Powerboats: Shores in cruise mode to crush rivals

By PETER JESSUP

Richard Shores' new boat ate up the Orewa circuit in round four of the national off-shore powerboat championship yesterday, cruising to a two-lap win over rivals at less than full throttle.

Shores had the two 650hp Buicks in Eta Ripples on 6200 rpm for most of the 100-mile race, comfortably within its usual race revs of 7500.

The old Ripples, renamed DNZ Global, was second and Turner Car Auctions third.

Turner is the series leader, DNZ second and Ripples third as the series heads for Wellington for round five of 10 on March 9.

Obsession won the 60-mile race from Riviera, those two being the only finishers of six.

* International visitors dominated the New Zealand Open waterski and wakeboard championships at Orakei Basin at the weekend.

The perfect conditions were also a big factor in the breaking of several national records.

Briton Jason Seals won the men's jump with a record 61m leap and Australian world champion Emma Sheers broke the women's all-comers record with 49.9m.

Fabio Ianni of Italy won the slalom on countback from New Zealand's Steve Cockeram.

Another New Zealander, Aaron Larkin, was third after the other local international, Kyle Eade, skied well in his first run but could not repeat.

Briton Sarah Gatty-Saunt set a new tricks record for women and Waikato's Jamie Metcalfe broke the national under-18 slalom record.