By DAVID OGILVIE David.ogilvie@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
The Canadians didn't want them, the Aussies are looking at 2008, so New Zealand will host, in late January, its second consecutive World Hydroplane Championships ? and it all starts on the Whanganui River on January 27/28.
And? hopefully this time there will be a workable boom in use to prevent logs creating chaos as they did on January 30.
Wanganui engineer Ted Matthews and world hydroplane champion Warwick Lupton are working on a design of a boom ? but they don't know whether it will work until it's needed.
It would, according to Matthews, consist of plastic drums and fencing wire and could be placed across the river around the area where the Waimarie docks ? on the one hand ? and/or under the Cobham Bridge, depending on the tide.
New Zealand Hydroplane Drivers' Club organiser Denise Moughan is keeping the Wanganui District Council up-to-date with details. It has the support of the rowing community and the Wanganui Motorboat Club.
"We need the boom there, because we don't want hold-ups like we had last time," Moughan said. "We'll do the best we can, with all the support of the community, to get this thing made."
Matthews said he was waiting for Warwick Lupton to return from an Australian trip before a couple of "experimental ideas" were tried.
"We're going to get a whole lot of drums and wire some fence meshing together ? and see if it works. If that works, great ? and if it doesn't, we'll have to look for a Plan B."
Nothing has yet been constructed.
But back to the championship.
Moughan, who was seriously ill a couple of months ago but has made a fine recovery, says:
"We've been given the championships. Valleyfield (Canada) were going to apply, but they wanted to leave it until 2008/9 because they're building up their numbers.
"Because it (championship) was sitting there, we applied for it again ? Australia want it now as well, so they're going to apply for it in 2008.
"And things are looking up. We have our three (Annihilator) guys here, and also Scott Coker with Fair Warning from Otorohanga.
"Then we've got the Warlord boat (Paul Burton) from Australia, and Bobby Fisher (The Wasp). He was third last time," Moughan said.
Two Australian regulars in Tom Heffernan (Dragula) and Ian Bryant (Mathemagic) will also be in Wanganui.
Warlord is conceivably the best boat in Australia, but Burton didn't attend last season's event. But this time he continues through the two world champ rounds at Wanganui and Lake Karapiro, and on to the national championships at Lake Ruataniwha.
These three events are part of a re-constituted trans-Tasman series, which will carry on at Taree (Sydney) at Easter and Yarawanga (Victoria) on May 5/6.
There are also ongoing talks with a leading Canadian Pierre Maheu, and his UL46 hydroplane.
To add to the excitement and noise, the formula one tunnels and probably the North Island pro-stocks championships will be held on the river that weekend ? boosting numbers to between 30 and 40 boats.
World Hydroplane champs coming back to Wanganui
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