 3

August Update

A truly memorable adventure crossing to Ireland this month, with teams making their way over throughout the week and spirits running high. We owe a huge thank you to our dedicated ground crew, whose tireless work and support ensured every bit of kit - and every pilot - made it safely to the other side. The local taxi service (Ian), as always, was a lifeline, helping everyone get where they needed to be with minimum fuss.

Our Clerk of the Course, Dan Pangbourne, had planned to fly over from Popham on Friday in his newly refurbished PA28. But as fate would have it, a last-minute alternator failure grounded his plans. Thankfully, chief steward John Tansley came to the rescue, finding Dan a 2:00 AM ferry from Holyhead to Dublin. Dan and Carrie finally arrived at the team hotel, sleepless but determined, just in time for the races - a truly Herculean effort and a testament to the team’s commitment.

As the air racing community descended on Enniskillen for one of the most anticipated weekends of the season, excitement was sky-high with not one, but two coveted trophies up for grabs. Saturday saw pilots compete for the Merlin Trophy, while Sunday’s action centred on the legendary Schneider Trophy - a name steeped in aviation history. Originally conceived in 1913 by Jacques Schneider, the Schneider Trophy became an international symbol of speed, innovation, and national pride, inspiring fierce competition and driving some of the most significant advances in aircraft design during the golden age of flight. With so much at stake, and a championship leaderboard led by Ben Polwin (102 points) but hotly contested by David Moorman (80 points), Jonathan Willis (78) points, and Gordon Bellerby (79 points), the stage was set for a weekend of fast flying, and a nod to some of air racing’s greatest traditions.

Weekend's Entrants

Race Number	Pilot	Navigator	Plane
5	Anthony James Maxwell	Daniel Grundy	G-CIFL
7	Catherine Ruddick	Neil Flemming	G-BUAO
9	Bob Johnson		G-CISZ
22	David Moorman		G-DAVM
23	Jonathan Willis		G-TNGO
25	Martin Gosling		G-GOSL
26	Matthew Summers		G-RVPL
44	Neil Cooper	Alistair Allan	G-EKTN
82	Gordon Bellerby	David Lee	G-GORD
777	Ben Polwin	Sophie Polwin	G-RVBP

Course Information

Laps: 8

Turns per lap: 5

Lap Distance: 10.75NM

Race distance: ~86NM

Merlin Trophy

A strong line up of 10 racers joined us this morning at Enniskillen, however missing from the line-up was a series regular of Bill Leary suffering from a grounded airplane. Showing true support Bill managed to join for the weekend and will likely see his return in Wellesbourne next month! Joining the field after absence at Fishburn though, was Catherine Ruddick, navigated by Neil Flemming in her 1946 Luscombe Silvaire. Another noteworthy entrant was the Beechcraft Baron of returning Neil Cooper, navigated by Alister Allen, providing twin-engine performance around the course making their debut in G-EKTN. Anthony Maxwell also made his debut into the race arena with Daniel Grundy as his nav in another speedster Vans RV-6 G-CIFL!

Practice kicked off in the morning on Runway 14, with only a few brave enough to take on the poor weather. Jonathan (with Ian navigating) being able to find the scatters and helping the others locate them. Due to poor weather in the morning, the organisers opted for a delayed race start to see if the weather would clear. This improvement did arrive with a wind swing around the other way allowing for a more manageable start procedure on Runway 32 and allowed for a full race of 8 laps to kick off at 15:30.

G-BUAO kicked things off right on time at 15:30:00, enjoying an 18-minute head start before the first contender, G-GORD, was unleashed at 15:47:57. From there, the chase was on, with aircraft released every couple of minutes as the tension built. By the time the fastest starter, GEKTN, took off at 16:00:29, G-BUAO had already been flying for just under 31 minutes - covering half the course at 45 nautical miles, or about 4 laps of the 8-lap course!

