Segrave Trophy

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The Segrave Trophy is awarded to the British national who demonstrates "Outstanding Skill, Courage and Initiative on Land, Water and in the Air". The trophy is named in honour of Henry Segrave, the first person to hold both the land and water speed records simultaneously. The award was established by Segrave's wife, Lady Doris, who was "determined to carry on his legacy". The trophy, designed by sculptor Gilbert Bayes, is awarded by the Royal Automobile Club. It has been awarded in most years since 1930; it is not presented if, in the opinion of the committee, no achievement has been sufficient to deserve the award. Past sponsors of the trophy include Castrol, Ford Motor Company and Aston Martin.

The inaugural recipient of the Segrave Trophy was Australian-born Charles Kingsford Smith who flew solo from Ireland to Newfoundland, across the Atlantic, in just over 31 hours. He also won the 1930 England to Australia air race, covering the distance solo in 13 days. British aviator Amy Johnson became the first female recipient of the trophy in 1932 when she was cited for her flight from London to Cape Town in a de Havilland Puss Moth. Since then, just five other women have won the award: Jean Batten (1936) for her solo 11-day flight from England to New Zealand, Fiona Gore (1980) for travelling in excess of on water, Eve Jackson (1987) for her solo microlight flight from London to Sydney, Louise Aitken-Walker (1990) for her victory in the short-lived World Rally Championship Ladies Cup and Zara Rutherford (2022) as youngest woman to fly solo around the world. The Segrave Trophy has been presented posthumously on four occasions, to Geoffrey de Havilland Jr. (1946), Donald Campbell (1966), Bruce McLaren (1969) and Joey Dunlop (2000). One of the 2022 winners of the Segrave Trophy was pilot Mack Rutherford, who at the age of 17, is the youngest recipient of the award.

A subsidiary award, the Segrave Medal, may also be given to those individuals who have "played a fundamental role in helping the Segrave Trophy winner to achieve their goal". Peter Du Cane received the medal in 1939 for the design and construction of Blue Bird K4. Bruce McLaren's teammate Denny Hulme and their chief mechanic Cary Taylor won the medal in 1969, their team having won every race of the 1969 Can-Am season. In 1993, the car designer Eric Broadley was presented with the Segrave Medal for his work with Lola Cars. Mark Wilkinson received the medal in 2001 as co-pilot to trophy winner Tim Ellison, and Lady Moss, Stirling Moss wife, won it in 2005 for her support of her husband. Audi's Wolfgang Ullrich, Tom Kristensen and Loïc Duval received the medal in 2013. Carlin founder Trevor Carlin won the Segrave Medal in 2018 for helping Monger return to motor racing. Additionally, the Segrave Certificate of Achievement may be awarded to a person who is not a British national, but would otherwise qualify for recognition. It has been presented just once, in 2002, to Bjørn Rune Gjelsten who was throttleman for powerboat racer Steve Curtis.

