Kicking off in early December, the 2025-2026 New Zealand Jet Sprint Championship guarantees maximum adrenaline from go-to-whoa.
With six race meetings at four purpose-built jet sprint tracks, the series brings jet sprinting to spectators from all over New Zealand and around the world.
Jet sprint tracks are about the size of rugby fields, giving every spectator a great view of the action. Each boat makes timed runs around the track, hitting 130 kilometres per hour in less than 2 seconds.
Racing around a complex network of channels, the driver and navigator negotiate at least 20 corners in less than a minute. There’s a lot of action. Thirty or more teams each make four qualifying runs.
Then the competition heats up, with three elimination rounds featuring the quickest 9, 6, and finally three boats in each class.
Racers compete in one of 4 established jet sprint classes, or the new junior class, “Nextgen”. The new class offers drivers aged 8 to 16 the opportunity to compete against their peers in a newly designed single-seater jet sprint boat.
In the 1000+ horsepower Southern Jet Superboats, 2024-2025 runners-up Sam Newdick (from Hamilton) and navigator Shama Putaranui (Ashburton) face stiff competition as they try to avenge last year’s loss to Australian Phonsy Mullen and navigator Niketa Wells.
Ollie Silverton (Hamilton) and navigator Amanda Kittow (Tikokino) will be defending their 2024-2025 Group A title against a strong field of challengers in the 600+ horsepower Group A class.
Last year’s second and third-place LS teams of Patrick and Jay Haden, and Tim and Debbie Edhouse, face another tough field in the 580-horsepower LS class.
Also new for this summer, the Mountain View track near Stratford will make its debut, hosting rounds 4 and 6 in February and March 2026. The championship also includes meetings at Featherston, Wanaka and Whanganui.
NZ Jet Sprint Championship meetings are also live-streamed on the “The Broadcast Co” website.
2025-2026 New Zealand Jet Sprint Championship:
- Round 1: Sunday 7th December 2025 – Featherston Jetsprint Track, Tauherenikau Race Course, 1498 S.H 2 Featherston. Racing starts 9 a.m.
- Round 2: Saturday 27th December 2025 – Shelter View Jetsprint Track, 598 S.H 4 (Parapara Highway), Upokongaro, Whanganui. Racing starts 9 a.m.
- Round 3: Saturday 17th January 2026 – Wanaka Aquatrack, 995 Wanaka-Luggate Highway, Wanaka. Racing starts 9 a.m.
- Round 4: Saturday 14th February 2026 – Mountain View Jetsprint Track, 382 Croydon Road, Stratford. Racing starts 9 a.m.
- Round 5: Sunday 1st March 2026 – Shelter View Jetsprint Track, 598 S.H 4 (Parapara Highway), Upokongaro, Whanganui. Racing starts 9 a.m.
- Round 6: Saturday 21st March 2026 – Mountain View Jetsprint Track, 382 Croydon Road, Stratford. Racing starts 9 a.m.
Header Image: Shot360 Photography
