Rayglass NZ Offshore Powerboat Champs - Round 8 (final), Gulf Harbour

Cure for Kids – Tony Coleman and Chris Hanley (Superboat) Greg Olesen

Cure for Kids- Tony Coleman (left) and Chris Hanley
© Greg Olesen

Conditions were superb on Sunday and the choppy conditions didnt detract from the sheer excitement of winning their first championship titles for Tony Coleman and Chris Handley in Cure Kids and Greg Brinck and Eldon Archer in Konica Minolta in the final round of the 2009 Rayglass New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Championship.

The seasons final race was delayed by one day due to high winds on the scheduled Saturday, so competitors were delighted to wake up on Sunday to bright sunshine and significantly less wind.

With a steep chop still making conditions fairly tough for the shorter boats, thrilling on-water action was enjoyed by a good crowd as the boats raced a course off Gulf Harbour Marina, Whangaparaoa.

Coleman and Handley took out their first 100-mile championship title in Cure Kids despite finishing second to fellow Superboat Fairview Windows & Doors during the days race. For Coleman, his second season in Cure Kids has been about consistency and reliability, having finished every one of the seven races run in either first or second place.

Fairview – Warren Lewis and Ted Taiatini (Superboat) © Greg Olesen

Coleman, from Auckland, paid credit to main rival Fairview driven by Ted Taiatini, from Rotorua, with Warren Lewis, from Auckland, on the throttles. 'After seeing Fairview flip over in Whangarei just two weeks ago, its great to see you guys here racing so strongly for the win. Well done. For me, its just amazing to win this championship title in only my second year in this class.'

Handley, the Mt Maunganui-based throttle-man on Cure Kids, added: 'It means a lot to be able to carry NZ1 on our boat next season; its a real honour.'

Taking out their first 60-mile championship title and his first super 60 class title, Brinck and Archer, both from Auckland, were equally delighted with the third place in Konica Minolta, that gave them sufficient points to take the championship over closest rivals Aucklanders Mike Gerbic and Haydn Mearns with Espresso Engineers and Holsam driven by Aucklands Mike Cameron and Dennis Vivash.

’Konica Minolta’with NZ Offshore racer Greg Brinck at the wheel © Phillip Hoskyn

'We actually had a problem with the oil feed system to the engine – our fault – but it meant the Evinrude engine went into a kind of safe mode. Once we got ourselves sorted, Holsam and Espresso Engineers were in front, but we held on for third place and ultimately the 60-mile championship title,' said Brinck who also won the Formula Honda class in 2005 and sport 60 class in 2007.

Espresso Engineers – Mike Gerbic and Haydn Mearns (Super 60) © Greg Olesen

During the races themselves – the 100-mile and 60-mile races are run at the same time – both Cure Kids and Doosan, one of the superboat lite class entries, came back to the marina just before the race start, said series commentator Jamie McCarthy.

'Tony Colemans crew managed to get Cure Kids back out in time for the start, but Sam Fillmore and Cary Gleeson on Doosan didnt get back out until after the race started, so they joined in at the back of the field. Within a few laps they had whipped through the field to be about ten boats behind main Superboat lite class rival Rayglass.

And shortly after Doosan and Rayglass swapped places virtually every lap with just about the most exciting piece of powerboat racing Ive ever seen taking place when the pair had a massive drag race right down to the finish line. Doosan just made it to the line in front,' said McCarthy.

Doosan – Sam Fillmore and Cary Gleeson (Superboat Lite) © Greg Olesen

Rayglass had the points advantage to take the class win – the third consecutive Superboat lite class championship for Wellingtonian Kelly Smith who drives the boat with father Grant alongside controlling the throttles.

'That was a fantastic race with Doosan,' said Kelly Smith. 'It was the best race Ive had in three years of racing; what a great finish! Its been a great season racing with Dad, Ive learnt a lot and Im really looking forward to next year.'

Fairview throttle-man Warren Lewis paid credit to the efforts of their mechanical crew for making sure the newest Superboat in the series could race at Gulf Harbour after flipping in Whangarei Harbour just two weeks ago.

'Were just the two guys in the boat and we get all the credit,' said Lewis about himself and experienced driver Ted Taiatini. 'But theres a huge team behind us that do all the work. We really couldnt have ended the season on a better note that a final race win. Its just fantastic and shows what an amazing job the guys have done to prepare this boat after being completely submerged in Whangarei. Its fair to say there's unfinished business for 2010..!'

In the 60-mile race, Holsam went out to an early lead, with the conditions suiting the longer style boats such as the classic class Holsam and the inline v-bottom style of Espresso Engineers over eventual championship winner Konica Minolta.

'The wind picked up during the race,' said McCarthy. 'But basically Konica Minolta just needed to keep Espresso Engineers in sight to know they had the 60-mile championship victory.'

In the popular Formula Honda class, Whangaparaoa locals Mike Urquhart and Darren Woods in Auckland District Collections #2 took the class win, but couldnt hold out Aucklanders Mike Knight and Shannon Thickpenny in Building Solutions for the overall class victory.

Overall rankings in the 100-mile championship see Cure Kids on 2825 points, 173 points clear of Fairview on 2652. In third place, A1 Homes driven by Warren Lewis brother Scott and Murray Tuffin, both of Auckland, has finished 100 per cent of the six rounds its contested. Rayglass and Doosan round out the top five 100-mile championship points scorers for 2009.

In the 60-mile championship, Konica Minolta ended the season with a 50 point advantage over Espresso Engineers.

After Holsam in third, the Formula Honda boats Building Solutions and Auckland District Collections #2 completed the top five in this championship.

Holsam – Mike Cameron and Dennis Vivash (Classic) © Greg Olesen

Auckland District Collections – Mike Urquhart and Darren Woods (Honda Class) © Greg Olesen

CLASS RESULTS

OVERALL RESULTS