There are moments in sport when you realise you’re no longer watching as a photographer. You’re not thinking about shutter speed, composition or whether you’ve got the shot. You’re just standing there, heart pounding, completely invested in the outcome — willing someone on as if the result somehow belongs to you.

That’s exactly how I felt watching my very good friend Andrew Aykroyd’s son Jackson Aykroyd fight his way through the Junior 3.5cc World Championship.

To become World Champion, there was no easy route. He first had to finish in the top two of the B Final just to earn his place in the A Final. Then, having made it there, he had to do the unthinkable — win the A Final. No second chance. No relying on points or hoping other results went his way. Win the final, and you’re World Champion.
And it certainly wasn’t going to be easy. His boat had been a little unreliable throughout the 2026 domestic season and had a habit of bogging, meaning that even when the speed was there, you could never quite relax. Every time it went onto the water there was that horrible thought in the back of your mind: Is it going to run properly this time?

Then there was the competition. An incredible young French racer who was every bit as capable of winning it, alongside seriously talented juniors from Belgium, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia and Estonia. Junior 3.5cc was, without doubt, one of the hardest-fought classes at the entire World Championship.
Watching him get closer and closer was genuinely stressful. First, he had to deliver in the B Final — and he did. Top two. A Final secured.
And suddenly, it was all or nothing.

I’ve photographed an awful lot of racing over the years, but by this point I wasn’t really thinking about photography. I was watching every lap, every corner, every movement of that boat, willing it to keep running and willing him to keep pushing. The stress and emotion were completely real. I was feeling it as if I were watching my own son race.
And then, somehow, he did it.
He won the A Final.
Junior 3.5cc World Champion.

The relief, the disbelief and the sheer pride all hit at once. What made it even more special was knowing what he had overcome to get there — a will-it-won’t-it boat, the pressure of the B Final, the absolute necessity of winning the A Final, and a field packed with exceptionally talented young racers from across Europe.
For him, it was an incredible achievement.
For his family, a moment they will never forget.
And for me, standing there with a camera in my hands but barely thinking about taking photographs, it was one of those sporting moments that stays with you.

Sometimes, being a photographer means you get to document somebody else’s greatest achievement.
Sometimes, you feel every second of it yourself.
This was definitely one of those times.
Jackson Aykroyd World Champion. What an achievement.

More Photos

Background

For years, multi-racing (also known as ‘Endurance’ racing) has seen a steady development of the sport with lighter, stronger composite hulls, more powerful engines and the use of a variety of technology to aid performance.

Tech

It is not uncommon to have boats with numerous servos controlling various functions beyond rudder, throttle and fuel mixture. These days, on-board glow drivers, sliding tuned pipes and integral trim tabs (sometimes linked to electronic gyroscopes) are common. Additionally, 2.4 GHz radio control has given us real-time telemetry showing things like engine R.P.M., temperature and speed all displayed on the transmitter screen and allowing performance to be optimised.
Hardware has also seen dramatic improvements over the years helped by modern CAD design and CNC manufacturing processes. The impact has been most prominent with propellers where efficiency has improved beyond what was thought possible with thinner, stronger blades and precise manufacturing tolerances.

Engines

Similarly, engine design has seen power outputs steadily increase. Geared engines are almost exclusively used in 3.5cc and 7.5cc classes and, in the last decade, 15cc as well. It should be noted that there is now a trend toward more direct drive boats in this latter class.

Racing

So, to the racing. Speed has improved dramatically, and continues to do so, which has driven a constant evolution in hull design. With the increased complexity and performance, reliability has sometimes been a challenge but, overall, this has improved. As the number of venues in the U.K. has reduced, racers have had to venture abroad to the numerous races in Europe, indeed, the controlling body, iMBRA have introduced a Western and Eastern European racing league. Anyone who has witnessed the racing at these events will tell you that the quality and intensity of the racing is mind-blowing with some of the top racers finishing on the same lap after 30 minutes of full-bore racing.

