Hosted by Stewartby Powerboat Racing Club in Bedford, the Championship was a big success with some remarkable displays of racing. In the GT15 class six youngsters vied for the top spot but it was 2012 European Champion Ben Jelf who took a hat trick of wins to secure the title.

Powerboat Sprint Championship winners

Powerboat Sprint Championship winners



The GT30 Championship was a more hotly contested affair, as seven boats battled it out to take the 2012 title. Jordan Muckles set the fastest qualifying lap and looked to be on top form but after winning the first heat, he was plagued by engine problems in heats two and three, forcing him to retire. An immense battle followed, with Natalie Craddock taking top spot, followed by Kevin Hill in silver position and Thomas Yallop taking bronze in his debut season in this class.

In the Outboard Hydroplane series, Wayne Turner continued his previous fine form to take heat wins and secure the 2012 O250 Sprint Championship, while Paul Jillings secured the O350 Outboard Hydroplane Sprint Title.

Reigning champion, Bill Owen, made it four championship titles in five years, with the T850 victory, while in the F4 Sprint Championship, reigning champ, Mark Williams, took the chequered flag. And in the F2 class, F2 British Champion Malcolm Goodman won through in a 12-strong fleet to take a very hard fought victory.

RYA Powerboat Racing Officer, Nikki Drummond, said: “We’d like to offer our sincerest congratulations to all the champions and to all the competitors for some fantastic racing. The Sprint Championships are different to the normal British Championship titles as there’s absolutely no room for error. In the British Championship, if you have a bad round, you get the chance to make amends at the next round but at the sprints, it’s down to just three races in the one weekend, so you have to give it all and hope for the best. The racing this weekend was really exhilarating and fantastic to watch.”

Written by: Alex Smith
Alex Smith is a journalist, copywriter and magazine editor with a long history in boating and a happy addiction to the water. He’s worked on boats, lived on boats, bought boats, sold boats and – when he’s not actually on board a boat – he can generally be found in his Folkestone office, tapping away at the computer and gazing out to sea.