Starting at 9am from Thomsons Crossing Road, the boats departed at one-minute intervals, racing upstream to Lumsden Campground Road. The second leg, a mirror image of the first, saw the boats race back downstream to complete the gruelling 126km day. Despite some DNS (Did Not Start) and DNF (Did Not Finish) designations, the racers pushed their machines to the limit, offering spectators thrilling moments along the way.
Race Highlights and Top Performers
Roger Preston took home the overall victory, clocking an impressive combined time of 0:52:38. The reigning NZ champion from the Unlimited Class maintained his lead in both legs, completing the first in 0:26:06 and the second in 0:26:32. In his own words, “We didn’t have too many oopsies, though we had to do a bit of overland work after missing a corner, but apart from that, the run went smoothly.”
Not far behind Preston was Justin Hill in the A-Class, who came in second overall with a combined time of 0:55:57. Hill, despite being in a different class, showed incredible skill, finishing Leg 1 in 0:28:07 and Leg 2 in 0:27:50. His determination and precision made him a crowd favourite.
Tom Kelly rounded out the top three with an overall time of 0:58:05. His consistent performance (0:29:05 in Leg 1 and 0:29:00 in Leg 2) solidified his spot among the elite racers. Pre-race, Kelly had anticipated a tough competition, citing Preston and Canadian world champion Gord Humphrey as his biggest rivals. Humphrey, however, ran into trouble on the first leg, suffering a DNF after attempting to overtake Kelly, resulting in water intake and an oil leak. Although Humphrey finished 16th overall, his early setback cost him a spot among the top contenders.
Class Leaders Dominate
In the CX-Class, Adam Wilton took the top spot with a solid overall time of 0:59:51, followed by Craig Plunkett at 1:03:26. The updated FX-Evo Class saw Aiden Flett take the win with a combined time of 1:11:55, while Michael Morris finished second at 1:20:23. These class leaders demonstrated the diversity and competitiveness across the fleet, with each class offering its own unique set of challenges.
International Rivalries and Technical Challenges
International competitors added an exciting dimension to the race, particularly with the arrival of Canadian driver Gord Humphrey. However, Humphrey’s efforts were hampered by last-minute mechanical adjustments, including a switch to chainless cable steering to meet NZ rules. Operating on just two hours of sleep after arriving at 3:30am, Humphrey faced a challenging day, ultimately resulting in a DNF in the first leg.
What’s Next?
Tomorrow, the action moves to the Mataura River, where racers will take on four more legs, each 43km long. With Roger Preston leading the pack and competitors like Tom Kelly and Justin Hill in close pursuit, the next stage promises even more drama and excitement.
Stay tuned for further updates as the Golden Homes Jet Boat Marathon continues to showcase the best in high-speed river racing.
