Wyndham Harbour delivers chaos, tactics, and a shaken Aussie Offshore Superboat championship

Round 2 in Victoria transformed the Australian Offshore Superboat Championships, emphasising the importance of strategy alongside speed.

The race began on the morning of the first day. Antony De Fina, Commodore of the Australian Offshore Powerboat Club confirmed the introduction of the Joker Lap. In the Joker Lap, each Supercat takes two extended laps per race. Supersports takes one. These laps push boats wider and further offshore, adding distance and often rougher water.

The key was when it was taken. Go early and crews might get clear air. Leave it late and crews risked getting stuck in traffic or sent wide at the wrong time. It’s been used offshore elsewhere, but this was the first time it really shaped racing in this championship.

In addition to the introduction of the Joker Run, Port Phillip Bay exhibited its typical behavior, with changing conditions throughout the weekend. The new format, combined with the unpredictable conditions, compelled crews to think on the fly instead of settling into a rhythm.

Supercat Extreme: tight racing, then a shift

Race 1 went to 222 Offshore, stopping the clock at around 15:59. They weren’t dominant, however, with MOJO within roughly 17 seconds, and Venturi Offshore and Hornet Racing both finished within a minute. The field had stayed tight from the start.

Race 2 was closer again. Hornet Racing got their first win in the class, finishing at 31:21. MOJO was a little over 20 seconds behind, and Venturi Offshore followed within another 10 seconds. A little over half a minute separated the top three.

Unfortunately, 222 Offshore ended the second race early due to a mechanical failure on lap two. They were forced to retire from the race, and on further inspection, the team had to withdraw from Race 3. What had looked like a strong weekend quickly unravelled. The DNF in Race 2, followed by a DNS in Race 3, cost them heavily in the points.

During Race 3, MOJO took the win in 30:56, with Venturi Offshore (31:24) and Hornet Racing (31:47) right there again.

Supercat Outboard: pressure builds behind the leader

Race 1 never really settled. A three boat fight ended with Kess Racing rolling, bringing out a red flag. On the restart, TCR Offshore took the win in 16:28, with TCR Offshore just over two minutes later. The Sting didn’t finish.

They corrected that on Sunday. In Race 2, The Sting won in 31:21, with TCR Offshore just over 20 seconds back and DLR Offshore a little under 1 minute behind. Race 3 saw DLR Offshore win in just under 32 minutes, followed around 40 seconds later by The Sting and another 50 or so seconds for TCR Offshore.

Supersports 85: one boat, one result

With The Colonel out, Special Edition carried the class. Race 2 looked promising before a seat failure ended their run early. By Race 3, they were back and took the win in 32:01. There wasn’t anyone close enough to pressure them. Even with one Joker Lap, timing still mattered. There just wasn’t much room to make it count.

Supersports 65: nothing between them

Race 1 went to Cardiac Arrest in around 32 minutes, but it wasn’t clear cut. Valentus stayed within roughly 20 seconds behind, and there was only a 2 minute spread across the group.

Race 2 tightened further. The Con crossed first, and it wasn’t even close with the other boats more than a minute behind due to penalties and higher number of laps.

In Race 3 Valentus won in just under 30 minutes; thirteen seconds later Team 38 Offshore crossed the finish line. The next boat, The Con, more than a minute back.

Where it leaves things

Across six races, the Supercat Extreme title fight is tight, with Hornet Racing leading on consistency, ahead of MOJO and 222 Offshore, whose Round 2 DNF/DNS hurt. In Supercat Outboard, The Sting dominates despite one DNF, narrowly ahead of TCR Offshore, with DLR close behind. Supersports 85 is controlled by Special Edition with a perfect Round 2, while The Colonel fades. Supersports 65 is highly competitive, led by Cardiac Arrest, with Nut Case, Valentus, and The Con all within striking range after mixed but consistent results.