Think of it as a more earth-bound X Project. The goal is for a human-powered flying machine to go more than 100 meters off the designated English pier for a reward of 30,000 pounds.  They’ve been trying since the competition’s inception in 1971 and now there’s a mascot, 3 classes of entry (2 serious and 1 where costumes come into play.)  I’m not sure what they’ll do if someone ever actually wins the prize. You do have to apply to compete – mostly because there’s a narrow window between the tides and I guess that says the expectation is most will not get far from the pier.

For more info, see the International Worthing Birdman site.