Maidstone's Ben Jelf returns to competitive powerboat racing with victory in F2 Lancashire Grand Prix

Maidstone powerboat racer Ben Jelf leads the Circuit Powerboat Association British Championship standings after victory in the F2 Lancashire Grand Prix.

At his first competitive race in two years - and his first national event in the class - the 21-year-old put in an impressive performance to secure the podium top spot in St Helens.

In four heats over two days Jelf was second, third and then, under handicap rules, first and first.

He said: "What a fantastic start to the season! We came into the weekend with no expectations - we were just looking to see how the engine performed and we couldn’t be happier with the result.

"We still have a lot of work to do but we are progressing well.”

After qualifying for heat one in fourth place, a second and a half off the polesitter, Jelf made a fantastic start, heading to the first turn buoy in second. Under pressure from the chasing pack, he kept his cool and maintained his position to the flag.

Heat two saw another impressive start and Jelf remained in contention for another second place until Mette Bjerknaes managed to overtake.

Sunday saw a further two heats on a handicapped system calculated from qualifying times and faster race times. The quicker boats were given a delayed start, and with the advantage of clear water Jelf powered his way to his first F2 chequered flag heat win.

The fourth and final heat saw another strong performance with Jelf racing tactically to another win and top spot on the podium.

And as the only competitor in Europe currently running with the new Mercury APX200 motor, his performance bodes well for future engine development.

The championship now moves to Oulton Broad this month before the final event of the season at Stewartby in September.