The true drama played out mid-field. G-GORD, starting 18 minutes after G-BUAO, finished ahead of the early leader thanks to a faster actual race time (00:41:47 vs. G-BUAO’s 01:01:54), overtaking around the final lap. The eventual winner, G-DAVM, started at 15:51:58 – starting over 21 minutes behind G-BUAO - but with a rapid actual race time of 00:36:28, closed the gap and making plenty of overtakes, crossing the line just ahead in adjusted time.

With every pilot chasing their own target time, the tension ramped up as the faster aircraft tried to reel in the early starters.

Top Three Finishers:

🥇 GDAVM (Race 22) – Flawless flying and a razor-thin margin (+0.73% from handicap speed) put GDAVM on the top step, finishing in 36:28 and shaking up the points race.

🥈 GRVBP (Race 777) – Consistent and quick, just behind the leader.

🥉 GRVPL (Race 26) – A strong comeback after a few races off

Let’s take a look at the results sheet for the full breakdown.

With his strong finish in the Merlin Trophy, David Moorman picked up 25 points - outscoring Ben Polwin’s 18 and slicing the championship lead down from 22 to just 15 points. The title fight was suddenly back on!

Notable Moments:

The top five were separated by less than two minutes - a testament to just how competitive this season has become.

The Schneider Trophy

After the drama and points shake-up of Saturday’s Merlin Trophy, anticipation was sky-high as pilots returned to Enniskillen for the Schneider Trophy - a race steeped in aviation history and international prestige. The Schneider Trophy, first contested in 1913 and renowned for driving innovation and rivalry in the golden age of flight, added a layer of legacy and pride to the day’s action. The weather played its part, too: Sunday brought classic late-summer conditions, with a breezy westerly wind the teams could use Runway 14 once again with the “hard to see” scatter points – advantage going to those who had seen them the day before… (Sophie looking smugly).

As engines warmed and the grid assembled, the mood was tense: would Ben respond to the pressure, or could David and the chasing pack close the gap even further?

With the grid set and the field spaced out by carefully calculated intervals, the opening laps saw G-BUAO once again leading the charge into clear air.

The pursuit format delivered classic air racing drama. Early on, G-BUAO and the other front-runners enjoyed their moment in the spotlight, but it was clear from the split times that the chasers were closing in fast. GRVPL, launching from near the back, was relentless - clocking lap times that steadily ate into the deficit. GRVBP, another late starter, matched the pace and kept the pressure on throughout.

As the race entered its final laps, the field began to compress, with overtakes and position changes coming thick and fast. By the last circuit, the leading pack had converged, setting up a nail-biting finish where just seconds would separate the top contenders on corrected time.

Podium Finishers:

🥇 1st: GRVPL (Race 26) – A flawless run, just 0.02% off the handicap time, saw GRVPL carve through the field from a late start to claim victory and crucial championship points.

🥈 2nd: GRVBP (Race 777) – Consistency and pace paid off once again, with GRVBP securing a strong second place after another impressive charge.

🥉 3rd: GGOSL (Race 1) – A hard-fought podium, with GGOSL making up ground in the closing stages.

The second of the ‘Ulster Weekend’, dawned clear and the prestigious Schneider Trophy race, saw one of the closest races of the season so far, with the top two finishers scoring identical race times; of 12m 02.32 seconds for the eight lap event. The final results, taking into account optimum distance flown and average speed against handicap, went to Matthew Summers who adds his name to the prestigious Schneider Trophy list.

Post-Race Highlights

GRVPL’s (Race 26) victory tightened the championship race even further, keeping the pressure on Ben Polwin and the other front-runners.

GRVBP (Race 777) showed relentless form all weekend, cementing their status as one of the most consistent and competitive pilots on the grid.

GGOSL’s (Race 1) late surge to third place was one of the standout stories of the day, demonstrating both skill and tactical nous.

The pursuit format delivered again, with the top finishers separated by just seconds on corrected time—proving how competitive and finely balanced this championship has become.

GCIFL (Race 5) suffered a tough disqualification for missing a scatter point, a reminder that accuracy and navigation are as vital as speed.

Congratulations to