Summary

This all paints a very positive picture. But the development of the sport has seen some big changes in distances racers have to travel, the equipment used and construction techniques. All of this has, unfortunately, meant a dramatic increase in cost. In absolute terms, it could be argued that costs aren’t excessive when compared to other forms of racing, but the reality is that they are substantially more than some older racers might remember. This may be, prohibitive for any potential new racers.
Overlaying this with the loss of some venues due to noise, or other environmental concerns, it is perfectly understandable that the number of racers has seen a marked decline. However this has not, it would appear, dampened the level of interest

M.P.B.A. Retro Endurance Series

Rules

Retro racing is an additional class to be run at selected events in the 2026 U.K racing calendar. The following set of basic rules are to be adopted with the intention of promoting participation from the wider model boater community in Multi (Endurance) racing. Rules will be adapted based on the interest and level of participation at initial events.
Unless otherwise stated, existing Multi Rules will apply.

1.0 Boats

1.1 All boats must be of fibre-glass (epoxy or polyester) or wood construction (e.g. no epoxy carbon or carbon composite materials)
1.2 Maximum engine capacity is 10cc
1.3 Rubber engine and pipe mounts are permitted
1.4 Both standard and cone (turbo) glowplugs are permitted
1.5 Reduction gearboxes only permitted on 3.5cc and 6.5/7.5cc engines
1.6 Maximum of three servos (rudder, throttle and needle valve) to be used.
1.7 Manually adjustable trim tabs are permitted
1.8 Metal propellers are not permitted, only plastic
1.9 Installation of a suitable MyLaps transponder for lap counting is preferable, but not compulsory

2.0 Racing

2.1 A minimum of 2 x15 minute races will be scheduled during the day with the highest laps to count. Additional races will be at the discretion of the organising club
2.2 Trophies will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places
2.3 Fuel will be limited to 12% nitromethane (by volume) in accordance with iMBRA rules
2.4 Depending on the number of boats racing with smaller engine capacities (e.g. 3.5cc, 6.5cc and 7.5cc) at an event, a handicap system may apply to determine the winner
2.5 Entry to all races will be via the M.P.B.A Race Hub

Zack takes his 2nd 3.5cc World title after winning gold in France 2018

Zacks Win
iMBRA

We would like to thank all involved and the Racers who made the weekend a great Regatta, the contributions allowed us to donate £1000 to Cancer Research.

Many thanks
Michael
Elmbridge Marine Section Secretary

3.5cc

Originally there were 11 boats entered in the 3.5cc class but an early withdrawal, 1st race gremlins causing a DNS and 2 competitors only managing single figures meant there were effectively 7 starters. 4 of these managed over 50 laps with the top 2 being separated by just one lap. I do worry that when the nitro goes to 16% that the people who regularly fail to complete a full race in 3.5cc will struggle even more.
Best Lap – 17.125 – Phill Fields

All the 3.5cc Boats – Click and Scroll

3.5cc Podium

7.5cc

Just one competitor managed a full run in each round – Robert Daniel in round 1 and Dave Pillman in round 2, who had the lake to himself from lap 15 and racked up an unchallenged 64 laps to take an easy win. Not the greatest spectacle when there’s only one boat going round for 75% of the race. I thought I was at a circuit meeting for a minute!
Best Lap – 15.457 – Robert Daniel

All the 7.5cc boats – Click and scroll

7.5cc Podium

15cc

That’s more like it – 6 starters, all managing over 40 laps apiece with 1 lap separating 1st and 2nd. Dean Lords Dirkach set up with a high revving CMB on a small prop had just enough speed to hold off Terry Holmes Seljak Stealth.
Best Lap, and all 10 fastest – 14.202 – James Taylor

All the 15cc boats – Click and scroll

15cc Podium

27cc

Some good progress made on the noise front which Mick Szebeko acknowledged at the prize giving. Dave Marles was unpleasantly surprised to end up 4 laps adrift of Terry Holmes. We think this may have been down to some missed laps where the transponder float was very close to the racing line. No big trophy today unfortunately Dave. Drew Aykroyd broke an engine and will be getting the crank alignment checked.
Best lap – Andrew Aykroyd – 14.866

All the 27cc boats – Click and scroll

27cc Podium

A final word

This was only the first race of the season, but the same small group are finishing races with the majority having issues of one sort or another. We must look to prioritise reliability equally to speed.

