Kent powerboat outfit Team Jelf won gold and silver medals at the British Sprint Championship in Bedford. George Elmore, from Chatham, overcame stiff competition to win the GT30 class.
The 17-year-old secured pole position and won all three heats to take a well-deserved gold. Elmore said: "Conditions were great for me this weekend and the boat was set up perfectly and performing really well so I knew if I could get pole and keep Ash (Penfold) and Paul (Penfold) behind me I was in with a shout to take the win. "They pushed me every inch of the course and I had to remain focused as one mistake would have cost me dearly. "I'd like to thank all my team and all the officials this weekend as the heat has been relentless and they all worked so hard to make sure the racing happened." Ben Jelf, from Maidstone, won silver in his category.
Jelf, 22, was in action in the Formula GP (F2) class, securing third on the grid, just 0.56sec off pole. The Team Jelf man, using a new engine, finished second in the opening heat and third in heat two before clinching silver with his runner-up finish in the final race.
Jelf said: “We went into the weekend with no time to practise before following some major modifications to the boat so to take silver is a fantastic achievement for the whole team and proves we are moving in the right direction. “The amount of work and hours that have gone in behind the scenes is immense but there’s still more to be done. “I have to say a huge thank you to the team for all their efforts in helping me secure this silverware this weekend.