Formula Honda comes to NZ

ROBIN BAILEY profiles the Formula Honda Sonic 1900SS, a racing boat that makes the sport affordable to more enthusiasts

The world's biggest and most affordable one-design offshore powerboat racing class is now in New Zealand. It is Formula Honda, which has been hugely successful in Britain since its introduction there five years ago.

Announcing the launch of the class here, Honda Marine general manager Martin Wylie said the swift acceptance of the boat in Britain gave the company the confidence to bring it to New Zealand.

He has put together a team of experienced professionals to organise a five-race series which will begin in January.

With Wylie are championship director Stuart Roberts, who has a long history of motorsport involvement. Another prime mover is Barry Thompson, who has had many years of local and international powerboat racing experience.

Responsible for the boatbuilding part of the project is Nic deMey, and Honda outboard expert Murray Tonkin is handling power and performance.

They have spent months fine-tuning the New Zealand Formula Honda Championship regulations and specifications, and Wylie is certain they have all the bases covered.

They had considered using the same boats as those being raced in Britain but, after doing the sums and weighing the options, decided to go local. They wanted a boat that could be bought new, and had a strong second-hand market.

The Sonic 1900SS met both criteria, as it was already a popular performance boat for offshore and ski racing.

Designed and built by Chris Bartlett at Milford on the North Shore in Auckland in 1993, the Sonic was a proven family water-ski boat as well as a high-performance, sports-class offshore racer.

The 1900SS is now being built by deMey's company, Composite Technology Ltd at Whitford, in Auckland. It comes complete with a ballast tank which can be filled and emptied while under way to help with trimming the boat, front bucket seats, a rear bench seat and a ski pole.

The pole is a requirement of the Formula Honda championship class so the boats retain their appeal for general family boating and water skiing off the race track.

Wylie is adamant the class will always be strictly one design, not chequebook racing. The winner will be the best crew, not the one with the biggest budget.

All Formula Honda boats, both new and second-hand, will be homologated (motorsport-speak for certified the same) and set up by Tonkin at Boats-R-Us, the Honda Marine dealer at Silverdale, just north of Auckland.

All boats will be weighed and must meet a minimum weight and engine height, and engines will be fixed and sealed. New engines will be delivered directly from the Honda warehouse. Identical propellers will be allocated by lottery on race day and the championship regulations will be rigidly enforced.

All motors will carry a five-year, four-stroke outboard warranty, even when racing, which is unusual for any variety of motor racing.

A competitive package has been put together for the class. A new Formula Honda Sonic 1900SS, fitted with the BF150 four-stroke motor, supplied on a twin-axle galvanised trailer will cost $52,000. The deal is conditional on the boat being registered and raced in the championship.

The New Zealand Sonic 1900SS is about 300-400kg lighter than the British Formula Honda, which the organisers believe will give New Zealanders a better performing class with even greater appeal.

Thompson says a number of top New Zealand offshore racing people have driven the boat and are impressed with its soft ride and ease of driveability.

The 2005 Formula Honda Championship will consist of five races run in conjunction with the New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Association. These are Taupo (January 30), Maraetai (February 12), Wellington (March 5), Napier (March 19) and the Auckland-Thames Marathon as a series wrap-up on April 2.

The winner will be invited to race in Formula Honda in Britain at the British Powerboat Grand Prix, which the organisers believe is just the right incentive to help to get the class up and running by the end of January. There are already 10 boats being built.

Anyone interested should call race director Stuart Roberts on 0274 957 474 or