The 75^th Schneider Trophy air race

The Royal Aero Club Records Racing and Rally Association is running the 75^th Schneider Trophy at Bembridge Airport on 2 and 3 September - hosted by the Britten Norman Aircraft Group with Breitling Watches as the main sponsor.

The prestigious trophy – famously won for the third time by the British with the Supermarine S6 in 1931 and so retained in perpetuity - is being competed for the 75^th time by 50 international pilots and their navigators.

The Royal Aero Club Records Racing and Rally Association has, over many years, developed a system of handicapping which sees the slowest aircraft take off first and the fastest last.

The competing aircraft will range from trainers, single seat racers, classic tourers, executive twins, homebuilts, and seaplanes through to war-birds - racing at speeds between 100mph to 250mph.

The race course starts at Bembridge and tracks over the Solent before returning over Osborne House, turning south east of Cowes and back to Bembridge.

The 50 aircraft will practise over the course on Friday and Saturday morning, before completing five 25-mile laps on Saturday afternoon (3pm), for The Rolls Royce Merlin Trophy.

On Sunday they will compete again, this time for the main event – The 75th Schneider Air Race (starts 1.30pm).

The winning pilot of the Schneider race will receive a solid silver replica trophy and their name attached to the original (which is on loan to the Science Museum in London), as well as £3,000.

There will also be prizes of £100 each for the top ten in the Saturday Rolls Royce Merlin Trophy Air Race - for pilots who have completed two air races earlier in the 2006 season.