River logs knock out boat

HYDROPLANES: Last year's Wanganui Flying Lap winner Tony Lattimer was the major sufferer of a rash of logs in the Whanganui River yesterday.
Lattimer was seventh boat out in the first of three qualifying sessions yesterday, and ran into a bundle of wood coming out of the southern turn on his timed lap. The boat didn't appreciate the problem, and Lattimer's day was quickly over.
"I went out and did a warm-up lap, managed to get around that, started my timed lap, go on to the bottom corner and committed to the exit buoy ? and there were six bloody great logs in front and I had nowhere to go but over the top of them," Lattimer said. "I couldn't even go inside the buoy because there was a long there as well.
"I knew that if I slowed down there would be a hole in the boat for sure, so I tried to nail it over the top of it, and see what happened.
"The damage is the ski on the gearbox, and I don't know about the prop shaft yet. The ski gives it all the direction ? without it, it doesn't steer.
"So that's $20,000 worth of damage and that's it for the day ? all for a little log or two."
Lattimer won the flying lap last year but hit a log as well, but managed to panel beat the ski into shape, changed to a different prop and beat the field home.
Lattimer says Wanganui is a remarkable spectator venue, even with its log problem, but believes some thought could be given to the establishment of something like an oil boom to deflect or catch the wood.
"It's part of the job to come here and we get good support from Wanganui. Two years ago we had 10,000 people watching, and it was great to be here.
"Last year there wasn't the same spectator support because it was further up the river because of the (marina) washout. But it was good for me.
"So it's great for spectators ? and if we could sort out something like an oil recovery boom to stop the logs intruding on the course, it would make it safe for everybody."