Teenager Theo Spedding wins hovercraft racing National Championship to add to the European title he won in France

Teenager Theo Spedding has had a season to remember as he follows a family tradition in hovercraft racing.

Spedding, from Newark, has just added the National Championship to the European title he secured in France at the end of August.

The 13-year-old took up the sport three years ago, following in the footsteps of his grandad, Rev Granville Spedding, and dad Jon Spedding, along with stepbrother Jake Shaw.

Theo, a pupil at the Magnus Academy, won the European title in his first season and has retained it ever since.

And on Sunday he clinched the National Championship with a second-placed finish at Whittlebury Hall near Silverstone.

It was the perfect way to sign off in the colts category before moving up to the junior class next season. Jon is delighted to see Theo keep the family tradition going.

“My dad, when he was a teacher, he did hovercraft with his school in the 60s and 70s,” said Jon.

“I used to go with him to race meetings, so I got the bug and raced for years, and my eldest stepson raced.

“Then, when Theo turned 10, he wanted to race, so it’s third-generation, and he’s been racing for three years. It’s very much a family thing.

“He was nervous as a 10-year-old, understandable in a hovercraft that will do 35mph.

“His first year, there was only one competition for the European Championship and he happened to do really well, which meant he won it in his first year.

“He’s now won that three years in a row. He’s quite natural.

“He’s watched his grandad drive and he’s watched me race and his elder stepbrother, so it helps.

“We used to go and have play days when he was two, three, four, five, six, and I always used to sit him in his grandad’s hovercraft, so he’s always been around them.”

After two meetings in England, Spedding clinched his third European crown with victory at the final round at Porte Saint Pierre, near Nantes, in France.

And he’d been well-placed to win the National Championship ever since winning the opening three rounds.

Theo is looking forward to moving up in class, where the racing steps up a level.

“He’s done as much as he can in the colts and he turns 14 next year, so he has to move up,” said Jon, who takes care of the mechanics.

“The colts are heavily restricted craft, they’re only allowed to develop 55kg of thrust.

“When he jumps up to juniors, which is 13-to-16-year-olds, they’re limited to 90kg of thrust.

“The bodies are usually made out of fibre glass, so they weigh nothing, and I do all the maintenance.

“Hopefully it’s a reasonably simple progression.

“They get into little groups, so there’s quite a few of them from colts that are 13 this year and moving up into juniors.

“He’s been for a test ride and he was absolutely fine.

“Theo’s already trying to decide what colour his new craft is going to be and we’ve had conversations about which craft we go for or whether we scratch-build.”

Spedding will once again be competing in the National and European Championships.

He’ll also race in the World Championships which take place at Whittebury Hall next August.

“I’m not expecting him to win the World Championships in his first year but you never know!” said Jon.

“He could potentially win the National Championship, the European Championship and the World Championship all in the same year.”