Season opener
The first round of the 2025–26 New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Championship (NZOPA) was held off Hobbs Bay, Gulf Harbour, on 11 October. Calm seas and light northerlies produced ideal conditions for racing, allowing competitors across all classes to post strong average speeds. The fleet combined experienced campaigners with several debut teams running newly built or freshly refitted boats, giving the season opener a healthy entry list and plenty of variety on the water.
Spectators packed the Gulf Harbour breakwater, drawn by the unmistakable thunder of multi-litre outboards and inboards echoing around the bay.
Race 1 – mechanical attrition
The first race quickly underlined how unforgiving the discipline can be. Three boats retired early. Two were forced out due to oil in the bilge—both later confirmed as major engine failures—while a rookie crew underestimated fuel consumption and stopped short of the finish.
Among the finishers, Gold Ship, driven by Tom Haycock, won the Sports 140 HP division at an average 82 km/h, narrowly ahead of Coranto (Michael Wingate) and Nakita (Grant Henry). Supersonic (Ryan Archer) at 109 km/h won the Sports 200 HP class, followed by Gen 2 (Mikey Smith). In Sports 70, Cougar (Grant Smith) led from start to finish at 86 km/h, while Supersticious (Brad Dibble) claimed Sports 80 at 108 km/h.
The headline Supercat Lite contest produced the tightest result of the day. Lanslow Engineering (Paul Greenfield) and Rainbow Haulage (Darren Butterworth) were separated by fractions of a second, both averaging just over 134 km/h.
Race 2 – clean running, tight margins
At midday, the fleet returned to the calm bay for the second race. Mechanical reliability improved markedly, with all entries finishing. One crew crossed the line only to run out of petrol metres later—amusing proof that fuel calculations remain an inexact science.
Results shifted in several divisions. Nakita reversed the order in Sports 140 HP, taking the win ahead of Coranto and Gold Ship. Gen 2 claimed the Sports 200 HP victory at 107 km/h, edging Supersonic and Triple Trouble (Alex Smith). Cougar repeated its earlier success in Sports 70, maintaining average speed just under 83 km/h. Supersticious backed up its morning result with another solid run to lead Sports 80 at 110 km/h.
The duel in Supercat Lite continued almost unchanged. Lanslow Engineering again finished ahead of Rainbow Haulage, both averaging more than 134 km/h. Their ongoing battle is already shaping as the season’s key rivalry.
Nominated Speed Challenge
Running alongside the offshore heats, the NZOPA staged its Nominated Speed event—a test of accuracy rather than outright pace. Competitors nominate a target speed and are ranked by how close they finish to it.
Grant Henry and Nakita topped the table with an error margin of 63.46 seconds, followed by Mike Knight in Mark Helms Marine / Blue Pill at 65.55 seconds, and Mikey Smith in Gen 2 at 68.81 seconds. The challenge offered valuable data for throttle mapping and fuel usage ahead of the longer courses later in the calendar.
Technical takeaways
Opening-round analysis from crews pointed to several clear trends. Mechanical preparation remains critical: both early engine failures were traced to lubrication-system issues linked to hurried pre-season rebuilds. Fuel mis-calculation, particularly for smaller-capacity tanks, proved another weak spot. Teams noted that calm conditions encouraged heavier throttle use than expected, pushing fuel flow rates higher across all classes.
On performance, the steady conditions produced consistent lap times and little wake interference. Average speeds in Supercat Lite exceeded 134 km/h, matching last season’s top figures despite revised propeller rules. The smaller Sports 70 and 80 boats also benefited, many recording their fastest opening-round averages in several years.
Race control reported no safety incidents beyond the mechanical retirements. Rescue craft towed in four boats across the two races, all without injury or damage beyond engine systems.
Archer Cup, a legacy
At Prizegiving, race organiser Ryan Archer, invited Ron Archer to present the Line Honours Trophy. The Archer Family Trophy was donated by Ron back in 1988 and has for the last decade been awarded for the wrong reasons. It was always for the Auckland round of the circuit. Ron hadn’t seen it in over a decade and presumed it to be lost.
Into his nineties now Ron was one of two founding members of NZOPA and a real humbling privilege to hear him speak prior to giving the award.
With true passion the whole room went quiet “It’s great to see the club and environment so warm and heading in the right direction. It’s great to see the sport transitioning through generations with third generation racer’s on the water today. Even better to see some of the older first generation racers out here back supporting the club and this event today. It’s my real privilege to present the Archer Family Trophy to the team of Rainbow Haulage.”
Crowd and atmosphere
For spectators, the day delivered exactly what offshore powerboating promises—noise, spray, and competition measured in split seconds. From shore, the boats appeared to leap from the water as they rounded the outer buoys, their engines echoing across Hobbs Bay and back against the cliffs of Whangaparāoa.
NZOPA officials were quick to praise the turnout and volunteer effort. “It’s a strong start to the season,” said Ryan Archer, event organiser. “The fleet’s depth this year shows the sport’s growth, and Hobbs Bay gives us a perfect viewing arena to showcase it.”
Round 1 at Gulf Harbour sets the tone for what should be one of NZOPA’s most competitive seasons in years. Key battles are already emerging—Lanslow Engineering versus Rainbow Haulage in Supercat Lite, Gen 2 and Supersonic in Sports 200 HP, and Cougar’s bid to defend its Sports 70 title.
