In early December, local and overseas jet sprint boats will converge on the Wairarapa’s Kiwispan Jet Sprint Track for round one of the six-round New Zealand Jet Sprint Championships.
Located at Tauherenikau Race Course on State Highway 2, four kilometres east of Featherston, the purpose-built track has been the home of Wellington and Wairarapa Jet Sprinters for almost 20 years. Jet sprint racing at Tauherenikau kicked off on the 22nd of April 2006 with an inaugural meeting that attracted 28 competitors and an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 spectators.
Before Tauherenikau, Wairarapa Jet Sprinters raced on the Ruamāhanga River, just north of the South Wairarapa town of Martinborough. The setup was elegantly simple: dig a network of narrow channels out of a shingle bank, link them to the main channel, launch the boats, and go racing.
Wairarapa rivers presented challenges. Rising in the Tararua Ranges, the Ruamāhanga and its western tributaries respond very quickly to rain in the mountains. A track built on the riverbed can change in response to weather, causing trouble for racers and officials. Jet sprint racing is based on timed runs, with each driver taking their turn negotiating a series of corners. There is only one boat on the track at any time. Each driver gets between three and five qualifying runs. The nine drivers recording the quickest runs advance to the first round of competition. Six drivers advance to the second round, and three advance to the final round. If the river level changes during racing, someone gets an unfair advantage.
Flooding was a constant threat. A typical jet sprint meeting would attract 50 or so jet boat crews, plus hundreds of spectators and officials, to a riverbed accessible only by a narrow, unsealed track. When the river starts rising, everyone needs to get out in a hurry.
The flooding problem was not going to go away. In addition to causing congestion as people tried to escape the rising river, flooding would wreck the carefully excavated racetrack. When lunchtime flooding interrupted a race meeting, “all sorts of things got washed away,” said Jetsprint Wairarapa Club Captain Bryce Baron.
Former Jet Sprinter Don Wood remembers other safety concerns: “You’re doing 100 miles an hour a few feet from willow trees in a channel that could be three metres deep.” Deep, fast-flowing water could make it tricky to get the crew out of a sunken jet boat.
Inspired by engineered jet sprint racetracks at locations such as Whanganui, Wairarapa jet sprinters went looking for a suitable location. A swamp near the quiet town of Greytown looked like just the spot. Supporting the resource consent application in October 2002, Jetsprint Wairarapa secretary Garry Smith told the New Zealand Herald that a permanent jet sprint facility would boost the local economy, with previous meetings booking out “60 to 70 percent of all South Wairarapa bed & breakfasts.” Unfortunately, the South Wairarapa District Council was swamped with objections and refused consent.
Tauherenikau Race Course management saw an opportunity. They were looking for new ways to utilise their racecourse. Jet sprinting would be a good fit. The jet sprint track would be about the size of a rugby field. The racecourse is right alongside the Tauwharenīkau River (formerly spelled ‘Tauherenikau’), a handy source of water. Existing facilities would be available to competitors and spectators. Perhaps best of all, it’s well away from any South Wairarapa towns.
With a resource consent and an enthusiastic landlord, Garry Smith and his team got stuck in to fundraising. Part of the cost was covered by a grant from the Masterton-based Trust House Foundation toward track construction, and a second grant toward the water pumping system. The main earthworks were handled by roading contractor and original track sponsor Oldfields.
Beginning in 2004, Oldfields levelled the site, which sloped about 1.5 metres across the track area. The 5-metre-wide channels were excavated to a depth of about 1.0 to 1.5 metres. In addition to the racetrack, there’s a concrete launching ramp, ‘pit pool’, and a warm-up area. Engineer and jet sprinter Don Wood described the construction project as a “real family affair with wives and kids all chipping in over many weeks.” The track was pretty much complete by February 2006, when the team held a final working bee to finish the pipeline that carries water from the river to the racetrack.
Following the 2006-07 season, the team obtained a grant from Trust House Foundation and added a wide loop at the eastern end of the track. The lengthened track debuted in April 2008, and competitors loved it. The new configuration allowed higher speeds while keeping plenty of tricky bits.
Spectator areas along three sides of the racetrack have plenty of room for amenities such as food trucks and marquees and are well-protected by robust safety fencing. It’s also safer for competitors, with safety crews at selected locations capable of responding quickly if things go pear-shaped. The track is maintained by the volunteer team at Jetsprint Wairarapa, led by President Sam Gray and Bryce Baron. Race meetings are sanctioned and managed by officials from the New Zealand Jet Sprint Association.
Some jet sprinters say the Featherston Jet Sprint Track is the best in New Zealand. The track hosted World Jet Sprint Championship meetings in 2009 and 2012, and it has been a regular feature of the New Zealand Jet Sprint Championships since its debut. Originally, jet sprint meetings at Featherston were held in late summer. Recently, resource consent rules forced a change. If the river’s flow drops below a certain volume, organisers are not allowed to pump water to fill the track. There is usually more water flowing in the Tauwharenīkau before Christmas than later in the summer. Featherston jet sprint meetings are now scheduled for early December.
For most of the year, the Featherston jet sprint track looks like a few bumps and hollows in a grassy paddock. But in late spring, race organisers mow the grass, set up amenities for spectators and competitors, and pump in the water. The pumping system maintains a constant water level. Everyone is in the same boat. After the meeting is over, the water drains through the underlying gravel back into the river.
Wairarapa jet sprinters are gearing up for an exciting time at this year’s Featherston meeting on Sunday the 7th December. Drivers will compete for points toward national championships in three classes. All classes use similar hulls, about 3.8 – 4 metres in length. LS-class boats produce up to 580 horsepower. Group A competitors aim to tame 700 horses, and Superboat drivers unleash up to 1300 horsepower (or more, if they can get it). In addition to earning points toward the New Zealand champs, several drivers and navigators are preparing for the 2027 World Jet Sprint Championship. At least one US boat is expected to compete at Featherston.
Tauherenikau Race Course management is keen. According to General Manager Matthew Sherry,
“We’re a multi-faceted venue, and jet sprint historically has been part of that… Now, they’re taking it to a new level, and they’re doing it really well.”
BNZ
For more information, go to www.jetsprint.co.nz
