The 2025 Australian Offshore Superboat Championships roared to life at Lake Macquarie under warm skies and perfect spectator conditions. Crowds packed the foreshore from Marmong Point to Speers Point as 30-plus boats across four divisions unleashed six half-hour races across the weekend.
The flagship Supercat Extreme class delivered on its billing; 1000-horsepower catamarans capable of more than 200 km/h, while the Supercat Outboard and Supersports categories produced the closest finishes seen in years.
Supercat Extreme – Boost Mobile unbeatable
Reigning world champions Darren Nicholson and Steve Jellick aboard Boost Mobile #222 were untouchable, sweeping all three races and setting the weekend’s fastest average lap of 2 minutes 28.8 seconds in Race 3. Their consistency and clean turns set a benchmark no one else could match.
Behind them, Hornet Racing #525 (Mick and Jason Kelly) showed impressive reliability to secure two second-place finishes (Race 2, Race 3), while Venturi Offshore #5 returned to form after early mechanical issues. MOJO #15, the Kelly–Eustice partnership from Port Adelaide, flashed speed but suffered a DNFs after a strong start.
The final race saw the largest gap of the weekend; Boost Mobile finishing nearly two minutes clear of Venturi Offshore after 13 laps, demonstrating both power and precision.
Supercat Outboard – The Sting strikes cleanly
The Supercat Outboard fleet delivered fierce competition but one clear outcome. Mike Ratcliffe and Karl Wall in The Sting #S99 scored a perfect hat-trick, leading every lap they completed.
Race 2 produced the tightest duel of the weekend; The Sting edging KESS Racing #801 (Steve Lancaster / Scott Kelly) by just nine seconds after 11 laps. TCR Offshore #161 (Scott Richardson / Steve Kelly) and DLR Offshore #81 (Craig and Lachlan Dove) filled out the order with consistent runs and no retirements.
The Sting’s average lap times hovered around 2 minutes 49 seconds, highlighting the tight speed control across the field and the professionalism of crews adjusting to new twin-300 hp outboard setups.
Supersports 85 – penalties and precision
The mid-field Supersports 85 category became a tactical chess match. Race 1 was the weekend’s closest finish, with The Colonel #161 (Hary Bakkr / Steve Kelly) holding off Skater 28 #7 (Aaron and Jack Panozza) by just two seconds. A single turn or throttle lift would have flipped the result.
From there, penalties decided everything. The Panozzas bounced back to win Race 2, while TR Racing #4 (Mark Pecherzewski / Ian Tricker) claimed Race 3 despite a 60-second infraction. Watersports Marine #36 (Anthony and Hunter McEnally) kept pressure on throughout, never finishing outside the top four.
Average lap times sat around 3 minutes 15 seconds, but with so many penalties for over-speeding the 85 mph cap, officials were almost as busy as the drivers.
Supersports 65 – cap-limited and chaotic
With Hary Bakkr’s move up to the 85s, the Supersports 65 field was wide open, and unpredictable. Power Marine #72 (Patrick Bonici) managed the cap perfectly, taking all three wins despite time penalties.
Valentus #13 (Patrick Paczkowski) rebounded from a Race 1 DSQ to finish second in Race 3, while Cardiac Arrest #46 (Charlie Di Iorio / Greg Walters), The Con #80 (Brendan Weeks / Sophie Lancaster) and All Coast Marine #111 (Aaron Jackson) traded podiums. The combination of 65 mph limiters and tight buoy layouts created frantic, side-by-side runs; the closest averaging just 31 seconds between first and second.
Across the class, average lap times ranged from 3 minutes 45 seconds to 4 minutes, with narrow margins defining every podium.
The bigger picture
Round 1 showed that Australian offshore powerboating is back at full strength. After several rebuilding years, the Australian Offshore Powerboat Club (AOPC) has attracted its most competitive fleet since the mid-2010s.
Lake Macquarie’s calm yet unpredictable surface rewarded smooth throttle work and precise setup. Boost Mobile and The Sting left little on the table, while the Supersports crews reminded everyone why capped racing still delivers some of the sport’s best drama.
Next up
Next up, the championship heads south to Wyndham Harbour, Victoria (21–22 February 2026), before visiting Geelong and Port Adelaide later in the season.
For now, Lake Macquarie belongs to Boost Mobile and The Sting; two teams that turned power into perfection.
