Maidstone’s Ben Is South East RYA Youth Champion!
Teenage powerboat champ lands regional accolade
A rising Harrietsham powerboat star is celebrating after being revealed as the 2015 South East RYA Youth Champion.
Ben Jelf, 14, is one of 13 regional winners of the 2015 RYA Youth Champion Awards, which were created last year to recognise the outstanding achievement and performances of young people across the range of activities that boating’s national governing body, the RYA, represents including sailing, windsurfing and powerboating.
It was another glittering year for Swadelands School pupil Ben who added further European and British powerboating titles to his burgeoning trophy cabinet.
Ben competes in circuit powerboating racing, which takes place on inland water. There are three main types of racing in this discipline – monohulls, catamarans and hydroplanes. Last year he raced in the GT30 monohull category, using a 30hp engine, for the first time plus the junior GT15 using a 15hp engine.
But the move up a class did little to faze him as he claimed the 2014 UIM GT30 European Championship and Powerboat GP GT30 British Championship crowns plus the junior Powerboat GP GT15 British Sprint Championship and UIM Bronze Medal in the GT15 European Championship.
Ben, who become the youngest British powerboat driver to ever win a World title when he secured the UIM GT15 World Championship in 2011, also narrowly missed out on a medal at last year's GT15 Worlds, finishing fourth following a mid-race collision.
The talented youngster comes from a World Championship-winning family with dad Colin and uncle Owen both previous World title holders. As he continues his transition from junior to adult racing, Ben wants to keep adding more Worlds glory to the Jelf legend.
He said: “Winning the GT30 European Championship in my first year racing in the class was a standout moment of 2014, as well as landing the GT30 British Championship and GT15 Sprint Championship.
"My main focus in 2015 is on the World GT30 Championships that are being held in the UK in August. I am also planning to move up to the F4 catamaran class in 2016 so I will be spending time learning new driving skills for it this year and retiring from the GT15 Junior Class.
“Powerboat racing is like nothing else you can ever imagine. Close racing against people that are friends and visiting lots of different parts of the UK and the world to compete are just some of the bonuses that racing brings.
"I am a lot more focused and I find listening to instructions and asking questions, an essential part of competing, has really helped me in my school environment and has generally made me a better and more confident person."
Whilst racing Ben, a member at Stewartby Watersports Club near Bedford, can reach an average of just over 50mph racing in the GT30 and 40mph in the GT15. He knows where the secret to his success lays.
He added: “I keep myself up-to-date with the rules, I respect the competitors I race against and I try to keep 100% focused until the I see the chequered flag. I am also quite physically fit.
"But if it was not for my excellent team and very supportive sponsors, including Peters & May, then I would not be able to achieve anything. Teamwork is the key to success!"
The RYA Youth Champion Awards will be presented at the RYA Suzuki Dinghy Show at Alexandra Palace, London on Sunday 1 March.
Sarah Treseder, RYA Chief Executive, said: “We’re delighted to announce the 2015 winners of RYA Regional Youth Champion Awards, which celebrate the talents of the many young sailors, windsurfers and powerboaters who are achieving amazing things across the UK.”
For more information on the RYA Regional Youth Champion Awards visit www.rya.org.uk/go/youthchampion