The Secretary of the Air League of the British Empire (Air Vice Marshall Sir William Sefton Brancker, of whom much more elsewhere), decided in 1921 to encourage air racing with a new competition, and The Royal Aero Club was tasked with determining how it should be won.

To begin with, the only people who could realistically compete were all in the RAF. Nevertheless, in 1921, "in spite of the fact that at times a 40 miles an hour easterly wind was blowing and a miserable drizzle fell on and off throughout the afternoon, some quite decent racing was put up".