Fishburn Air Race: Tactics & Tight Finishes
- Royal Aero Club RRRA
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
July Update – Grosvenor Cup & Battle of Britain Trophy
A Northern Welcome & Classic British Racing
The RRRA circus rolled into Fishburn for a weekend of pure air racing, with seven determined crews ready to tackle the Grosvenor Cup and Battle of Britain Trophy. With the rolling countryside below and a friendly crowd, the stage was set for two days of quick thinking, sharp flying, and some classic British weather.
Entrants | Pilots | Navigator | Plane |
Race 1 | Martin Gosling | G-GOSL | |
Race 9 | Bob Johnson | G-CISZ | |
Race 11 | Bill Leary | Ian Scarborough | G-GAXC |
Race 22 | David Moorman | G-DAVM | |
Race 82 | Gordon Bellerby | David Lee | G-GORD |
Race 200 | Cliff Hawkins | Gavin Connolly | G-OTRV |
Race 777 | Ben Polwin | Sophie Polwin | G-RVBP |
Course information
Laps: 7
Turns per lap: 5
Lap Distance: 12.4 NM
Total Distance: 87 NM
Saturday: Overcast, warm
Wind: 260/5
Sunday: Overcast, warm, and a slightly stronger breeze
Wind: 260/10
Saturday: Grosvenor Cup
Practice: The morning kicked off with all seven crews taking to the skies for practice. Some opted for a couple of sighting laps, while others squeezed every minute out of the session. Fishburn’s flat surroundings and clear local landmarks made the turning points easy to spot, giving everyone a fair shot at mastering the course.
Race: This week, all racers launched within a tight 10-minute window, promising nose-to-tail action. With light winds, the stage was set for a classic pursuit.
Bill and Ian #11 were first off at 14:00 on the dot thanks to our timekeeping team on the start line, #11 quickly building a half-lap lead before Gordon #82 began his chase just 30 seconds later. Then, with a 1 ½ lap head start, Martin #1 and Dave #22 joined the hunt. The trio of Vans RV-7s #9, #200 & #777 (including Bob in his debut RV7, Cliff, and Ben) faced a 2.5-lap deficit - meaning serious catch-up and plenty of overtaking drama.
Results: A tight finish at Fishburn
As the race unfolded at Fishburn, it quickly became clear this would be one for the books. Bob #9, making his debut in the RV-7, set a blistering pace and was first over the line, carving out a 30-second gap ahead of Martin #1, who was flying a smooth and consistent race. Just behind, Dave #22 kept up the pressure, with Ben in #777 closing in - only 15 seconds separating them as they crossed the finish.
The field was tightly packed: Gordon #82 followed 38 seconds later, with Cliff #200 unable to dive as he was at max speed holding his own and Bill #11 bringing it home a couple of minutes after the leaders. With the clear Fishburn skies and excellent visibility, spectators could follow every overtake and see the speed differences play out in real time… a fantastic show for everyone at the airfield café.
But as always in handicapped air racing, the excitement didn’t end at the chequered flag. Post-race checks revealed that Bob’s #9 impressive speed came with a hefty penalty for overshooting his target, and Martin #1 also picked up a 28-second penalty.
That reshuffled the podium: Dave’s #22 clean, penalty-free run in the Cap10b earned him the top spot, with Ben’s #777 steady flying moving him up to second. Half a lap more and Ben could have claimed the top position! Martin #1, despite the setback, held onto third after the adjustments. In the end a huge speed penalty took our first over the line racer bob #9 from first position back to 5th!
It was a close, competitive race from start to finish, proof that precision and consistency matter just as much as outright pace at Fishburn.
Lets take a look at the final results sheet for the full breakdown.
This race saw 2 disqualifications:
Sunday: The battle of Britain trophy
Race number 2 for the weekend, with the exact same conditions from Saturday, a nice 260/10 wind, cloud base hovering at 2500 – 3000 ft. meant the day could kick off without a morning practice. Race brief at 10am for a 11am race! With no changes to the racers, the same line up was set, this time for 11am sharp.
While the starting order and lap deficit was the same, the race battle was even closer with many more overtakes than yesterday. Visibility was once again amazing for the day with 10km+ of range, offering spectators at Fishburn café a great opportunity to see the speedster RV’s catch up and unlap themselves.
Sunday Race Results: Neck-and-neck all the way to the line
Sunday’s race at Fishburn was a true showcase of just how tight handicapped air racing can be- right down to the wire. As the laps wound down, the tension on the ground was palpable, with every pair of binoculars fixed on the final approach.
First across the line was Martin #1, but barely had the cheers started before Ben #777 in the powerful RV-7 thundered in - just three seconds behind. It was a heart-stopping moment for everyone watching, and proof that every fraction of a second really does count in this sport.
Hot on their heels, Dave #22 made a dramatic dive for the finish, squeezing every last knot from his Cap10b. The battle for fourth was a spectacle in itself: from the ground, it was nearly impossible to call, as Cliff #200 - staying high at VNE and unable to dive - approached the line level with Bob, who went for a classic low dive to eke out every advantage. To most of us watching, it looked like a photo finish - don’t just take our word for it, look for yourself!
Gordon #82 followed up in fifth, flying a clean and consistent race, and in true sportsmanlike spirit, Bill and Ian #11 rounded out the field a couple of minutes later, greeted by well-earned applause from the crowd.
It was a race packed with close calls, tactical flying, and plenty of excitement - not to mention a finish that’ll be talked about for a long time to come.
Let's take a look at the official results:
This race saw 2 disqualifications
Congratulations to
David Moorman: For winning the Grosvenor Cup
Martin Gosling: For winning the Battle of Britain Trophy
The full gallery can be found here.
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