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List of recipients

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1930	! scope=row			"For his east-west solo air crossing of the Atlantic from Ireland to Newfoundland in 31½ hours, and victory in 13 days, also solo, in the England to Australia Air Race, in the Southern Cross."
1931	! scope=row			"For his solo flight in a de Havilland Puss Moth from Canada to London by the least direct route imaginable."
1932	! scope=row		"For her record-breaking flight in a de Havilland Puss Moth from London to Cape Town."
1933	! scope=row			"For raising the Land Speed Record to in Blue Bird."
1934	! scope=row			"For his flight from Belgium to what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and back in a de Havilland DH.88 Comet, taking just 3,439 minutes."
1935	! scope=row			"For the land speed records over 1 hour, 12 hours and 24 hours, including an average of over 24 hours of driving in Speed of the Wind."
1936	! scope=row			"For her record-breaking solo flight in a Percival Gull from England to Auckland, taking 11 days and 45 minutes."
1937	! scope=row			"For his flight with Betty Kirby-Green in a de Havilland DH.88 Comet from Croydon to Cape Town and back in a flight time of 77 hours and 49 minutes."
1938	! scope=row			"For attaining the class G land speed record of in a 1100cc MG N-type on the German autobahn."
1939	! scope=row			"For setting the new water speed record of at Coniston Water in Blue Bird K4."
1940 ! scope=row colspan=4 rowspan=6
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946	! scope=row			"Awarded posthumously for his contribution to British aviation as a test pilot developing aircraft such as the de Havilland Mosquito, the Hornet and the Vampire."
1947	! scope=row			"For raising the land speed record to in the Railton Special."
1948	! scope=row			"For breaking the 100 km closed circuit aeroplane record at Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Flying a de Havilland DH 108 he reached a speed of 605.23 mph (973.8 km/h)."
1949 ! scope=row colspan=4 rowspan=2
1950
1951	! scope=row			"For winning the 350cc and 500cc Motorcycle World Championships and both the junior and senior Tourist Trophy races in the same year."
1952 ! scope=row colspan=4
1953	! scope=row			"For setting a new air speed record of in a Hawker Hunter over Littlehampton."
1954 ! scope=row colspan=4
1955	! scope=row		"For setting a new water speed record of on Ullswater in Bluebird K7."
1956	! scope=row			"For setting a new air speed record of and becoming the first person to break in level flight, in a Fairey Delta 2 (pictured)."
1957	! scope=row			"For winning three Grands Prix with Vanwall and breaking five class speed records."
1958	! scope=row		"For raising the water speed record to on Lake Coniston in Bluebird K7."	David Tremayne (2004). 9780750523165, Magna Large Print Books. . ISBN 9780750523165
1959 ! scope=row colspan=4
1960	! scope=row			"For attaining vertical flight and hovering stationary in the air in an SC 1 VTOL aircraft (pictured)."
1961 ! scope=row colspan=4
1962	! scope=row			"For completing the first vertical landing by a fixed-wing aircraft on an aircraft carrier, landing a Hawker P-1127 on ."
1963 ! scope=row colspan=4
1964	! scope=row		"For becoming the first person since his father to achieve "the double" of raising the water speed record to in Bluebird K7 on Dumbleyung Lake, Australia, and taking the land speed record to at Lake Eyre in Bluebird CN7."
1965 ! scope=row colspan=4
1966	! scope=row		"Awarded posthumously for outstanding contribution to mechanical development and aerodynamics."	David Tremayne (2004). 9780750523165, Magna Large Print Books. . ISBN 9780750523165
1967 ! scope=row colspan=4
1968	! scope=row			"For his development and airmanship in the field of lightweight autogyro aircraft, and attaining multiple world records."
1969	! scope=row			"Awarded posthumously for the design, development and driving of cars that won every round of the 1969 Can-Am Championship."
1970	! scope=row			"For his work in developing and successfully piloting the prototype Concorde supersonic airliner (pictured in 1977), including her first supersonic flight over land."
1971 ! scope=row colspan=4 rowspan=2
1972
1973	! scope=row			"For winning his third Formula One World Championship in five seasons with a British team, and becoming the most successful Formula One driver in history."
1974	! scope=row		"For leading the first Congo River exploration ever to be completed."
1975	! scope=row	& Stuart Turner, Jim Porter, Peter Ashworth and Tony Mason		"For the success of Ford Motor Company in the British Rally Championship."
1976	! scope=row			"For winning the World Speedway Championship on a British Weslake engine."
1977	! scope=row			"For retaining the 500cc Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship."
1978	! scope=row			"For his 40-year career as chief test pilot at de Havilland and later British Aerospace, including wartime service as a night-fighter pilot, scoring 20 aerial victories in the defence of Britain at the height of the Blitz."
1979	! scope=row			"For his long career in motorcycle Grand Prix racing, Formula One and his successes in the Isle of Man TT, including his last, in 1979, at the age of 39, following a successful comeback to the event after an 11-year hiatus."
1980	! scope=row		"For becoming the first woman to achieve more than on water by reaching on Windermere."
1981 ! scope=row colspan=4
1982	! scope=row			"For his captaincy of flagship on behalf of all who fought for the liberation of the Falkland Islands."
1983	! scope=row			"For raising the land speed record to at Black Rock Desert, Nevada, in Thrust 2."
