Festival of Speed in Whitianga

by Kate Gordon on 31 Mar 2009
If it’s speed and more speed that tickles your fancy, than across the ditch the place to be is Whititanga and the Festival of Speed scheduled for this coming weekend (April 4-5).

Boats, cars and ‘planes will be there, including the contestants in the Rayglass New Zealand Offshore championships.

The offshore action begins with a display of the craft on the Buffalo Beach Reserve on the Friday afternoon.

It all gets decidedly more serious when the boats fire up for the traditionally challenging race across the waters of Mercury Bay.

Last year’s 60-mile race winner, Greg Brinck, driver of the Sports 60 boat ‘Konica Minolta’, rates Mercury Bay as 'a true offshore course' for the 25-strong field.

'The course takes us straight offshore to the exposed waters of Mercury Bay, where conditions can vary from flat to a big swell and a big chop,' he explained.

'One thing’s for sure, if it is blowing into the bay from the east, then it will be interesting, to say the least,' he added.

The 100-mile race for the Superboats will pit Tony Coleman and Chris Handley, aboard ‘Cure Kids’ in a neck and neck battle with current series leader ‘Fairview Windows and Doors’, crewed by Ted Taiatani and Warren Lewis.

‘Cure Kids’ beat ‘Fairview’ to the chequered flag in the last round at Wellington and they boys would like nothing more than to repeat the dose.

At this point, ‘Fairview’ holds only a slender 27 point lead over ‘Cure Kids’ with Superboat Lite defending champion Kelly Smith and her father Grant in third place aboard ‘Rayglass.’

In the 60-mile classes, Brinck and co-driver Eldon Archer (‘Konica Minolta’) lead the Super 60 class from ‘Expresso Engineers’, Mike Gerbic and Haydn Means in the cockpit.

‘Holsam’, a Classic class boat with Mike Cameron and Dennis Vivash on board, holds third place with Mike Knight and Shannon Thickpenny (‘Building Solutions’) dominating Formula Honda and holding fourth place in the 60-mile series.

The Festival of Speed is shaping up as a spectacular weekend for ‘speed freaks.’

Activity over the two days will include a ‘match race’ between one of the offshore Superboats and a helicopter.

Brinck, a spokesman for the NZ Offshore Powerboat Association, says the offshore race course offers excellent spectator viewing from Buffalo Beach.

'It allows a good look at most of the course,' he said.

'Last year’s Whitianga race was the roughest of the season, a very testing race in every regard.

'The course presents many challenges, but it has been good to us.

'We’ve won the 60-mile event for the past four-years, though last year was more about surviving than winning,' he added.

Following the Whitianga event the Rayglass NZ Offshore Powerboat championship resumes at Whangarei on April 18 and concludes on Auckland Harbour on May 2.

Details and results will be posted on the website, www.nzoffshore.co.nz