Fastest boats to race in regatta on the estuary

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34099, 11 March 1976, Page 15

Fastest boats to race in regatta on the estuary

The festest boats in New Zealand, some of them capable of speeds up to 21 Okm/h (about 130 m.p.h.). will be among more than 70 craft in the New Brighton Power Boat Club’s two-day regatta on the estuary this week-end. The regatta, usually one of the country’s most popular and best supported powerboat events. will have about $l7OO in prize money at stake. Racing will start at 1 p.m. on Saturday with the, first of 12 handicap events J But it will be the 12 races| on Sunday, starting at 2] p.m., in which the topi honours will be fought for. | The feature races will bej the New Zealand 1650cc| inboard hydroplane chal-| lenge event and the New; Zealand outboard hydro-' plane final. The inboard challenge! race will be run in two! heats to select the eight! fastest boats for the final.! A leading contender is last) year’s winner. Bob Denson (Christchurch) in “Cost-| a-lott”. Denson struck' trouble at the recent nat-j ional championships at; Lake Rotoiti but has since] won the South Island title. I

Stiff competition will] come from Ken Bickerstaffj (Hawke’s Bay) in “Mista Dolla”. Bickerstaff won three titles at the national championships. Other strong contenders will be Neil Stuart (New Brighton) in “Avonti” and Gary O’Kane (North Otago), who was runner-up at the nationals in “Hot Spot”. The outboard hydro final,] to be raced over six laps,! should develop into a race] between Gavin Cooke (Christchurch) in “Starcraft" and his brother,: Colin, in “Glasscraft Unique”.

However, strong challenges are likely to come; from Peter Jamieson (New Brighton) in “Chrysler Tunnel” and Stan Ireland (North Otago) in “Osprey”. I

The big VBs in the rac-] ing vee-bottom boats will] be the feature of the South] Island unlimited auto rac-| ing runabout championship.; This event will have the biggest boat at the ragatta, “Thresher”, the 20ft offshore racing craft driven by Sam March.

The leading contenders! in the race are expected to! be two North Island drivers, Denis Woodman in “Turtle” and Matt Morrison in “Avalanche". Aiso in the running will be Terry Musson (Christchurch) in “Agitator”.

The Canterbury 1650 cc racing runabout championship for the Juel la Trophy will also be held.

Barry Brown in "Rapid] Rat”, ast year’s winner,] will have to work hard; this time to hold off al Wellington rival, Frank! Parker, in “Vendetta”, the! national 1300 cc record; holder. Charlie Newport! (West Coast) in “Felix” I

should also be a strong contender. Some of the quickest boats will be on the water in the South Island unlimited inboard hydro race Peter Knight (.Christchurch! in "Road Runner" will be out for revenge against Keith McGregor (Auckland) in "Air New Zealand", for the latter lifted the coveted Masport Cup from him at the regatta la-t year. McGregor, whose boat ho ! ds the national water speed record at nearly 260km/h, -hould have the edge but Knight ha-. ever\

incentive to do we If • he-" tw falter. D | Cameron (Nelson) in th beautifully prepared "Mi - Print”, will be in These craft will also b< maKing the spray fly in the South Island unlimited unrestricted championship, where the big hydros and big vees will compete