Explosive power and precise cornering lit up Lincoln Automatics Round 2 of the 2025-26 New Zealand Jetsprint Championship on Saturday, the 27th of December.
Racing kicked off shortly after 8am, with 42 crews participating in five classes.
Sunscreen and shade brollies were essential equipment for spectators, who lined every available vantage point around the natural amphitheatre of Shelter View Jetsprint Park near Whanganui.
An early afternoon rain-shower stopped racing and dampened brollies for about an hour. Competition resumed shortly after 3 p.m.
In the Southern Jet Superboat final, Sam Newdick and navigator Shama Putaranui’s elapsed time of 43.966 seconds was a full two seconds quicker than anyone else had done so far, except for Reuben Hoeksema and navigator Suzi Katavich.
Spectators held their breath during Hoeksema & Katavich’s electrifying 43.867-second final run, avenging their narrow Round 1 loss to Newdick and Putaranui. Mechanical trouble prevented third-placed Mike Hessell and Shaun White from making their final run.
Group A driver Matt Hareb and navigator Hayden George (45.671 seconds) repeated their Round 1 victory over defending NZ, Australian, and World Champions Ollie Silverton and Amanda Kittow (46.153). As in Round 1, Kris Rasmussen and navigator Holly Sutherland (47.033) took third place on the podium.
Paddy Haden and navigator Jay Haden looked quick during early MTW LS Class racing, culminating in a 49.061-second final run. John Verry and navigator Grace Alder used every millimetre of water, brushing the grass several times, clocking 49.493 for second place.
Rookie Connor Nairn and navigator James Tuckey took third place with a solid 50.379.
MTW Group B rookie Gemma Johnson and navigator Richard Currie put in a very tidy 53.508-second final run. Hamish Clarke and Lisa Seator squeezed them out of first place with 53.292, while Andrew Craig and Scott Gouman did 55.473 for third place.
The meeting also featured a training session for the NextGen class. Cooper Silverton recorded the quickest time and won the right to practice a victory lap, flying the chequered flag.
Competition in all categories is intensifying. According to NZ Jet Sprint Association President Julia Murray (and Shelter View owner with husband Richard Murray): “The day went really well, the rain paused the racing for a time until the shower had passed.
“We still managed to get four qualifying runs, and only dropped Top 6 to help with the time blowout. Very few crashes and close exciting racing from all classes!”
Racing continues with Round 3, on the 17th of January, at Wanaka Aquatrack, 995 Wanaka-Luggate Highway, Wanaka.
Header Image: Shot 360 Photography