1984	! scope=row			"For his career in motorcycle Grand Prix racing, including being the only man to win World Championship events at all capacities from 50cc to 500cc."
1985	! scope=row			"For his lifetime of achievement in aviation, including a multitude of world records for altitude, speed and range in autogyro aircraft."
1986	! scope=row			"For the development of the Virgin Atlantic Challenger and his effort to break the Blue Riband record crossing of the Atlantic in a sailing boat."	Europa Publications (2003). 9781857432176, Routledge. . ISBN 9781857432176
1987	! scope=row		"For her solo flight from London to Sydney in the microlight Shadow."
1988	! scope=row			"For winning the FIA Sportscar World Championship with Jaguar Cars."
1989	! scope=row	Bob Ives and Joe Ives		"For victory in the off-road marathon the Camel Trophy, with its route through the Brazilian rainforest from Alta Floresta to Manaus."
1990	! scope=row		"For winning the Ladies' World Rally Championship title with Vauxhall."
1991	! scope=row		"For winning his fourth FIM World Sidecar Championship title."
1992	! scope=row	and Nigel Mansell		"For victory in the 1992 FIA Formula One World Championship for constructors (Williams) and drivers (Mansell) (pictured in the Williams F1 in Canada in 1988)."
1993	! scope=row			"For winning the CART IndyCar World Championship in America (pictured in the Lola T93/00 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course) at the first attempt."
1994	! scope=row			"For winning the Superbike World Championship with Ducati Corse."
1995	! scope=row			"For becoming the first British driver to win the FIA World Rally Championship with Subaru."
1996	! scope=row			"For becoming the FIA Formula One world champion and, in so doing, becoming the first Graham Hill to claim the title."
1997	! scope=row			"For raising the land speed record to at Black Rock, Nevada, in ThrustSSC (pictured) – becoming the first person to break the sound barrier on land."
1998	! scope=row			"For becoming the first person to circumnavigate the world in a microlight."
1999	! scope=row			"For lifetime services to motor sport."
2000	! scope=row			"Awarded posthumously in recognition of a career of unrivalled achievement in the Isle of Man TT."
2001	! scope=row		"For the first circumnavigation flight by a disabled pilot."
2002	! scope=row			"For winning as driver in the World, European and Pole Position championships in offshore powerboat racing (Spirit of Norway powerboat pictured)."
2003	! scope=row		"For his career of more than 20 years as a leading airshow pilot, and journalist and communicator on aerobatics and record breaking."
2004 ! scope=row colspan=4
2005	! scope=row			"For his lifetime of achievement in all forms of motor sport, and his service to the sports."
2006 ! scope=row colspan=4
2007	! scope=row			"For unprecedented achievements in his debut season in the Formula One."
2008	! scope=row			"For exceptional endeavour in motor sport."
2009	! scope=row			"As Britain's first champion in the Red Bull Air Race."
2010	! scope=row			"For winning Formula One drivers' and constructors' World Championships with three teams: Williams-Renault, McLaren and Red Bull-Renault."
2011	! scope=row		"For being the first paraplegic pilot to fly from York to Sydney in a microlight aircraft, completing the journey in 257 hours."
2012	! scope=row			"For his outstanding career in two- and four-wheeled motor sport, including seven Motorcycle World Championship titles, culminating in the unique achievement of being the only man to win both a Motorcycle World Championship and a Formula One World Championship."
2013	! scope=row			"First Briton to win the Tourist Trophy, the Le Mans 24 Hours and the FIA World Endurance Championship in the same season."
2014 ! scope=row colspan=4
2015	! scope=row			"For his outstanding contribution to motorcycle road and circuit racing, including setting the outright lap record at the 2015 Isle of Man TT."
2016 ! scope=row colspan=4
2017	! scope=row		"For being the first Briton to win a Dakar Rally crown by winning the motorcycle category in 2017."
2018	! scope=row		"For demonstrating exceptional courage and determination after great adversity and returning to high levels of motorsport."
2019 ! scope=row colspan=4
2020	! scope=row			"For becoming the first person to perform an around-the-world autogyro flight certified by the Guinness Book of Records."
2021	!Robin Shute	"The Royal Automobile Club has presented the 2021 Segrave Trophy to Pikes Peak hero Robin Shute for being the only British Driver to have won Pikes Peak Overall"
2022	! and	"The Royal Automobile Club has presented the 2022 Segrave Trophy to youngest solo circumnavigation pilots and as respectively youngest woman and youngest person to have completed the feat."
2023	!Ben and Tom Birchall	"Fourteen-times Isle of Man sidecar TT winners Ben and Tom Birchall are the latest and much-deserved winners of the Royal Automobile Club’s Segrave Trophy, awarded for ‘outstanding skill, courage and initiative’."
2025	!Nick Tandy

At the time of winning, the Australians Kingsford Smith and Hinkler, and New Zealander Batten, were also considered British subjects. New Zealander McLaren's award was after New Zealand's Citizenship Act of 1948 but he was recognised as his McLaren team was British-based.

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See also

• List of aviation awards

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Further reading

• Phil Drackett (1990). 9780709040286, Robert Hale. ISBN 9780709040286

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External links

• Archives of Segrave Trophy at Royal Automobile Club.

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