Jelf Racing will head to Kingsbury Water Park in Warwickshire for the third Grand Prix of the 2016 season this weekend.
Amongst 40 of Britain’s top Powerboat racers from all over the United Kingdom the team are set for rounds five and six of the Powerboat GP RYA British Championship.
The team have had four weeks off following the Lancashire Grand Prix at the end of May, but rather than using this time to relax the team have used this time to make improvements and have been very busy testing in preparation for this weekend.
Jelf Racing’s junior racers George Elmore and Jonathan Brewer go into the weekend currently sat in 4th and 2nd in the championship respectively. Both will be looking for podium finishes at Kingsbury in a bid to bolster their British title campaign. Just 1 point separates Jonathan Brewer from Championship leader Thomas Mantripp but with an advantage of having won the Lancashire Grand Prix Jonathan will be looking to remain focussed on his goal to win his first British RYA Title.
Searching for extra speed for the team’s youngest member George Elmore the team spent recent testing sessions changing set ups for the youngster trying to get the best out of his boat whilst the youngster capitalised on the extra time on the water to perfect his racing lines and cornering in a bid to make it back on the podium.
Team Manager Colin Jelf and the rest of the F2 Fleet will not be competing at the Kingsbury Grand Prix with water levels at the Midlands Powerboat Racing Club not suitable for the F2 Catamarans. But Colin will still be extremely busy making sure the youngsters are all focussed and ready to race.
Ben Jelf will once more compete in both the GT30 monohull class and in the F4 Catamaran class. Having recently turned 16 the age required to compete in F4 Internationally Ben will use the time in his F4 perfecting a new style and expanding his skill set to a different way of driving. The youngster is making improvements at every round in the F4 class and is really beginning to get to grips with his boat.
Meanwhile Ben will look to further his lead in the GT30 Championship as he looks to secure his 12th British Championship title to add to his long list of accolades in his 6th year of racing. Local competitor Tiegen Goodfellow will look to add extra pressure to stop Ben taking his 3rd consecutive Grand Prix win in the 2016 season as she uses home water advantage and her knowledge of the varying conditions behind the island to her full advantage.
Kingsbury always offers some taxing conditions to racers. At every other venue we compete at you can see the whole course you can watch the heats before you and see what the wind is doing and where it may cause you problems but at Kingsbury you can’t see the back of the island until you round the corner and go through the straight.
Explains Ben Jelf.
You really have to keep your wits about you and not only allow for a change in conditions at any moment but also how those changes may affect you or the other competitors, focus is the key. We’ve all been working really hard as a team for the last few weeks and all of us can’t wait to get back on the water and see if the hard work and practice has paid off, and hopefully we’ll all be able to walk away with some more silverware this weekend.
As the competition reaches the half way mark the action promises to be fast and furious as each of the classes’ battle through qualification and then over three heats each to secure the Kingsbury Crown. Racing will take place on both Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd July with the action getting away on the water from 10.30 both days.
To get up close and personal with the action, there is a small park entry charge applicable into Kingsbury Water Park offering some great vantage points for all the racing or spectators and powerboat racing fans can join the racers, their skilled mechanics, crew and teams in the club pit area where you can also listen to the live commentary.
