Offshore Powerboats coming to Napier!

Rayglass NZ Offshore Powerboat Season Preview Round 4, Napier, 6 March 2010

Look out Napier - the Offshore Powerboats are coming to town!

More excitement is promised along the foreshore of Napier as the offshore powerboats battle it out in the fourth race of the Rayglass New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Racing Championship on Saturday March 6th.

Facing the Pacific Ocean, Napier is known for it's massive rolling swells, guaranteed to provide plenty of lift for the Superboats as they race round the course at speeds of over 180 km per hour. Spectators will be treated to some magnificent sights as the boats leap off the waves, appearing to spend more time in the air than in the water. With swells of this size it is not unusual for a boat to disappear from view as it races down into a trough before roaring skyward again off the back of a wave.

Seven classes of boat take part in the national championship over two distances, and all battle fiercely to gain points to secure their place on the podium at the end of the season. Drivers and crews hold nothing back when preparing and racing these boats, and competition is fierce. Crew and boats are pushed to their limits, and the slightest problem can have a huge affect on the points table as points are awarded in order of finishing each race. The aim is to finish the race with the maximum points - with boat and crew intact.

With a 100 mile race to complete are the top two classes; Superboats and Superboat Lites. Reaching speeds in excess of 180 km per hour they usually complete the distance in one hour. These boats have a crew of two - one responsible for the steering while the other controls the throttles. This may seem strange, but the driver has to be constantly looking for the next mark in the distance, and the throttleman has to deal with powering the boat over each wave, so needs to concentrate on what is happening directly in front of the boat.

The other boats compete in a 60 mile race with the popular Formula Hondas making up most of the field. Other classes include Super 60, Sports 60, Sports 60 restricted, and Classics. Apart from the Classic Class that are restricted to 80 miles an hour, there are no speed limits so racing is fast and furious. The 60 mile race is usually completed in one hour with boats reaching 100 km per hour in speed.

With only two weeks between races the teams don't have a lot of time to get their boat and crew match fit between races. The smaller boat crews in particular, who race without harnesses, are often thrown around during a race and finish with a colorful collection of bruises.

Racing this year has been close with plenty of excitement in every class.
In the Superboats, Doosan driven by Cary Gleeson and Sam Filmore remains at the top of the points table with a win at Taupo and Gulf Harbour, and a third placing at Gisborne.

Three other superboats threaten their lead with Warren Lewis and Steve Whitford in 'Fairview Windows and Doors' determined to make up for not finishing in the Taupo race when they had to retire with steering problems. A1 Homes driven by Warren's brother Scott Lewis and Murray Tuffin is gathering momentum with every race and lies third on the points table overall tied with Team Three, a boat brought over from Australia for the New Zealand season, driven by Kiwi Craig Archer and Ozzie Steve Nugent.

Having recovered from their crash and not finishing in Gisborne, the team of father and daughter Grant and Kelly Smith in their Superboat Lite Rayglass, are determined to regain their lead in the Superboat Lite Class, but have a lot of hard work ahead of them if they are to succeed in ousting NZ Blokes from their newly acquired position at the top of their class. Red Steel are also working hard to keep within reach of the leaders slot, and with less than 130 points separating the top three boats, the season is still very much undecided.

In the 60-mile race for the Super 60 class, Auckland based Konica Minolta's crew Greg Brinck and David King continue to battle with Mike Gerbic and Dave Vazey in the Ocke Mannerfelt Batboat named 'Espresso Engineers'.

The Formula Honda's never fail to entertain as they blast around the course and occasionally skip across waves, with only the tip of their propellers maintaining contact with the water. This class is hotly contested and with eight boats in the running for each race there are plenty of close encounters.
The current leaders Mike Smith and Matt Hopkins had another fantastic race at Gulf Harbour and will be determined to maintain their record of straight wins for every race.

The NZ Offshore Powerboat Association hold a family oriented event and are happy to talk to anyone who has questions about the boats and the way they are raced. The boats will be on display both before and after the race and it's free to wander around the "pit" area, and to watch the race from the foreshore or other vantage points.

The Napier Offshore Powerboat event will provide plenty of excitement for the people of Napier and the public are encouraged to come down to the marina to see the boats, and to find a place on the waterfront to watch the racing.

Boats on display from 9am Saturday morning at the Napier Marina by the Napier Sailing Club
Boats depart the Marina area from 11 am.
Racing starts at: 12.00
Best viewing from Perfume Point andWestshore Domain
Radio Coverage: Tune in to 88.3 FM for race commentary before and during the race

Event details and results are posted on the NZOPA website, www.nzoffshore.co.nz.

The Rayglass NZ Offshore Powerboat Championship continues in Wellington on 27th March, Whitianga on 10th April, Marsden Cove, Whangarei on 24th April and ends on Auckland Harbour on 8th May.

ENDS

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