Bristol Teens Win European Hovercraft Titles with Team Phoenix Bristol 2026

Key Points

• Family-driven effort: Team Phoenix, set up by Charlie and Charlie Dorman in 2025, is a Bristol-based hovercraft racing family team, which includes young drivers racing both on land and water circuits.
• Fast rising competitiveness: In just two seasons, young drivers Rudy Dorman (15 years), Digby Dorman (13 years), Louie McGavin (16 years), and JJ McGavin have won races as well as become European and world champions.
• Achieving high speed without using brakes: The custom-built vehicles can achieve speeds of up to 70 mph (112 km/h) without having any steering or braking systems.
• Community approach: Competitors highlight a particular paddock atmosphere wherein competing teams often help each other fix machines before the actual race.

Bristol (Bristol Express News) October 12, 2026 – A group of teenagers from Bristol are securing European and world championship titles in hovercraft racing, steering high-speed craft at velocities reaching 70 mph (112 km/h) on tracks comprising both land and water without the use of conventional steering systems or brakes.

How Are Bristol Teenagers Achieving Motorsport Success Without Brakes Or Steering?

As reported by Claire Carter and Dawn Limbu of BBC News, teenagers Rudy Dorman, Digby Dorman, Louie McGavin, and JJ McGavin form the driving core of Team Phoenix, a family-run motorsport unit operating out of Bristol. The sport requires drivers to manage craft across dual-surface circuits consisting of land and water, relying exclusively on thrust, physical weight transfer, aerodynamic drag, and personal judgment to alter speed and direction.

Describing the operational sensation of navigating the vehicle at high speeds, 15-year-old driver Rudy Dorman stated that “It feels like you’re being pushed along in a shopping trolley really fast.” His craft is engineered to reach top speeds between 60 mph and 70 mph.

According to BBC News reporting, Team Phoenix was originally established in 2025. Over the course of two competitive seasons, the squad transitioned from complete entry-level newcomers to claiming individual race victories alongside major championship accolades at both European and international levels.

How Was Team Phoenix Established In Bristol?

As detailed by journalists Claire Carter and Dawn Limbu of BBC News, team founder Charlie Dorman explained that racing hovercraft differ significantly from the commercial passenger vessels typically associated with the technology. Mr Dorman noted that

“They’re quite loud. They don’t have brakes. They go really fast.”

Mr Dorman’s involvement in the sport originated during his school years when he encountered a hovercraft build project at the age of 12. Recalling his initial introduction to the machinery, Mr Dorman stated:

“I walked into the workshop, saw a hovercraft and I was immediately like, ‘What is that?'”

The team structure encompasses a junior lineup and a colts division, featuring Mr Dorman’s two sons. Digby Dorman, aged 13, operates craft at speeds ranging between 35 mph and 40 mph (56 – 64 km/h), competing in organized motorsport despite being below the legal age required to hold a standard road-driving licence.

Why Does Hovercraft Racing Remain A Niche Motorsport?

As reported by Claire Carter and Dawn Limbu of BBC News, hovercraft racing maintains a relatively low profile within mainstream motorsport culture. Highlighting the specialized nature of the discipline, founder Charlie Dorman remarked:

“I think there’s more people racing lawnmowers than there are hovercraft.”

Co-founder Mrs Charlie Dorman admitted to initial unfamiliarity with the sport when it was first introduced by her husband. Mrs Dorman stated:

“I think I did what everybody else does and kind of went, ‘hover-what?’ Whenever you speak to anybody about hovercraft racing, there’s just a really perplexed look when they think about the hovercraft that goes to the Isle of Wight.”

Drivers within the team also experience difficulty explaining the sport to peers. Sixteen-year-old team driver Louie McGavin explained that conveying the concept to school friends presents ongoing challenges, stating:

“They don’t really understand what it is. Even after I show them videos, they’re just like, ‘OK, well, I still don’t know what it is’.”

What Characterizes The Culture Inside Grassroots Hovercraft Racing?

As highlighted in the reporting by Claire Carter and Dawn Limbu of BBC News, the sport maintains a distinct paddock environment centered around family involvement and mutual support. Mrs Charlie Dorman characterized the discipline as a “real grassroots motorsport” marked by strong interpersonal bonds, noting that “It’s quirky, it’s niche, but it’s incredibly friendly. There’s a real camaraderie around it.”

This collaborative atmosphere extends directly into active competition events. Driver Rudy Dorman observed that rival teams actively assist one another during technical emergencies in the pits prior to races. Rudy Dorman stated:

“Everyone’s trying to help each other. Your hands might be in your competitor’s engine trying to fix it 10 minutes before the race. That’s the sort of culture in the club.”

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What Is The Background Of Hovercraft Motorsport Development?

Hovercraft technology originated in the mid-20th century following the invention of the lift-fan air-cushion concept by British engineer Sir Christopher Cockerell in the 1950s. While commercial and military applications quickly developed for amphibious transport—most notably large-scale passenger ferries operating routes such as the English Channel and the Solent crossing to the Isle of Wight—a competitive sporting branch emerged concurrently.

Grassroots hovercraft racing established structured governing bodies to oversee regional, national, European, and world championships. Unlike commercial craft designed for heavy payload transport, racing hovercraft are lightweight, custom-built machines engineered specifically for acceleration and maneuverability over mixed terrain. The sport relies heavily on family-run clubs, volunteer pit crews, and self-funded engineering teams operating across specialized junior, colts, and adult racing divisions.

How Will This Development Affect Young Motorsport Enthusiasts And Grassroots Racing?

The emerging success of young competitors like Team Phoenix provides a distinct pathway for youth participation in niche motorsports, demonstrating that high-level competitive achievements at European and world levels are attainable outside traditional, high-cost avenues such as karting or single-seater car racing.

For young aspiring drivers and local families, the visibility of teenage racers controlling 70 mph craft highlights hovercraft racing as an accessible, family-oriented alternative that fosters mechanical skills, weight-transfer driving techniques, and sportsmanship. However, because the sport lacks the massive commercial funding and mainstream media exposure of traditional motorsports, growth for upcoming youth drivers will remain reliant on localized community efforts, family-backed operations, and club-level peer assistance to maintain safety standards and vehicle maintenance.