Powerboat racing: A great rate of knots

Doosan dominated the race from start to finish. Photo / Supplied

It's a good sign of the amount of horsepower on the back of your boat that when you drop the throttle down the Harbour Master receives noise complaints from residents in the area.

In the end, the discussions with the authorities on Waitemata Harbour were more comical than anything as no charges were laid against the Doosan crew - but it was a good indication of the volume of power at the disposal of the Offshore Power Boats.

I was invited out by Cary Gleeson and Sam Fillmore to experience the full-throttle power of 2 @ 550hp V8 engines firsthand in the streamlined Offshore Power Boats and, to put it mildly, it was a rush.

The decibel roar of the twin engines is enough to make any red-blooded male salivate and the speed that follows is something that wakes you up like a slap in the face.

The Doosan cruises to 100mph (160km/h) and reached a top-end speed in the glassy conditions of 118mph (190km/h).

Strapped inside the pokey cabin it is deceptive how fast the boat is actually travelling and you only really get a proper gauge when it comes to turning when you feel some real G-Force.

Other boats pass you by like blurry objects - it is like you are entering hyper-space.

The owner of Doosan international, a worldwide construction company, was along for a whistle-stop journey to see what big boy's toys his money was sponsoring Down Under.

The affable and down-to-earth American marvelled at how smooth the journey was at such breakneck speed. "That was pretty cool," said Richard Doosan pumped after his sortie.

"It hardly feels like you are going that fast at all and it is much smoother than I expected."

Before my fast and furious blat around the harbour I had the chance to watch the Doosan in full flight.

And I mean flight ... as most of the boat hovers above the water with only the rear-tip of the hull in contact with the ocean.

On any given weekend, the Powerboats hit average speeds of about 115mph to 117mph in competitive mode with steering to consider.

Racing them, like any elite motorsport, is wrestling the fine balance of speed with control and it is a thrill to watch for any boaties or anyone who appreciates craft travelling fast.

And it comes at a cost, to fill each engine with fuel for a day of racing costs $420 each.

The local 100 Mile Overall Championship: Superboat series is in full swing at the moment and the Doosan won at Maraetai last weekend.

The travelling speed circus on water heads to Napier on February 26 and watching these boats in full flight has to be heard to be believed.