In that case - I WON'T admire your paint job, as I ain't seen it

(edit your first post and click "additional options", browse to your photo on your PC, click "Attach", post - and your photo will be here for evermore)

You are lucky to have found a reservoir near Leicester, when I lived there (3 years ago) there was nowhere. Mind you with IC engines, it's hard to "sneak" a run on any lake.
There are a couple of clubs not too far away which do racing (not sure about the FE side but , as they do IC, they probably have FE interests also).
Kingsbury Water Park MBC, near Tamworth (M69, M6, M42N - about 40 mins)
Burton on Trent MBC (about 35 mins on old A50)
Peterborough, Orton Mere (about 40 mins A47)
My ideal boat -
Piece of indestructable balsa, sharpened to a point. Add LARGE engine, big prop, RC with two settings - slow (for launch) and "Bl**dy H*ll, that's fast"

Just remembered your "Santa Pod" comment - take 10 minutes from above times (except Burton - speed cameras every ten feet).
Danny