The 2025 NZ Boat Marathon Championship (NZBMC) kicked off on 5 April in Te Anau, marking a major milestone as the Gore Boat Club hosted its 60th event—an impressive feat in New Zealand motorsport. With a tradition stretching back six decades, the NZBMC is one of the country’s most inclusive racing series, welcoming boats of all shapes, sizes, and speeds. From nimble tinnies upwards, competitors race across the South Island’s lakes, rivers, and coastal waters in a mix of precision-based time trials and flat-out speed races. Te Anau was the first of eight rounds in the 2025 calendar, and it delivered the kind of close, hard-fought racing the series is known for. Notable names like Daniel Rule and Lily Weir returned to defend their 2024 titles, but they weren’t the only standouts from a packed leaderboard.
How it works
All boats start the race together in a rolling start, led by the designated start boat. While they all begin at the same time, each class is assigned a different number of laps depending on the course layout and class speed. Faster classes are required to complete more laps—usually covering around 100km—while slower classes race fewer laps, averaging about 60km. This format is designed so that most boats, regardless of class, cross the finish line at roughly the same time. By racing a shorter distance, lower-class boats are still in with a shot at taking out first place overall, making for a more inclusive and unpredictable race.
Marathon results
The fastest average speed of the day belonged to Graham Pike in the AT Class, clocking an impressive 128.01 km/h in LJ Hooker, finishing the course in just 48:56. Hot on his heels in terms of performance was Jamie Chittock in Class B, piloting Enforcer to victory at an average of 122.50 km/h—enough to claim line honours in what turned out to be one of the day’s most competitive classes.
Daniel Rule, last year’s A Class and Single Rig Driver of the Year, got his 2025 campaign off to a strong start by taking out Class AV in Unruley1, posting an average speed of 124.45 km/h. His margin wasn’t tested in this solo class win, but the time of 50:20 confirms he hasn’t lost his pace or precision.
In Class B, the top three boats all finished within 1 minute and 23 seconds of each other, a clear sign of how tightly contested the race was. Alan Wier came in second with Pog Mo Thoin, just 48 seconds behind Chittock and only 35 seconds ahead of third-placed Brad Inder in Dirty Addiction.
Class C saw a close contest between Jordan Henderson in Conflict and Sam Martin in The Reverend, with just 50 seconds separating them. Henderson averaged 114.82 km/h, while Martin wasn’t far behind at 112.60 km/h. That sort of proximity in performance is likely to fuel a season-long rivalry if both stay consistent.
Class E was one of the more dynamic lineups. Morgan Tremaine took the win in Red Baron with an average speed of 90.00 km/h, just edging out Lily Weir in Stealth, who maintained 87.55 km/h. Lily, who has dominated E and F classes for two years, is clearly still in form, as she aims for a three-peat this season. Third place went to Trevor Roughan in Crusader Lady, notably slower at 79.97 km/h, marking a more definitive gap than in other classes.
Nominated Speed Time Trial results
In the Nominated Speed Time Trial, where accuracy outweighs outright speed, Colin Horsnell in Krazyhorse Vegas was the sharpest of the field, missing his target by only 3.53 seconds. Garry Clement in Doris followed with an 8.33-second error, while Syd Tremaine, Morgan Tremaine’s father, rounded out the top three to within 9.21 seconds of his declared time, a solid showing in the accuracy-based event. The top five were all within a tight 6-second range from each other, suggesting a high level of skill and consistency across the board.
Looking ahead
With seven more rounds to go, the 2025 NZBMC season is shaping up to be fiercely contested. Familiar names have already made their mark, but a mix of fresh faces, family dynasties, and close racing will keep fans and competitors guessing. As the series heads next to Lake Dunstan and Roxborough for Rounds 2 and 3, the bar is already set high after a dramatic start in Te Anau.
