High-speed, high-stakes racing set for Shelter View on Sunday
The 2024/2025 New Zealand Jetsprint Championship reaches its climax tomorrow (Sunday, 23 February), with the fourth and final round taking place at Shelter View Jetsprint Park in Wanganui. After three hard-fought rounds, the championship titles are on the line, and the country’s best jetsprint racers are preparing for what promises to be an intense final battle.
Jetsprinting is among the most brutal and unforgiving forms of motorsport, where boats powered by high-performance V8 engines blast through a tight network of water channels at speeds of up to 140 km/h. Races are won and lost by mere fractions of a second, and with no room for error, even the slightest miscalculation can end a competitor’s run.
Shelter View is well known as one of the most demanding jetsprint venues in the country. The natural amphitheatre setting offers fans a close-up view of the action, while the challenging course layout puts drivers and navigators under enormous pressure. The rotation—a sequence of up to 25 turns that must be executed precisely—is released prior to the start of racing, which the navigators and drivers must learn.
Three classes, one final test
Sunday’s racing will feature three classes:
- Building King Superboats – The fastest and most powerful boats in the field, producing more than 1,000 horsepower and reaching 130 km/h in less than two seconds. These machines demand absolute precision from their drivers, as any mistake at high speed can be catastrophic.
- QDC Group A – Featuring naturally aspirated V8s with strict power limits, this class puts a premium on driver skill and consistency. A tightly contested category, Group A often delivers some of the closest racing of the day.
- MTW LS Class – A development category featuring Chevrolet LS-powered boats limited to around 580 horsepower. While the speeds are slightly lower, the action is no less intense, with close racing and aggressive competition.
Championship on the line
Across all three classes, the championship picture remains wide open. In the Superboats, Australian Phonsy Mullan (navigator Niketa Wells) has been the driver to beat, but the final round presents an opportunity for New Zealand’s top racers to challenge for the title on home waters. In QDC Group A, Kiwi driver Ollie Silverton (navigator Amanda Kittow) has been in strong form throughout the season, but the competition remains tight heading into the decider. Meanwhile, in the MTW LS Class, American racer River Rogers (navigator Cole Keats) has emerged as a strong contender, adding an extra international dimension to Sunday’s racing.
High-speed action guaranteed
With fine weather expected and a full lineup of competitors ready to give it everything, the final round of the New Zealand Jetsprint Championship is set to deliver some of the most dramatic racing of the season. The battle for podium places—and ultimately, championship glory—will be decided in seconds, not minutes.
Racing starts from 11:00 am on Sunday, with finals taking place later in the afternoon. Spectators can expect an action-packed day of high-speed racing, as the country’s best jetsprint teams make their final push for the title.
