Sunseeker’s high performance day boat, the Hawk 38, is set to challenge an unusual aerobatic plane as part of the Sea & Sky Sprint during this year’s Bournemouth Air Festival, which is taking place from 1st – 4th September. G-JPIT is a Jet Pitts biplane that features a pair of incredible Lynx Turbojets providing astonishing performance and an unparalleled power-to-weight ratio - but will it be a match against the Hawk 38?

Returning to its performance roots and drawing on the company’s racing heritage, the Hawk 38 delivers an incredible top speed of up to 70mph (62kts) with a safe, comfortable but dynamic ride matched to exceptional turn-in. Her inconceivably smooth-running hull is supported by the addition of four racing seats with shock absorbing mitigation, critical when exploring the full limits of this boat’s performance. Combined with inflatable Hypalon 866 STAB® tubes and a pair of Mercury 400R engines, the ultra-high-performance model achieves heroic speeds and turning grip of a level unimaginable to most boat owners; yet remains totally confidence inspiring, even at its limits.

Bryan Jones, Marketing Manager at Sunseeker International, commented: “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.”  

Jon Weaver, Air Festival Director added: “We are delighted that renowned aerobatics pilot Rich Goodwin has agreed to take on this exciting Sea & Sky Sprint challenge.  He has had a regular presence at the Bournemouth Air Festival for a number of years performing mind-blowing aerobatic stunts in his muscle biplanes.

“The Air Festival provides a great platform to showcase the prominent international status of local brands including Sunseeker International, based in Poole. We are looking forward to our partnership going from strength to strength and we cannot wait to see this spectacular demonstration play out on sea and in the air.”

Retired RAF pilot Richard Goodwin, who will be flying the Sabio Group-sponsored Muscle Biplane, G-JPIT, will be pulling off some dare-devil loop-the-loops and barrel rolls at between 200ft and 1,800ft as part of another individual display during the air show.

He said: “I am very excited by the challenge of doing something a little bit different at the Bournemouth Air Festival; an event which is a real highlight in the UK Air show calendar and one that I look forward to each year.

“We aim to push the boundaries of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to create a unique experience and I am passionate about inspiring our future STEM aviators and engineers.

“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!”

See the Sea & Sky Sprint take place on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th September at the Bournemouth Air Festival and follow #SeaSkySprint on social media.