We headed to Rother Valley Country Park for Round 3 of the National Hovercraft Championships with a slightly slimmed-down fleet. After some heavy damage at the last meeting, the F50 craft stayed home in the workshop undergoing repairs. That left us focusing all our energy on two fronts: Jake in the F1 and Josh in the F2.

It was a classic two-day UK race meeting, meaning we were treated to a wild weather mix of howling wind, driving rain, and brilliant sunshine. Despite the elements, it turned out to be a weekend of incredibly solid results across all formulas.

Here is how the weekend unfolded.

Saturday: Wind, Rain and Strong Starts

Saturday morning practice went without a hitch for both crafts. With unpredictable winds whipping down the lake, the session was less about outright speed and more about learning exactly where the limits of control were.

F1/F2 Race 1

Because this was a National Championship weekend, the F1 and F2 grids were combined into the same race.

• Jake (F1): Had a clean, uneventful race, staying right in touch with the lead pair to bring it home in a solid 3rd.
• Josh (F2): Nailed the start, sitting pretty in 2nd on the opening lap. On lap 2, the leading GWR Racing craft suffered a disintegrating exhaust and had to retreat to the paddock. Josh capitalised instantly, inheriting the lead and holding his nerve to take the win!

Open Race 1

Both lads were back on the water for the first Open race.

• Jake: Immediately rocketed into a commanding lead and never looked back, taking the win.
• Josh: Had his work cut out for him, locked in a ferocious, race-long battle with the F1 of Predator Raptor. It came down to a nail-biting finish line drag race, with Josh just snatching 3rd place by a hair.

F1/F2 Race 2

• Jake: This time, fortune favoured Jake. He was running a strong 3rd when Team Turnbull stopped at the far end of the lake, promoting Jake to a fantastic 2nd place.
• Josh: Kept his head down, put in a rock-solid performance, and cruised to a comfortable 2nd place in the F2 class.

Open Race 2

Saturday wrapped up with the second Open race. With Jake on pole and Josh lining up 3rd, expectations were high. Jake sprinted away at the drop of the flag to dominate from the front, while Josh slotting quickly into 2nd. They crossed the line in a brilliant 1-2 formation.

Sunday: Gusting Winds, Acrobatics and Technical Hurdles

Sunday brought even gustier winds, testing everyone’s skill on a very tricky, unpredictable course.

Practice Drama

Josh handled his morning practice smoothly, but Jake found the limit of the F1 craft—and then some. Rounding the paddock corner, the wind caught the craft, sending it right up on its side. When it came back down, Jake was heading directly toward the paddock at high speed.

Thinking fast, he dropped the lift engine to scrub off speed but in so the craft plowed in. He hung onto the steering with everything he had, ending up completely out of the seat with his legs and feet dragging in the water—effectively water-skiing down the lake!

F1/F2 Race 3

The “water-skiing” incident came back to haunt Jake on the grid for Sunday’s first race. The thrust engine refused to run properly, and he was pulled aside. The culprit? The coil wire had been yanked loose, likely catching his foot on it during his practice acrobatics.

After a frantic quick fix, Jake joined the race a full lap down. What followed was a masterclass in determined driving; he put his head down and carved through the field to rescue an incredible 4th place. Meanwhile, Josh had a completely trouble-free run, driving smoothly to finish 2nd behind a repaired GWR Racing.

Open Race 3

Normal service was resumed here. Jake took 1st and Josh backed him up in 2nd for another flawless team result.

F1/F2 Race 4

Jake stayed right on the tails of the leading pair from the start. The patience paid off on lap 2 when Team Turnbull got out of shape. Jake didn’t need asking twice—he swept around the outside to grab 2nd place and held it to the flag. Josh handled the worsening, tricky conditions like a pro, securing another solid 2nd in F2.

Open Race 4 (The Finale)

The final Open race of the weekend was standard procedure for the boys. Jake gapped the field to take a comfortable 1st, and Josh brought it home in 2nd to cap off a highly successful weekend.

Weekend Summary & Standings

To come away from a wild, weather-beaten weekend with silverware across the board is a massive achievement for the team. It was an incredibly tight battle in the F1 class, coming right down to the wire. In fact, Jake and Team Turnbull finished the weekend tied on identical points! Thanks to the countback rule, with Jake’s higher finish in the last race tipped the scales, securing him the higher spot on the podium.

Final Weekend Results

Driver	Formula 1	Formula 2	Open
Jake	🥈 2nd Overall	—	🥇 1st Overall
Josh	—	🥈 2nd Overall	🥈 2nd Overall

Current Season Standings

Our consistency at Rother Valley has kept us right at the sharp end of the National Championship tables:

• Formula 1: Jake – 3rd Overall
• Formula 2: Josh – 3rd Overall
• Formula 50: Josh – 3rd Overall (Despite missing this round!)
• Open Championship: Jake – 1st Overall 🏆 | Josh – 5th Overall | F50 (Josh) – 8th Overall

A massive thank you to our pit crew, supporters, and the event organisers for battling the wild weather. Time to get back into the workshop, get the F50 repaired, and get ready for Round 4!