Maidstone powerboat racer Ben Jelf finishes eighth for F1 Team Atlantic in UIM F1H2O World Championship finale in the United Arab Emirates

Ben Jelf earned an eighth-placed finish as he competed in the final round of the 2023 UIM F1H2O World Championship in the United Arab Emirates.

Completing his first full season in the pinnacle class in powerboat racing, Maidstone racer Jelf, representing F1 Team Atlantic, finishes 17th out of 22 in the World Championship.

The 23-year-old said: “To finish the final race of the season in eighth place is a great result for me and the team.

“We have made progress at each race which is testament to the hard work from all of F1 Team Atlantic, who I would like to wholeheartedly thank for their time and dedication.

“I would have liked to have finished higher than 17th overall but, when you look at the calibre of the competition in the class and it being my first season, we have to be happy with the result.

“A huge thank-you to my family, the whole team, all our sponsors and all our supporters throughout the season.

“Our attention and preparations now turn to the 2024 season - and I can't wait.”

Qualifying 16th of the 21-boat fleet, Jelf knew he had his work cut out during the 32-lap race to finish among the points table.

After qualifying, the fleet was split in half to compete in two sprint races. Each race would consist of 15 laps.

He managed to secure a fifth-placed finish in sprint race one ahead of the Grand Prix.

As the lights went out for the start of the Grand Prix of Sharjah, Jelf moved up five places to sit 11th.

He had moved to ninth by lap 22 when an Italian racer crashed out and the race was placed under a yellow flag.

As the race restarted, he was initially held up by a couple of backmarkers but managed to work his way into eighth to secure championship points.