Last weekend, Lake Karapiro has seen its share of drama in recent seasons. Last year’s centenary Masport Cup ended in chaos after a first corner collision halted proceedings. Twizel later delivered a hard fought rematch. This year, the 101st running of the Masport Cup finally returned the focus to racing.
The Masport Cup 2026 formed part of a stacked Waikato weekend that included round four of the Lucas Oil Hydro Thunder Series, the Matt Morrison Memorial, and NZF1 Powerboat Tour action. Divisional fields were full and packed.
Ken Lupton arrived as the defending Masport Cup winner. He had taken the trophy in 2025 at the Twizel re-run and returned to Karapiro looking to keep hold of it. Recent form suggested this would be a hard push.
After three rounds of the 2025–26 Lucas Oil NZ Hydro Thunder Series, Jack Lupton and JLM lead convincingly on 342 points, building a strong margin over Scott Coker’s Howzat on 246 and Ken Lupton’s KLR on 240. David Alexander sits fourth with Miss Waverley on 191 after a solid Twizel performance. Further back, Raymond Hart, Max Webb and Steve Preece remain in contention, while Andy Knight and Jason Haggerty round out the midfield. With Karapiro and Nelson still to come, the championship fight remained open behind the runaway leader.
Round four of the Lucas Oil NZ Hydro Thunder Series
Before the weekend, nine GP Hydroplanes were entered the Karapiro round, headlining the programme as expected. On paper, it was a serious top-tier lineup. On the day, Karapiro saw seven of the GP entries at the start line to determine pole position.
| Boat | Driver |
|---|---|
| Miss Waverley | David Alexander |
| Lucas Oil | Ken Lupton |
| GP33 JLM | Jack Lupton |
| Thunderstruck | Raymond Hart |
| Howzat | Scott Coker |
| The Gambler | Kevin Ireland |
| Miss Marsden Cove | Steve Preece |
Kevin ‘Roadie’ Ireland was back at the wheel of The Gambler. The engine went in specifically for Lake Karapiro, with a clear target in mind, the Masport Cup and round four of the Lucas Oil NZ Hydro Thunder Series.
With Jack Lupton in outstanding form this season, arriving late to the campaign was always going to be a tough ask.
David Alexander set the early benchmark, claiming pole position for round four of the Lucas Oil NZ Hydro Thunder Series with a sharp 33.69 second lap. It immediately put Miss Waverley at the head of the field.
Scott Coker secured second on the grid with a 36.72. Raymond Hart locked in third on 38.32. Kevin Ireland slotted into fourth with a 39.10, just ahead of Jack Lupton on 39.47. Ken Lupton followed closely with a 39.57, and Steve Preece rounded out the order on 39.78.
Alexander’s pace handed him the inside line heading into the heats. However, the tight spread through the midfield signalled a close battle behind.
When the racing began, Jack Lupton took out Heat 1A from pole three, finishing ahead of Alexander, with Hart in third. Unfortunately, Steve Preece didn’t finish. Ken Lupton took Heat1B with Scott Cocker second, and Kevin Ireland third.
Neither of the Luptons were able to deliver in Heat 2. In Heat 2A, David Alexander took the win with Kevin Ireland in second. Jack Lupton also in the heat, found himself disqualified after hitting two buoys. Scott Coker had back-to-back wins. The first win in Heat 2B, followed by Raymond Hart while Ken Lupton lost power and didn’t finish. The second win in Heat 3A against second-placed Kevin Ireland, and another non-finish marked against Ken Lupton.
Jack Lupton came back from his disqualification in Heat 2 to win the final heat of the day, followed by David Alexander in second and Raymond Hart in third.
The next day, Sunday, was hot and humid and marked the final of round 4 of the Lucas Oil Hydro Thunder Series. The initial start to the final had to be red-flagged as Scott Coker spun in the corner, forcing a restart. A few minutes later, once the field was cleared and drivers were again ready, the final race restarted.
David Alexander in Miss Waverley took out the Karapiro (Round 4) Lucas Oil NZ Hydro Thunder Grand Final! Jack Lupton came in behind in second, and Raymond Hart in third. Ken Lupton, after maintenance on his engine, was unable to finish, while Scott Coker remained disqualified.
Congratulations to David Alexander and Miss Waverley!
