16-07-2025
Lancashire man speeds to victory in the World Powerboat Championships
A British powerboat racer says he "felt untouchable" after speeding to victory in Italy driving his Formula 2 powerboat.
Matthew Palfreyman, 32, from Ormskirk, Lancashire, kicked off the UIM F2 World Championship with a victory in Brindisi, despite "difficult conditions" on the water.
The 32-year-old has been a member of Lancashire Powerboat Racing Club (LPRC), which is based at Car Mill Dam in St Helens, since he was 12 years old.
Palfreyman, who also won this event in 2024, delivered an impressive performance in challenging, blustery conditions along the Brindisi Adriatic coastline on Sunday, 29 June, to win the opening stage.
Due to fierce winds, qualifying was delayed and moved to Sunday morning - making it a busy and jam-packed day for the team.
But Matthew wasted no time and, early on in the qualifying session, secured the pole position and never looked back—he powered forward from the rolling start to lead from start to finish.
Palfreyman after the race: 'The conditions were tough, but I like the challenge of driving in the rough water—itsuits my driving style.
''The boat was set up and ran perfectly. Honestly, once I was out in front I managed to simply pull away and I knewit was going to be difficult for anyone to get past me. I actually felt untouchable out there."
Joining Palfreyman on the podium, Peter Morin of France in second place, and Sweden's Hilmer Wiberg took the third step, he managed to get past Andre Solvang from Norway who had to settle for fourth.
Kingfisher Team Manager Ian Blacker, praised the team's preparation and performance.
He said: 'I'm proud of Matthew and the whole crew. A flawless race in difficult conditions. The boat performed exactly as we'd hoped and gave Matthew what he needed take the win.
"This is the best possible start for our 2025 season, and now we need to build on this success and shift our focus to Klaipėda.'
With this victory, Team Kingfisher now celebrates and takes the early lead in the 2025 F2 World Championship standings—with a maximum 20 points, and they are keen to send out a clear message: They're here to challenge for the 2025 title.
Palfreyman is scheduled to compete in the second round of the event, which is due to take place in Lithuania between 17-19 July.
