'Racing in a 120mph powerboat feels like flying'
- Published
In the MOT bay of a garage in Chatham, Kent, Ben Jelf is chatting while doing diagnostics on an engine and inspecting the underside of a 2002 Toyota.
"It's hard to describe unless you've experienced it," he says. "It's like flying but being in a boat, because we're only a few inches from the water, just skimming past."
He is talking about his other life as an F1H2O driver, the elite level of powerboat racing, in which carbon fibre boats travel at average speeds of 120mph (193kmh) and can be sent skyward by an errant wave.
"You try and put to the back of your mind what could go wrong," he says.
"I've yet to have a big accident in F1. I've had accidents in the lower classes, I think it helps you know where the limits are of your boat," he added.
The Jelf family is synonymous with British powerboat racing. Ben's grandfather raced, his father Colin was the first person to win F2 three times in a row in 2008, and his uncle also raced F1.
This season has taken Ben to Indonesia, Vietnam, Italy, and China, and although there are sponsors, the majority of funding comes from the garage run by his family.
In October, there were back-to-back fixtures in China just two weeks apart.
"We had to come back in between those races just to get some work flowing through to make sure we have enough money for the next race," Ben said.
This is his second full season at the top level, one of two drivers for the F1 Atlantic Team, and he is currently ninth in the Championship with one race to go.
The final race of season, in the UAE, starts on 6 December.
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