3.5cc

Only 3 out of the 9 starters managed a full run. Dave Hole continued his good form from Putten with a top score of 52 in the first round. Hot on his heels though were the 2 juniors. Only Daves driving beat Jackson, but Thomas will need a faster boat to trouble the seniors although he did win the second heat outright! The second round was littered with stoppages so nobody improved their placings. Dave puts some daylight between himself and Iain Pickersgill with this win. Only one of these 2 can win the title this year now and it’s likely to hinge on the last race.

3.5cc Podium – Seniors

3.5cc – The REAL Podium

7.5cc

Only 4 boats in 7.5 and 3 in 15 so we combined them into one race. Surprisingly, the top 3 were all 7.5s. Mike Gelson was uncharacteristically having bogging issues all day with his 15cc boat although he did enough laps to win that class. Andrew Aykroyd takes the win and it’s now between Andrew and Robert Daniel for the 2022 7.5cc drivers title.
Geoff Parmenters trusty Pegasus unfortunately took a near fatal blow after a freak accident with Andrew Aykroyd:

Geoffs Damage

7.5cc Podium

15cc

Only 3 entrants in the 15cc which is really poor. Is the writing on the wall for 15cc? Or will the noise issues associated with the 27cc class keep the 15cc in business for some time yet? At Internationals, there are still plenty of 15cc entries.
Everyone seemed to have issues today and nobody did a full run. They all got beat by 7.5s. Not great.
Mike Gelson has the 2022 drivers title in the bag – A long time since his last win in 2009!

15cc Podium

27cc

We saw some of the best racing of the day between Andrew Aykroyd and James Taylor before James broke his engine. Oddly none of the 27 scores beat the top 3 of the 7.5s which is very unusual. Andrew edged Dave Marles to take the win. Andrew has the drivers championship wrapped up on 182 points.

27cc Podium

A final word

The low number of entries is again disappointing, particularly in the 7.5 and 15cc classes. Look at how many we had back in 2009

3.5cc

The first 3.5cc round was split into 2 heats. With the low attendance, this meant one heat of just 4 boats which promised a complete bore-fest and that is exactly what happened. We really have to do everything we can to avoid this as the bad driving and poor mechanical reliability invariably ends up with hardly anyone on the water.
Just one point separates Dave Hole and Iain Pickersgill now at the top of the 3.5 Drivers Championship with Iains win today gaining him 13 points over Dave.

3.5cc Podium

7.5cc

With Andrew Aykroyd leaving his 7.5 at home, Robert Daniel was able to gain back 35 points and jump 25 points clear at the top of the table. Nigel took the win today, 2 laps clear of Robert. Low numbers again meant the racing wasn’t that exciting

7.5cc Podium

15cc

It’s been a long time in the making, but Sam Lincoln finally rocked up with his Boudicca 2 after 3 years and promptly proceeded to win the 15cc class, beating Mike Gelson by 2 laps. With this weekend being the last chance to test the new boat in an actual race before the 2022 iMBRA World Championships, Sam was especially pleased that the boat worked well.

Some big crashes in the 15cc races. Certain people need to take a hard look at themselves and completely change their approach. Staying flat out and swerving all over the place instead of throttling is not the right way. I think we should start handing out red cards to repeat offenders. Nobody will want to race with you and that means ultimately you will have nobody to race against.

15cc Podium

27cc

Andrew Aykroyd crushed the opposition to take the win 12 laps clear of 2nd. James uncharacteristically was having mechanical issues and could only manage 4th today. The 2nd heat was ruined by both Andrew and James being disqualified for noise. There was unfortunately no choice in this as any more noise complaints could spell the end for racing at Peterborough.
Andrew sits 10 points clear at the top of the drivers championship.

