NZBMC starts up 5th April in Te Anau hosted by the Gore Boat Club, in what will be their 60th running/hosting of the marathon, a formidable effort.
The NZBMC series has been going for just as long and welcomes boats of all sizes and types for racing on lakes, rivers and oceans all across the South Island. Today the series is competed as far north as Lake Tekapo or Timaru and as far South as Lake Te Anau. The Te Anau event is one of only a handful of waterborne events hosted within a National Park in NZ.
The series features boats as large as 28ft Skater Catamarans powered by a pair of 200HP Mercury outboards all the way down to 4.5m aluminium cabin boats powered by 50-60HP. It is the one true series with a class for everybody.
The 2024 season was tight with Daniel Rule (Cromwell) picking up Line Honours in A Class and Single Rig Driver Of The Year in his 250HP Evinrude powered locally made 19ft Protech, Unruley1. Daniel is well experienced having competed in the series for over 15years and 2024 marked the monkey off his back claiming the title for the first time. He is a sure bet to be out to defend his title for the 2025 season. In the lower classes the C+D class championship was won by Ryan Archer in his 200Hp Mercury powered Sonic 1900ss, Supersonic. Archer is taking a sabbatical this year with a few personal commitments keeping him from making the trip south from the North Island. C+D class have featured some of the most competitive racing in NZ over the last few seasons which the 2024 points table showed clearly. In E+F classes Lily Wier in her 135hp Mercury powered Lazercraft, Miss Fairview has dominated the classes for the last two years and she will be sure to return for the 2025 season to go for a three-peat.
As with all motorsport boats change hands in the off-season and the rumour mill churns. Scrutineering 3pm Friday 4th April rumours are put to bed and class entrants become public knowledge with the flag drop on Saturday being the precipice of what the 2025 season will hold. Gore Boat Club had ambitions of 60 boats at their 60th event so it’s sure to be one event not to be missed!
The 2025 calendar
Round 1: Te Anau – 5 April
Rounds 2 & 3: Lake Dunstan/Roxborough – 26-27 April
Rounds 4 & 5: Lake Benmore/Avimore – 31 May-1 June
Round 6: Lake Tekapo – 21 June
Round 7: Timaru – Caroline Bay – 5 July
Round 8: Lake Waihola – 26 July
The classes
A Class (V & T): Vee/Mono hull and Tunnel hull craft up to 400HP.
A Class Multi: Twin/triple-engine rigs over 400HP.
B Class: Mono hull outboards up to 225HP, 4-stroke inboards 5081cc-6560cc.
C Class: Mono hull outboards up to 200HP, 4-stroke inboards 4351cc-5080cc.
D Class: Mono hull outboards up to 150HP, 4-stroke inboards 3031cc-4350cc.
E Class: Mono hull outboards up to 150HP, 4-stroke inboards 3031cc-4350cc.
F Class: Mono hull outboards up to 90HP, 4-stroke inboards up to 2550cc.
G Class: Open-class, unrestricted hull/engine size, 50+ age requirement.
Standard Boat Class (B-F Classes): Keeping the fight fair with restricted modifications.
Racing Format
Every round has two races:
- Nominated Speed Time Trial – Precision matters. Competitors set a target speed before the race and must hit it dead-on over 50km. No GPS, just pure feel.
- Speed Race – Flat-out, head-to-head warfare. A rolling start launches the fleet, with faster classes racing up to 100km and lower classes pushing 60km. Thanks to a lap handicap, it’s anyone’s race to win—or lose.
How to get involved
Got a boat? Get in. Whether you’ve got a ski boat, a tinny, or a high-powered missile, there’s a class for you. This isn’t just about speed—it’s about pushing yourself, your boat, and the limits of what’s possible.
