They’re back. H1 Unlimited announced on Tuesday that the Unlimited hydroplanes will return to San Diego’s Bayfair on Mission Bay over the Sept. 17-19 weekend for the Air Guard Championship presented by Degree Men.

In publicizing the agreement, which led to the return of the world’s fastest race boats to Bayfair after a one-year absence, H1 Chairman Sam Cole declared it a “fantastic moment for our sport.”

“We are honored and excited to be able to showcase our sport with these nationally known motorsports sponsors,” Cole continued. “We will be following the NASCAR Air Guard 400 on September 11 with the Air Guard Championship presented by Degree Men—what a weekend it will be on Mission Bay!”

Captain Rondal Perry, division chief of Air National Guard marketing and advertising, said the organization is proud to sponsor the H1 Unlimited series at the San Diego Bayfair as it looks to increase overall awareness of the Air Guard.

“We invite people to consider joining their local unit as a way for them to give back to the community and serve their country, and this event will help us do just that,” Perry said.

“We’re thrilled to have H1 Unlimited returning to San Diego,” added Jeff Thomas, chairman of San Diego Bayfair’s Board of Directors “We feel there is no better place than Mission Bay to admire the beauty and the speed of the hydroplanes. Racing fans are in for an action-packed three-day event.”

A very fast 12-boat field is expected to be on Mission Bay, wowing the crowds with speeds in excess of 200 mph. Driving the U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto, Steve David, defending series high point champion and three-time winner in 2010, will look to build on his 506-point lead over chief rival and 2010 Gold Cup champion Dave Villwock, driver of the U-96 Spirit of Qatar.

Jeff Bernard, winner of the 2008 Bayfair, hopes to move up the points list in the U-5 Formulaboats.com (he’s currently in fifth). Bernard’s teammate J. Michael Kelly, winner of the final event of 2009, is in second place driving the U-7 Graham Trucking with Brian Perkins in the U-21 Miss Albert Lee Appliance in third.

Former CEO and president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Scott Carson and his wife, Linda, also are supporting the event financially in honor of American military serving in Afghanistan. Degree Men also will be involved as title sponsor of one of the race teams appearing at the event, which will be featured in an aggressive marketing and advertising campaign in Southern California.

Immediately following the event, the top 10 boats in the fleet will be shipped to Doha, Qatar, for the second running of the Oryx Cup World Championship on Doha Bay (Nov. 19-21), which will conclude the season.

The Air Guard Championship presented by Degree Men will be seen on the Versus Network on Saturday, Oct. 16 and will be streamed live on the internet by Tampa Digital Studios.

For more on the event, visit www.sandiegobayfair.org or www.h1unlimited.com.