infonews.co.nz
INDEX
POWERBOAT RACING

Look out Auckland - City of Powerboats!

Wednesday 5 May 2010, 11:43AM

By luvmyboat.com

1401 views

Doosan leads the field of superboats for 2010
Doosan leads the field of superboats for 2010 Credit: Cathy Vercoe LuvMyBoat.com
NZ Blokes is ahead in the Superboat Lites
NZ Blokes is ahead in the Superboat Lites Credit: Cathy Vercoe/LuvMyBoat.com
The Australians in Team Three are the main threat to Doosan
The Australians in Team Three are the main threat to Doosan Credit: Cathy Vercoe/LuvMyBoat.com
Honda Marine hope to take the title in the AB Marine Formula Hondas
Honda Marine hope to take the title in the AB Marine Formula Hondas Credit: Cathy Vercoe/LuvMyBoat.com
Espresso Engineers is leading in the 60 mile race
Espresso Engineers is leading in the 60 mile race Credit: Cathy Vercoe/LuvMyBoat.com

AUCKLAND

The eighth and final round of the Rayglass New Zealand Offshore Powerboats takes place on Saturday 8th May on Auckland's waterfront and promises to be an exciting spectacle as the boats roar up the harbour, creating an atmosphere of colour, noise, and the smell of high octane fuel.

The highlight of the day is the the final of the Rayglass NZ Offshore Powerboats due to start at 1pm. The 2010 series started in January on Lake Taupo, and has since been raced in six other venues around the country; Gisborne, Gulf Harbour, Napier, Wellington, Whitianga, and Marsden Cove.

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. The classes are decided by the horsepower ratings of the engines and the length of the hull. 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 there are two classes with catamaran hulls. Superboats are up to 34 feet in length running twin inboard 525 horsepower engines, and the Superboat Lites which can be up to 28 feet in length and run twin outboard engines with a combined maximum rating up to 600 horsepower. Reaching speeds in excess of 190 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.

In the Superboats the current leader Doosan driven by Cary Gleeson and Sam Filmore of Auckland will have to work hard to ensure a kiwi win after fuel problems in their last race saw them finishing third to their biggest challengers, the Australian boat 'Team Three' who have travelled over to New Zealand for the race season and have made a significant impact on the kiwi racers. With Pete "Mudguard" McGrath, well known for his prowess in the Maritimo Class One Powerboat on throttles, and Steve Nugent at the wheel, they will be fighting hard to dent kiwi pride and gain a place on the NZ podium. Doosan currently sits at the top of the table on 2700, and has to finish third to be sure of first place from 'Team Three' on 2469 points. 'A1 Homes' driven by Scott Lewis and Murray Tuffin of Auckland sit in third place for the season on 1783 points.

These are big, fast boats and are spectacular to watch as they leap off the wake of the boats in front. In the last race held in Auckland in 2008, one of the superboats, 'Profloors' driven by Wayne Valder came unstuck on a rogue wave and flipped dramatically before the racing even started. Profloors will be back this year with Wayne joined by his co-driver Richard Shores, intent on finishing the race.

One of the Superboat Lites, formerly known as CatAttack, and now branded NZ Blokes.com, driven then, and now by Bob Smith also ran into trouble at the 2008 race, flipping at the Kauri Point end of the race. The crew who are equipped with oxygen, and have to complete a 'dunk' test at the start of each season were able to free themselves and were towed off the course with no serious injuries. The team in NZ Blokes (Bob Smith and Andrew "Flea" Koolen) lead in the Superboat Lites on 2875 points and are looking at a season win in Auckland. Red Steel driven by Tony Carson on 2675 points lie in second place after the race at Marsden Cove, and with only 200 points separating the top two, we can expect some close and dramatic racing for the class win. The father and daughter team of Rayglass, (Grant and Kelly Smith) who had to pull out of their last race with gearbox issues are in third place on 2050 points, and are unable to threaten the two leading boats. After a dramatic flip in Gisborne and several mechanical issues, this has proved to be a difficult (and expensive) season for them.