101st Masport Cup
2026 saw five of the GP entries compete in the 101st Masport Cup. Alongside were two Formula One class boats and one Grand National class boat.
| Pole | Boat | Driver | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Panther | Chris Dufeu | F1 |
| 2 | Blue Dragon | Julian Stilwell | F1 |
| 3 | White Trash | Max Webb | Grand National |
| 4 | GP33 JLM | Jack Lupton | GP |
| 5 | Lucas Oil | Ken Lupton | GP |
| 6 | Howzat | Scott Coker | GP |
| 7 | Thunderstruck | Raymond Hart | GP |
| 8 | Miss Waverley | David Alexander | GP |
The opening heat delivered immediate drama. GP driver Raymond Hart who looked to be racing well, endured a wild ride in the first turn, launching high in a spectacular moment that had the crowd holding its breath. The boat came down hard, but Hart emerged unharmed after the incident.
When the race was restarted and completed, Jack Lupton asserted control. He took out Heat 1 of the Masport Cup with a composed and clinical performance.
Heat 2 followed a similar script. Lupton again proved untouchable, claiming the win and tightening his grip on the trophy.
By the end of the day, it was official. Jack Lupton was crowned the 2026 Masport Cup Champion. At Lake Karapiro, he and his team stamped their authority on the water once more, securing the coveted cup for the fourth time in his career.
Congratulations Jack Lupton and GP33 JLM!
2026 Matt Morrison Memorial
In powerboat racing, Pro Com and Pro Stock are separate competition classes, each defined by engine size, fuel type and overall performance limits. Pro Com sits at the top of the tree, running larger capacity engines and delivering higher top speeds than most Pro Stock boats. In Karapiro the two classes raced together.
The Prostock category looked particularly strong before racing began, with fourteen confirmed entries. From the 2025 season, the entries to watch are Prostock Midnight, driven by Steve Mathieson; Procom Rat Attack, with Karl Weller behind the steering wheel; and Ben Ryan, this year in Intolerant. And fresh off showing strong form during initial testing in the 2026 USA and New Zealand vs Australia BAD Boat Challenge in Australia, Zack Weller in Rat Attack 3. It was shaping as one of the busiest grids of the weekend.
| Boat Name | Driver | Club | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dancing Bear Too | John Ryan | New Brighton Powerboat Club | Procom / Prostock |
| Intolerant | Ben Ryan | New Brighton Powerboat Club | Procom / Prostock |
| Midnight | Steve Mathieson / Sheree Dunlop | Manawatu Powerboat Club | Procom / Prostock |
| Rat Attack 1 | Karl Weller | Manukau Auckland Speedboat Club | Procom / Prostock |
| Rat Attack 3 | Zach Weller | Manukau Auckland Speedboat Club | Procom / Prostock |
| Kaotic | Mason Dunlop | Wairarapa Powerboat Club | Procom / Prostock |
| Hells Bells | Blair Gaudin | Wanganui Motor Boat Club | Procom / Prostock |
| First Offence | Josh Downer | Wanganui Motor Boat Club | Procom / Prostock |
| Bold Move | Hamish Buttimore | Wanganui Motor Boat Club | Procom / Prostock |
| Typhoon | Simon Watkins | Wanganui Motor Boat Club | Procom / Prostock |
| Sundance Kid | Craig Ward | Wanganui Motor Boat Club | Procom / Prostock |
| Fast Forward | Codey Wotton | Wanganui Motor Boat Club | Procom / Prostock |
| Barrage | Sean Sanderson | Wanganui Motor Boat Club | Procom / Prostock |
| Full Circle | Andrea Robinson | Wellington Powerboat Club | Procom / Prostock |
Karl Weller in Rat Attack 001 took out the 2026 2026 Matt Morrison Memorial hydroplane race.
Congratulations Karl Weller and Rat Attack 001!
Karapiro delivered what it needed to
The GP class produced an upset of sorts, perhaps not enough to change the outcome at the end of the season. The Masport Cup had clear results, and the Procom and Prostock field turned up in numbers and raced hard. There were mechanical failures, a disqualification, and one heart-stopping moment in the first corner, but the meeting stayed focused on performance.
With one more round to go for the 2026 season, and the AE Baker Cup to be settled, I think there is still much to look forward to.
