The inaugural Jet Suit Race will take place in Bermuda on Saturday March 21st, with Gravity Industries saying they are “ready to run the first of a truly spectacular global series.”
A spokesperson said, “Gravity Industries today announces the first location of its Race Series will be Bermuda. On Saturday, March 21st, Gravity will deliver the never seen before spectacle on the island in partnership with the world-renowned Hamilton Princess & Beach Club.
“The race will entertain a live audience on the ground and will also be streamed to global fans online – bringing to life scenes that would only have previously existed in the world of science fiction.
“The race will be hosted at the Princess Marina, the island’s only full-service hotel marina, with world-class facilities for vessels of up to 500 feet or more. The hotel’s unique location, both in the heart of Bermuda’s capital and on the water’s edge, will provide the event a stunning backdrop over Hamilton Harbour and a stylish space for the live audience.
“The Race arena next to the Marina will consist of four launch pads, multiple marine gates and arches demarking the course, with the turnaround point hosted at The Waterfront at Pitts Bay and Harry’s.
“Each pilot will lay down individual qualifying laps times on the Saturday afternoon before moving on to paired head-to-head contests. The grand finale Race just before sunset will see the four fastest pilots’ race for their podium positions and to take the win.
“The competing pilots will be from the Gravity Team and include some Gravity Flight Club alumni who have trained with the team. The Friday night before the Race will see a VIP & sponsor event at the Hamilton Princess, and immediately after the grand finale on Saturday there will be a closing party open to the public at the Marina.
“Gravity will also be hosting a children’s STEM day sponsored by the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority [BCAA] at the office and making the Saturday Race event completely open to the public.
“The Race Series has been carefully curated by Richard Browning, Founder and Chief Test Pilot, and the Gravity team, building on the incredible journey of having flown at over 90 live events in over 30 countries.
“The maverick pioneer and his team have relentlessly developed the Gravity Jet Suit since its launch in 2017 to now deliver incredible feats of manoeuvrability, acceleration and speed whilst at the same time being entirely intuitive to fly.
“A demonstration of this was seen in November 2019 where Richard doubled his previous Guinness World Speed Record by achieving an unprecedented speed of 85.06mph.
“We have spent the winter months tuning the Jet Suit technology and are now ready to run the first of a truly spectacular global series. This Bermuda race comes off the back of a wonderful event for TED x on the island in late 2019 and the immensely warm reception we received.
“It’s a real pleasure to be coming back with a great community of sponsors supporting us, not least the excellent team at the Hamilton Princess, to deliver a mind blowing spectacle of what humans and technology can achieve.
“Our Jet Suit Race Series will promise even more visceral excitement and drama as Formula One has done for decades but updated for the 21st century…and airborne! It’s a feast for the senses!”
Tim Morrison, General Manager at Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, said: “Hamilton Princess & Beach Club is delighted to be the host of the world’s first ever Jet Suit race. This promises to be an incredibly exciting event for both locals and visitors alike and we can’t wait to catch all the action from the vistas at the hotel.”
