Fresh from the frost and flat-out thrills of Lake Tekapo, the New Zealand Boat Marathon Commission’s 2025 series headed southeast to the coastal setting of Caroline Bay on 5 July. Where Tekapo challenged drivers with sub-zero starts and glassy alpine waters, Timaru delivered a very different kind of test—mild winter conditions, tighter turns, and a course where consistency mattered more than outright horsepower.
Ice, engines and precision: Lake Tekapo host midwinter boat marathon
As always, the racing unfolded in two parts: a precision-based Nominated Speed event, and a head-to-head battle for class wins in the open Marathon race. With just one more round to go—Round 8 at Lake Waihola on 26 July, where double points will be on the line—every second counted, and the leaderboards are anything but settled.
Nominated Speed: A win for timing over tempo
The Nominated Speed event once again flipped the script on traditional racing—rewarding throttle control rather than flat-out speed. Drivers declared their target lap times ahead of the run, and were penalised for straying too far from their marks.
Sam Martin in The Reverend mastered the margins, finishing with an error score of 56.07 to take the win. Close behind, Jem Mosdell kept Rogue on form with 66.82 points, and Jordan Lilley in On The Gas slotted into third with 67.99. Notably, all three top contenders were also active in the marathon racing—proving that versatility still has its place in the NZBMC ranks.
Marathon Race: Caroline Bay keeps the pressure on
Class AT
With Man’s Ruin recording a DNF, the path was clear for Billy McEwan in Outlaw to take a confident class win, clocking a 75.81 km/h average.
Class AV
On The Gas proved it had both brains and brawn, as Jordan Lilley followed up his podium in the nominated race with a class win in AV. He posted an average speed of 81.07 km/h over a time of 1:09:52, edging out what had been one of the faster classes in Tekapo.
Class B
Class B proved brutal, with three out of four entries failing to finish. But Red Blooded, driven by Nick Hoskin, stood strong with an 84.33 km/h average—the fastest speed posted in any class at Caroline Bay.
Class C
The most hotly contested racing came in Class C, where Conflict (Jordan Henderson) and Rogue (Jem Mosdell) finished within two seconds of each other after nearly 55 minutes of racing—an incredibly tight margin. Their speeds of 83.90 and 83.85 km/h respectively show how evenly matched the two boats were. The Reverend and Dreamweaver followed a few minutes behind, but delivered a similarly tight duel, crossing the line just six seconds apart.
Class E
It was a strong day out for Lily Weir in Stealth, who posted the fastest time of the entire field with a 66.29 km/h average over 53 minutes and 24 seconds. That makes back-to-back class wins for Weir, who’s showing her mettle not only in the E class but also across the entire fleet.
Next stop: Lake Waihola – the 2025 finale
The NZBMC now heads south to Lake Waihola on 26 July for the final round of the 2025 series. With double points on the line and rivalries tightening across every class, the stakes have never been higher. Entries are open now at nzbmc.co.nz — and with Lake Waihola’s shallow tidal waters sure to add a fresh challenge, the finale promises to be one of the most unpredictable races of the season.
Don’t miss it.
