Renowned across the system as the record-setting Racing pinnace of the Mao-Kwikowski Mercantile
Transplanetary Race Team, the Razorback is an extensively modified Sixth-generation Proserpina
Sunflare.
The ship was famously piloted to numerous racing wins by championship racer Juliette
Mao, who’s record time though the Parrish/Dorn 500K Circuit remains undefeated.
At a length of exactly 20 meters, the Razorback’s spaceframe is extremely sleek and compact,
presenting a trio of long panels used to extend the ship’s aft reaction control clusters
as far from the centre of mass as possible, thereby allowing for incredibly rapid turns
and course corrections.
The ship is propelled by a supercharged Destrier-4 high-velocity Epstein Drive, extensively tuned
to improve acceleration, and constantly maintained by multi-injection hypercoolant units to prevent
thermal overload.
Extensive measures have been taken to reduce the weight of the ship’s hull and internal
components to improve the overall thrust-to-mass ratio, allowing the ship to quickly reach
extreme levels of acceleration limited only by the endurance of the human pilot.
In order to best deal with these pilot stresses, the ship’s flight seats are fixed into large
gimbals, and equipped with numerous medical systems to monitor and mitigate the effects
of acceleration stress.
The pinnace can be operated by a single pilot when necessary, but generally carries an additional
co-pilot to serve as the ship’s navigator and emergency technician.
For decades, the Sunflare series has been the pride of the Proserpina Starworks Racing
Division, with the second and third series Sunflares in particular securing a number
historic victories in the hands of multiple racing teams.
The company encountered difficulties with the fourth and fifth series models of the
now famous Sunflare, with the ship slowly becoming known as more of a collector’s
item than a competitive racer.
It was Julie Mao herself who saw potential in the new 6-Series Sunflare, choosing it
over many alternatives as the subject of her extensive modifications.
Though this choice was questioned by many, the ship quickly went on to secure a dramatic
victory on the Deimos Circuit, demonstrating with no shortage of flair, that the Series-6
was indeed a competitive racing pinnace.
In order to minimize pre-race stress and fuel consumption, the Razorback is carried between
races by the Mao Family’s long-range luxury yacht, the ‘Guanshiyin’.
The Yacht was built by Mao-Kwikowski Subsidiaries following specific parameters set by Jules
Pierre Mao himself, including a forward launch bay specifically designed to carry the Razorback.
In addition to the numerous lounges, staterooms and luxury suites carried aboard the yacht,
the Guanshiyin is fully equipped to supply and maintain the Razorback between races,
carrying a full staff of deck technicians specifically tasked with attending to the
smaller vessel’s needs.
The most famous racing win achieved by the Razorback was the ship’s stunning first-place
finish at Parrish/Dorn 500K Circuit between Titan and Enceladus.
The Circuit is built around a standard pinnace-racing format, with a number of marker beacons arranged
around and between the Saturnian moons.
Of the race’s forty competitors, the competition was quickly reduced to a tense struggle between
Julie Mao’s Razorback and the Europa-based pinnace Mustang Sally.
Ultimately the Razorback was able to overtake the Mustang at the final marker by adopting
a lower orbit around Titan.
Though the physical stress on Mao and her co-pilot was immense, the maneuver provided
them with a far shorter orbital period, allowing them to tear into first place in the final
moments, setting a new record for circuit completion time that is yet to be surpassed
by any other racer.
Mao’s victory in the Parrish/Dorn circuit marked a significant change in corporate attitude
toward Pinnace racing, leading to a shift in focus towards improved acceleration drugs
and physical training programs.
As a result, numerous lucrative sponsorships began to manifest with large pharmaceutical
companies, and race marketing began to emphasize the physical fitness of racing pilots over
engine specifications.
While the Parrish/Dorn victory remains the Razorback’s most famous accomplishment,
the ship has secured numerous wins at races across the system, setting impressive times
through the Luna-Phobos Strait and Hyperion Cup.
On one occasion the ship even had its Epstein drive temporarily removed to take part in
the Jupiter-6 Slingshot Run, a manner of racing often disparaged by the professional racing
community.
These achievements have earned the Razorback a place of honour in the history of transplanetary
racing, and remain a source of great pride for Mao-Kwikowski Mercantile and Proserpina
Starworks.