I stand corrected
It seems the original Schneider Trophy has actually been retired and on display in the London Science Museum since 1977. It must have been a replica that I saw on display at Leicester some 10 years ago. However, I still stand behind my point about it being a gross injustice to the memory of the original participants.
Justiciar asks a valid question. How do we compare the achievements of one generation against another? Started in 1911, the Schneider Trophy was awarded to the winner of an international race of seaplanes. Its intent was to further technological research and advance the new science of aviation. It was truly a pioneering event and led to the pushing of the boundaries of the state of the art of the time in high performance, experimental aircraft. It was awarded to countries as much as individuals. The pilots were the test pilots of the day and had to have been of immense skill, courage, and competitiveness.
I fail to see how there is any comparison between the above and a couple dozen weekend hobbyists tooling around in 30 year old spam cans of such low performance they have to handicap the race to even make it worth their time.
I have no doubt their flying skills must be sharper than the average pilot, and a lot of planning and practice goes into it. I am sure they are a dedicated bunch. And, as Justiciar points out, Leicester was (still is?) a repeat venue, so clearly, the club leadership thought there was some advantage to the club. The general membership, however, felt they were an intrusive pain in the arse that just got in the way of an otherwise routine operation for which we paid dues and put in sweat equity.