27cc Podium

A final word

Some shocking standards of driving today resulting in several spectacular crashes. I even saw a couple of drivers racing without their thumb on the throttle, just flat out and swerving all over the place to avoid the rescue and other boats. There are no beginners here. Everyone has been at this for a few seasons and this is simply not acceptable. There are reasons our top racers are attending UK events less and less and the appalling driving is the main one. This, along with the time and cost of sustaining major damage to a £1000+ boat is stopping new entrants to the hobby. Come on people. Calm yourselves and use the left stick. There will always be accidents by the very nature of this hobby but we have to improve the basic driving.

The other thing is noise. There are always busybodies around who will complain about something. Noise is one of them. I don’t care how loud something is and I wouldn’t care even if a race was held next door to my house as long as it wasn’t every weekend. Nothing else to say really. You can read This

3.5cc

Originally we had 13 entrants, but with a late withdrawal and a simply rude no-show, we combined the split into a single 11 boat race. This didn’t make a lot of difference as the usual mechanical unreliability or bad driving soon whittled this down into fairly pedestrian rounds. Very unusual not to see Zack on the podium but experimenting with new settings today meant no full runs.
Dave Hole took the overall win by 1 lap from Ian Pickersgill with Grahame Morgan completing the podium. Good to see another driver getting some consistency in finishing.
Dave extends his lead in the 3.5 Drivers Championship with Iain 12 points adrift in 2nd. These 2 are now more than a whole race win in front of 3rd placed Robert Daniel
Thomas made his first Multi start of the year and edged Jackson for top junior but having missed 4 races is still way behind in the Junior Championship

3.5cc Podium

Top Junior – Thomas

7.5cc

A 6 boat entry, but again marred by unreliability with only 3 of the drivers scoring more than single figures.
Mick Szebeko took the overall win from Steve Clements and Dave Humphries. Dave H was unable to recapture the speed and reliability he showed last weekend in Therdonne, France where he placed 5th in the 7.5 A final alongside some top class competition.
Andrew Aykroyd takes the lead in the 7.5 Drivers Championship, leapfrogging Robert Daniel.

7.5cc Podium

15cc

Some decent racing in the 15cc class, with good battles between James, Mike and Terry. Vlad found some extra performance in his boat and can expect to compete for more podiums with a further few minor adjustments to both the boat and strategy!
James extends his lead in the 15 Drivers Championship. Terry gains ground (water) on Vlad

15cc Podium

27cc

Best racing of the day saw James Taylor take the overall win from Dave Marles and Mick Pain.
Andrew Aykroyd retains his lead in the 27 Drivers Championship. Despite only a 4th place today, the new T8 ran very well for its 1st outing and Andrew has now been able to sell the 7.4 knowing he has a great replacement.
On a personal note, this crash between Dave Pillman and Dave Marles is one of the best action sequences I’ve ever captured. The 6th photo, and the one featured at the top of this page is as good as any professional could achieve 😉

27cc Podium

A final word

Sorry for the short report, not enough time with work commitments.
I’m still in 2 minds whether the Saturday Multi / Sunday Circuit is a better format, but I was going to both days regardless as it’s not too far for me to travel.
Endurance (Multi) racing in the UK continues to be plagued by mechanical failures or poor driving. The default tendency to use the right-stick to swerve instead of the left (throttle) by several competitors causes crashes and DNFs. All the time. Whilst that might be good for me as a photographer, it does little for the quality of competition when 3 boats out of 11 are left running after the first 5 minutes. To parrot an old cliche – To Finish first, first you have to finish.

The Brits suffered mixed fortunes. Zack Humphries continued his winning streak with 1st place in 3.5cc after an incredible battle with Sebastien Videmont of France. He wasn’t unfortunately able to repeat the same heroics in the 15cc after a spin put paid to his chances. Fellow Brit Robert Daniel made the 3.5cc A final and finished 8th. Robert unluckily missed out on the 7.5cc A final after a penalty and transponder issues. David Humphries took a respectable 5th place in the 7.5cc A Final with the first race of his CMB 45 M-Line powered Drakkon. Dave Marles and Phill Fields were both out of luck this weekend.

Photos

3.5cc Final
7.5cc Final
15cc Final
27cc Final
Results
Podiums