Please select your home edition
Edition
Leaderboard FD July August September 2023

Brett Niddrie is the new UIM World GP Hydroplane World Champion

by Bob Wonders on 9 Feb 2009
’Warlord’, engine builder Niddrie in total control at the wheel, charges for home (and the world title) on Lake Karapiro - Hydroplane Championship Phillip Hoskyn

Melbourne-based engine builder Brett Niddrie is the new Masport UIM World GP Hydroplane champion!

At the wheel of the New Zealand-built ‘Warlord’, owned by hydroplane stalwart Ron Burton, Niddrie claimed the title on New Zealand’s Lake Karapiro, keeping a promise he made to re-build an engine and repair a gearbox 'capable of taking maximum points.'

With only 400 points to his credit after the opening round at Tauranga, Niddrie certainly needed maximum points and he achieved his goal, finishing with 1600 points, comfortably clear of second-placed David Alexander (‘Annihilator 2’) with 1294.

American import, J.Michael Kelly, driving the legendary Peter Knight Snr boat ‘The Boss’ notched a well-deserved third (877) points.

Then came Scott Coker (‘Fair Warning’) 729 points, Warwick Lupton (‘Annihilator’) 648, Ken Lupton (‘Annihilator 3’) 625 and Graeme Weller (‘G-Force’) 395.

The Lupton family, Warwick, son Ken and cousin David Alexander were hoping for a better outcome after Warwick’s recent triumph in taking the prestigious E.C. Griffith Cup away from Niddrie last year.

He is no doubt rueing that his new boat was not finished in time to contest the series.
[Sorry, this content could not be displayed]
Brett Niddrie and his team certainly showed they possessed the power and the reliability to see off numerous challenges through the series.

Not surprisingly, Niddrie, proprietor of Melbourne’s BNR (for Brett Niddrie Racing) Engines had the big 510 cubic inch supercharged power plant running sweetly.

Alexander tried every trick in the book to run Niddrie down, but the older ‘Annihilator 2’ just did not have the ‘legs’ in the final run to the chequered flag.

It was good see the American, Kelly, make something of a ‘comeback’ after a disappointing opening round.

There’s no disputing his talent; although new to Grand Prix hydroplanes he had no trouble adapting to their style.

Kelly is the driver of record of the Unlimited Hydroplane ‘Spirit of Detroit’ and during his racing career he has set 19 world records, six of which he still holds.

For Ken Lupton (son of Warwick) the weekend is best forgotten.

If it could go wrong for Ken, it went wrong for Ken!

He failed to add to his first round points thanks to broken drives, broken engines and anything else that could possibly break.

Graeme Weller (G-Force), also struck trouble, losing his propeller shaft in one heat.

Although he finished last on the championship points table, he was still able to show plenty of ‘ticker’ and win the A.E.Baker Australasian Hydroplane title.

For further details visit the website, www.hydroplane.com


[Sorry, this content could not be displayed]

Allen Dynamic 40 FooterSCIBS 2025Rooster 2025

Related Articles

Transat Paprec Day 18
48 Hours to Glory By Friday, the outcome of the Transat Paprec will be known. But who will have the final say? Who will seize the advantage, who will get stuck, who will claim an honorable finish, and who will be left disappointed?
Posted on 7 May
iQFOiL Youth & Junior International Games day 2
Heavy Rain Sets the Scene, But Racing Pushes On at Lake Garda Despite relentless rainfall, part of the day's race program went ahead as planned at the iQFOiL Youth & Junior International Games, hosted by Circolo Surf Torbole.
Posted on 7 May
XR 41 Dominates Debut at MaiOR 2025
FORMULA X Takes First Place in ORC A&B The northern European offshore racing season launched in spectacular fashion at the Mai Offshore Regatta (MaiOR) from 2 to 4 May 2025, and the spotlight was firmly on X-Yachts' latest high- performance model - the XR 41.
Posted on 7 May
Smeg's 29 years of 18ft Skiff sponsorship success
It all began when a Trevor Barnabas-led team raced a skiff named Omega Smeg-2UE The Smeg Australia 18ft skiff sponsorship with the Australian 18 footers League began in 1996-97 and has continued harmoniously, with many great successes, over the following twenty nine seasons on Sydney Harbour.
Posted on 7 May
Canada Ocean Racing Acquires Foiling IMOCA
For Scott Shawyer's Vendée Globe Campaign Canada Ocean Racing is proud to announce the acquisition of a current generation foiling IMOCA 60 - formerly known as Groupe Dubreuil and originally 11th Hour Racing - Malama.
Posted on 7 May
Bulwarks and Bulldust – new Vodcast Show launches
Join us as we pan for the gold dust, whilst sifting out the bulldust. Bulwarks and Bulldust looks at the serious subjects from inside the world of boating, but we don't take ourselves too seriously. The show covers off everything from Off The Beach to Superyachts, Powerboats to Ocean Racing, and the marine industry itself
Posted on 6 May
iQFOiL Youth & Junior International Games day 1
Unexpected breeze delivers a spectacular opening day of racing on Lake Garda The iQFOiL Youth & Junior International Games are officially under way in Torbole, Lake Garda, marking the second major event of the 2025 season for the U19/U17/U15 athletes of the iQFOiL Youth & Junior International Class.
Posted on 6 May
Transat Paprec Day 17
"An Atlantic Crossing with the Intensity of La Solitaire" They've proven that persistence pays off—even when faced with serious setbacks. Lola Billy and Corentin Horeau had to make a pit stop in Lisbon during the first week of the race to replace a damaged rudder.
Posted on 6 May
Night sailing, Transat Paprec, Congressional Cup
Night sailing, encountering light airs in the Transat Paprec, Congressional Cup We bundled up as the last of the rays sunlight dipped below the Olympic Mountains and night quietly fell on Puget Sound. We'd been racing for about twelve hours in the Seattle Yacht Club's Protection Island Race (April 26), and we were getting tired.
Posted on 6 May
Triple amputee passes halfway point of challenge
Craid Wood is more determined than ever, despite troubles during Pacific crossing Despite experiencing a number of technical issues with his boat, Craig Wood is now halfway through his sail with well over 4000 nautical miles done. He is feeling positive about reaching the finish line at Osaka in Japan in just over a months' time.
Posted on 6 May