Sunday's third round of the Jetpro Jetsprint championship at Meremere provided more upsets to the points table with two teams from Wanganui and one from Hamilton taking the day's prizes.
The waterjet-propelled, six-round sprint boat series drew a large crowd.
Thrilled by a V8 engine-dominated sport that doesn't always stick to the water track, fans gave generously to the Christchurch quake fund, contributing $1700 after a minute's silence was observed.
Fastest overall time and winning the Suzuki Superboat category for the second time, Wanganui's Leighton and Kellie Minnell were thrilled to be back at the top. Trading times with fellow Wanganui team of Duncan Wilson and Jamiee-Lee Lupton, Minnell focused on reliability to ensure they'd finish first.
"She was a hard battle today. We had to work for everything. ... I know Duncan Wilson is as hungry as I am for the win. It's going to be a hell of a battle all the way to the finish," Minnell said.
Sitting in third Wanganui's Rob Coley and navigator Reece Townend were exactly a second behind in the final: 48.22s to Minnell's 47.23s.
After his upset win recently at Gisborne, the quad-rotary engine turbo-charged boat of Wanganui's Peter and Gary Huijs finished fourth.
The results put Wilson at the top of the points table on 84, with Minnell on 83 and Huijs with 82.
In the Suzuki Superboat category, Hamilton's Sam Newdick and navigator Nic McIndoe won in the Scott Waterjet Group A class. Posting a time of 48.86s in the final, the pair held the advantage with Taupo's Reg and Julie Smith the only team close to their scorching form. Third after a navigational error, Auckland's Baden Gray and Tanya Iremonger held out defending class champion's Bevan Muir and Kathy Barker.
"It was just one of those perfect runs really," Newdick said of his final attempt. "It was all I had and it paid off."
Newdick acknowledged the benefit of listening to experience: "The first time I broke through the 49s mark I was surprised. After a few changes and listening to technique from Rex Briant, I did even better."
Newdick trails new leader Reg Smith, who has a one-point advantage over second-placed Baden Gray on 85.
Dropping from the winners' circle, Opiki's Simon Campbell and navigator Gareth Cox were one of the early eliminations from the Scott Waterjet Group A field. Making an uncharacteristic steering mistake in an early heat, Campbell missed the track and slid across a grass island, flying through the air, before landing heavily.
Having taken the points lead in the entry-level Jetpro Lites category at the series second round earlier in the month, Wanganui's Bevan Linklater and navigator Malcolm Ward put the opposition to rest with an outright win.
Fastest in the top-three final, Linklater's consistency was further rewarded, finishing more than a second ahead of Whangamata's Ray and Brett Thompson. On 88 points, Linklater is four ahead of New Plymouth's Graeme and Scott Jones, who finished third. Thompson is placed third on 82 points.
Jetpro New Zealand Jetsprint Championship - results (top three).
Suzuki Superboat class
Leighton Minnell, Kellie Minnell, Wanganui, 47.23s
Duncan Wilson, Jamiee Lupton, Waitotara, 47.67s
Rob Coley, Reece Townend, Wanganui, 48.22s
Scott Waterjet Group A class
Sam Newdick, Nic McIndoe, Hamilton, 48.86s
Reg Smith, Julie Smith, Taupo,50.39s
Baden Gray, Tanya Iremonger, Auckland, 61.88s
Round four is on March 13 at Hastings.
Wanganui team thrilled to be back on top
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