Yesterday’s top performers, Roger Preston, Justin Hill, and Tom Kelly, started the day in strong positions after leading Legs 1 and 2 on the Oreti River. However, by the end of today’s four legs on the Mataura, the leaderboard saw some notable shifts, but one thing remained the same – Roger Preston continued to dominate.
Craig Robinson reflected on yesterday’s conditions, mentioning that the wind made things tricky and that flat light affected visibility.
Early Start, Tough Conditions
Notably, Canadian racer Gord Humphrey was absent from today’s action. After yesterday’s race, he discovered water in his boat’s engine compartment and an oil leak. His focus today was on getting the boat repaired and race-ready for tomorrow.
Several competitors commented on the wet, cooler weather, which had caused the Mataura River to rise, especially before the confluence. Many expect the river to rise further overnight. The wet conditions and rising water give an advantage to the Unlimited Class boats, with their larger engines and deeper hulls, making it easier for them to navigate the swollen river. Tom Kelly’s Unlimited Class boat with its 1800 hp engine with outputs of up to 2000 hp was expected to do well today.
Most drivers were focused on maintaining clear visibility, as fogging helmets became a common concern in the damp conditions. But this didn’t stop the jet boats from flying down the Mataura river at incredible speeds today.
The first leg of the day kicked off at 9:30 a.m., with boats speeding downstream from Steeghs Beach to Ardlussa. Preston, racing in the Unlimited Class, clocked the fastest first leg of the day with a time of 17 minutes and 21 seconds. The competition was fierce, with racers battling not only the river but also challenging weather conditions. The day began wet, and a red weather warning for the Waiau River meant today’s racing had to take place on the Mataura – a repeat of what will be run tomorrow.
Changing Leaderboard
Preston’s speed and consistency saw him finish the day with an overall time of 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 46 seconds, maintaining his position at the top of the leaderboard. The competition behind him, however, shifted dramatically.
After the second leg and just before heading into the third, the camera caught up with Roger Preston to see how the day had gone so far. He shared that the upstream leg went well overall, though he experienced a bit of a flameout and had to restart the boat. Fortunately, it happened in deep enough water to get going again without too much trouble.
The downstream leg was trickier. Roger ran aground, had to jump out and push, struggling with the shallow spots as he kept hitting the bottom. Once he got moving again, he took a shortcut but ended up hitting gravel, causing the boat to backfire and flame out. He floated to a nearby beach to restart, but by then, a couple of boats had passed him.
Looking ahead to legs 3 and 4, Roger noted that the river had risen about a foot at the top. While he didn’t think it would make much of a difference in terms of water and space, he expected it to still be tight. “Some of those shortcuts might be back in play this time,” he said optimistically.
Andrew Scott, also in the Unlimited Class, put in a stellar performance today, moving up from fifth place to second overall with a time of 2:06:21.
Anthony Holland, another Unlimited Class contender, secured third place by the narrowest of margins, finishing just one second ahead of yesterday’s second-place winner, Justin Hill. Holland’s overall time was 2:08:58, with Hill finishing at 2:08:59. Tom Kelly, who had rounded out the top three yesterday, slipped to fifth place today with a time of 2:09:33. The competition remains tight, with mere seconds separating the top contenders.
Fastest Legs of the Day
While Roger Preston took the fastest times for three of today’s legs, including a blistering 16-minute and 12-second run on the final leg, Andrew Scott claimed the fastest time on the second leg, completing it in just 16 minutes and 43 seconds. Preston’s consistency, however, allowed him to hold onto the lead and remain the overall favourite heading into tomorrow’s racing.
Highs and Lows on the Water
Graeme Patterson reflected on the morning run, saying it went “Good, once we got going. Had a bit of a learning moment—turned the motor off to let some rubbish out. But once we were moving, we made it up and back alright.” He admits he’s still learning the ropes, adding with a laugh, “If someone wrote a book on it, it’d be a bloody big one. Still learning.”
Across all four legs of the day, there were 13 DNS (Did Not Start) and 5 DNF (Did Not Finish) results, highlighting the challenging conditions on the water. The Mataura, running fast due to the weather, proved tricky for some competitors. Byron Campbell, who didn’t pre-run the river, felt there was little he could do to prepare for the rain but tried to keep his helmet dry. He was focused on getting through the day without damage and succeeded in doing so.
Michael Morris, with boat 589 in the FX-Evo Class, runs a big V8 Chev engine. After the first two legs today, he’s had to take off his grill plates for some welding. With a grin, he says, “One lady owner, driven to church as far as I’m concerned.” The boat, previously owned by Rob Pooley, could fit into either the Unlimited or FX-Evo class, but Morris prefers to avoid competing with “the boys with the turbines” in the Unlimited class. He feels that “FX-Evo is a great way to start out, it’s a solid class.” He adds, “There must be heaps of boats lying around in sheds. If people just sort out their steering and rollbars, they’d be good to go.”
After Leg 2, Aiden Flett is leading the FX-Evo Class. “Our biggest challenge right now is keeping an eye on our speed. Yesterday, the boat was running rough, like a hairy dog, so we didn’t have too many issues there. But we lost a unit bearing on the way down, so had a few repairs to sort out last night. Now, we’re constantly watching the speedo, making sure it stays in check.”
Reflections and Preparations for Tomorrow
As racers reflect on today’s performance, many are preparing for a repeat of the course tomorrow, as conditions on the Mataura are expected to remain similar, with water levels likely rising.
The final day of racing promises more high-speed action and drama as racers aim to push their boats and themselves to the limit. The competition remains tight, particularly in the Unlimited Class, where four of the top five finishers today hail from. With Preston still in the lead, all eyes will be on whether he can hold off the competition for the overall win.
Tomorrow’s Another Day; Same Course, Different Conditions
Day two of the Golden Homes Jet Boat Marathon delivered fast-paced racing and intense competition, with Roger Preston continuing to set the pace. The Mataura River, combined with the wet weather, created challenging conditions that tested even the most experienced jet boaters. As the event heads into its third day, the race for the podium remains wide open, with mere seconds separating the top contenders. Tomorrow’s racing is to be an action-packed event.
Today’s full results are available here at https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=947433834093582&set=pcb.947434927426806
