What a weekend! Round 2 of the National Hovercraft Championships took us to Whittlebury Hall over the bank holiday, and the stakes couldn’t have been higher. Not only was this the next step in the British title chase, but it also doubled as the opening round of the European Hovercraft Championships.

To top it all off, we were racing on a brand-new course designed specifically for the upcoming World Championships later this year. It was a long, brutal, and unbelievably hot weekend, but the team dug deep. Here is how it all went down for the F50 and the F1.

Saturday: Perfecting the Track

The weekend kicked off with Saturday practice on the new world-spec track. Both craft went out and handled beautifully—no mechanical gremlins to report, which is always a massive win on a new layout.

• Josh (F50): Got straight to work in an incredibly competitive field, driving a pair of smart, consistent races to secure 4th place in both events.
• Jake (F1 & Formula Open): Pulling double duty, Jake was out in both Formula 1 and Formula Open. In the European F1 grid, he grabbed two 4th-place finishes, keeping pressure on Sweden’s Marcus Westerberg. Because of how the rules differ, that actually translated to two 3rd-place finishes for the National series! Over in Formula Open, Jake was in a league of his own, commanding the track for a solid 1st place in both races.

Sunday: Euro Podiums & Red Flags

Sunday brought even more heat—both from the sun and the racing.

Josh started his day with another 4th in the first F50 race, but he saved the best for last. In race two, he drove an absolute blinder to lock down a fantastic 2nd place finish in both the European and National standings!

Jake’s Sunday was full of drama:

• F1 Race 1: The race was red-flagged after a craft broke down right as it entered the lake. Due to the differences between Euro and National rulebooks for stopped races, Jake walked away with 3rd in the Nationals and 2nd in the Europeans.
• F1 Race 2: A rock-solid, hard-fought 3rd place in both championships.
• Formula Open: Total dominance. Jake commanded the field again, taking another 1st place finish in both races.

🏆 European Championship Final Results

With the European portion of the weekend wrapped up on Sunday evening, the final standings looked great for the team:

• Josh (F50): 2nd overall in Europe!
• Jake (F1): 3rd overall in Europe!

Monday: Heatwaves, Exploding Fans & Welding Feats

If we thought the weekend was already hot, Monday proved us wrong—it was unbelievably scorching. Monday was strictly about banking points for the National Championship, and it tested our resilience to the absolute limit.

Josh’s Heartbreak

Josh took 4th in the opening F50 race, keeping his points tally ticking. Unfortunately, during the final race of the weekend, the F50 suffered an exploding fan. A tough end to an otherwise stellar weekend.

Jake’s F1 Rollercoaster

The first F1 race of the day was an absolute dogfight with Team Beale. Jake was right in the mix but ended up dropping back through the pack to finish 4th. To make matters worse, mid-race, the lift exhaust silencer snapped clean off! In a stroke of pure luck, it bounced down the side of the hull and landed inside the craft, staying there until the checkered flag.

What followed was a masterclass in paddock teamwork. A massive shoutout to the GWR Racing Team, who jumped in to help us weld the silencer back together in record time.

Thanks to that quick turnaround, Jake was back out for the Open race, taking yet another 1st place.

In the final F1 race of the weekend, with Team Turnbull using a borrowed F2 due to a cracked lift frame, Jake capitalised on the shakeup and brought the craft home in a brilliant 2nd place. He wrapped up the weekend exactly how he started the Open category: taking his 6th win out of 6 races.

The Verdict: Round & Season Standings

Despite the mechanical heartbreaks and the melting temperatures, the team put on an incredible show against the best drivers in Britain and Europe.

Round 2 National Results:

• Josh (F50): 4th overall
• Jake (F1): 3rd overall
• Jake (Formula Open): 1st overall 🥇

Current Championship Season Standings:

As we look ahead to the rest of the season, we are in a fantastic position to fight for the titles:

• Josh (F50): 2nd in the Championship
• Jake (F1): 3rd in the Championship
• Jake (Formula Open): 1st in the Championship 🏆

A massive thank you to everyone who helped us out in the pits, our sponsors, and the organizers for putting on an epic event in brutal conditions. Roll on the next round!