The other boats compete in a 60 mile race with the popular AB Marine Formula Hondas making up most of the field. All these boats are 19 foot Sonic Boats with identical 150 horsepower Honda outboard motors. The propellers are numbered and a draw is held to allocate a prop for each boat on the morning of each race. With near identical boats, a lot depends on the skill of the drivers in negotiating the course with the help of their co pilot in the most efficient way. Though it looks spectacular when the boats are leaping high out of the water, the aim of the game is to race as level as possible in order to cover the most ground (or in this case sea) in the fastest possible time. With no harnesses the crews are prone to injury as they are bounced against the solid hull, or thrown from the boat at high speed, so few drivers try to leap off the waves deliberately. 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 AB Marine Formula Hondas also have a war on their hands. The big contest this year is between 'Honda Marine', driven by Mike Knight and Yael Pook on 2844 points and 'Rayglass' driven by Mike Smith and Matt Hopkins on 2650 points, who were leading in the last race at Marsden Point, but pulled out after a particularly nasty broach. Boats are still allocated 75 points if they start a race and do not finish, but this is a far cry from the 475 points up for grabs in first place. Though the leaders seem to be clear it doesn't take much for the boats to run into difficulties and drop out of the race leaving the field wide open for those chasing from further down the points table. 'Total Oil', driven by James Taylor and Shannon Thickpenny (1792 points) and 'Auckland District Collections', driven by Mike Urquhart and Darren Woods (1765 points) are fighting a close battle and are still within reach of a podium place. With only 27 points between them, there will be a huge duel to take third place for the season, and if either of the leaders runs into trouble could end up even higher up the placings.

The Super 60s running single 250 - 300 horsepower engines which along with more contemporary looking boats like Konica Minolta driven by Greg Brinck and David King, include the rather odd looking Batboats. With their flared stern, the boats have plenty of lift and often appear to race around out of the air with only the tip of their propeller in the water. This years winner is already assured as one of the Ocke Mannerfelt designed Batboats 'Espresso Engineers' driven by Mike Gerbic and Dave Vazey are the clear leaders on 2825 points. Konica Minolta had several problems to contend with after submarining in Wellington Harbour, and missed the race in Whitianga as the boat was still undergoing repairs. They sit on 1750 points going into the last race but are unable to threaten Espresso Engineer's lead.

The Sports 60 run a single engine up to 225 horsepower, and the main contestants this year are two skater boats, rather like a smaller version of the Superboat Lites. 'Spannerworks Otaki' with it's distinctive lime green paint job and driven by Tim Fellows and Mark Coburn lead the class on 2725 points from Thin Ice, formerly known as V Max, driven by Graham Pike. This boat also has an uncomfortable history on Auckland harbor where they flipped badly in 2008, seriously injuring one of the crew. Graham races this year with Brett Archer and will be keen to make sure history isn't repeated, but on only 1950 points after pulling out of the last race in Marsden Cove, 'Thin Ice' can only win the class if 'Spannerworks' fails to start the race.

Sports 60 restricted run a single engine up to 200 horsepower, and is led by Marineworkz driven by Jono Hanley on 2450 points. This class has had several day entries during the season, but as these boats are unable to accumulate points, Marineworkz has no competition in this class.

One of the most exciting classes is for Classic powerboats. These boats have been restored but have raced in the past, many as past winners. They are restricted in that they are not permitted to have a canopy and are limited to 80 miles an hour, something the drivers often find frustrating as the boats are usually capable of much greater speeds. Boats that exceed the speed limit are penalized and with a GPS running on each boat to measure speed on each lap, drivers are careful to watch their speed. This does not stop them having a fantastic time blasting around the course, and they are certainly entertaining. Watch out for Thunderbird driven by Haaka Le Suer as it flies around the course. This boat is a Scarab design built in 1991 as a pleasure boat, and bought into the country by Tony Carson, (now racing Red Steel), who raced it casually over past seasons. It has provided plenty of pleasure to spectators and competitors alike as it has competed over the season, with it's twin 585 horsepower engines and Bravo drives roaring around the course.

This year many are hoping to see the return of Jesse James. This Chris Craft catamaran designed and built for Mark and Chris Lavin in the United States has been owned by Aucklanders Wayne and Grant Valder since 2003. This boat has an eventful past - built in 1983 she won the American Offshore series in 1984 and 1985, and also set a world speed record of 101.3 mph. She was brought to New Zealand by Ross Tebbs to race, and won the World Class 2 Champion in 1985. She went on to take the NZ title in 1988 and 1991. In 2004 the Valder brothers spruced her up to win the 2005 NZ Offshore Championship in the National Open Class. As a Classic she will have to have undergone some remodeling including the removal of her canopy to fit in with the class requirements.

With few clear class winners from the seven races so far this is the last chance for boats to grab the vital points needed to win the championship, or achieve a place on the podium.

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

The boats on display from 10am Saturday morning at the Westhaven Marina carpark by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
Racing starts at: 10.30 am with the Big Boat Race for production motorboats, followed by hot laps of the course by individual race boats.
The Rayglass NZ Offshore Powerboat Final is at 1.00pm
Best viewing from Curran St from the Harbour Bridge to the carpark by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
Radio Coverage: Tune in to 88.3 FM for race commentary before and during the race

Special thanks to Tony Hembrow and Rayglass Boats for their support over the 2010 season, and to Ross Johnson of Global security for their sponsorship of the Auckland race.

Anyone interested in competing in the Big Boat Race for production craft, can find an entry form and contact details on the NZOPA website; www.nzoffshore.co.nz.

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