Scrutineering and the Show ’N Shine at Hamilton’s Classics Museum set the tone for a standout weekend, with polished chrome, local brews and plenty of anticipation. During the display, Nic de Mey Yachts’ Phantom Powerboats unveiled their new F2 model, a sleek debut that ran clean in testing and drew praise for its stiffness and balance. Event host Andrew Murphy promised “an absolutely epic weekend,” as crews, families and fans filled the forecourt ahead of racing on the Mighty Waikato.
War Machine: pushing the limits of Phantom Powerboats F2 innovation
By Saturday morning, heat shimmered off the river as the 2025 NZ Bridge 2 Bridge Waterski Classic roared into action. Team Sapphire, driver Tim Pickford, observer Jack Battye, and skiers Cameron and Lachlan Nix, led from the start. Looking at the time trial details alone, their down- and upriver time-trial runs of 7 minutes 44 seconds and 8 minutes 06 seconds combined for 15 minutes 50 seconds, securing both Open Class and overall victory.
Last year’s winners, Team Superman, clocked 15 minutes 23 seconds, making Sapphire’s time just 27 seconds off the 2024 benchmark. Messiah followed on 16 minutes 44 seconds, with Pumpindough third on 17 minutes 11 seconds.
Phantom-built entries War Machine, Grey Matter and Lucifer also impressed in the time trials, each delivering fault-free runs that showcased the brand’s growing presence in New Zealand ski racing.
While weather delays affected the Sunday long race and final results remain unconfirmed, the time-trial performances left no doubt about the current pecking order. Sapphire’s sub-16-minute pace now stands as the benchmark for precision teamwork and setup execution on the Waikato.
Next year, the challenge returns; the same river, the same noise, and another chance to chase that elusive perfect run.
