New Zealand Offshore Powerboating

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Taupō dishes out a hammering as NZ Offshore Championship hits Round Two
Short steep chop and cold wind made Taupō one of the toughest rounds in recent years.

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Taupō race back on for NZ Offshore Powerboat Championship
Taupō event saved by community effort
The New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Association (NZOPA) has confirmed that Round 2 of its 2025–26 Championship, ...

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Roar across Hobbs Bay: NZ Offshore Powerboat Championship blasts into Gulf Harbour
The 2025–26 New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Championship opened with high-speed racing and early-season mechanical drama off Gulf Harbour’s Hobbs Bay.

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Tomorrow’s the day — and your chance to compete in a landmark Auckland offshore powerboating e...
Tomorrow’s the day — and this is your last chance
It’s the night before the historic 2026 NZ Offshore Powerboat Championship kicks off, and if you’...

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Scrutineering day kicks off New Zealand offshore powerboat season
Scrutineering day clears offshore powerboats for racing, with safety checks and a community BBQ before the season kicks off.

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Offshore powerboat racing roars back to Auckland
Offshore powerboat racing roars back to Auckland with new boats, family racing, and the return of the Archer Trophy.

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Offshore powerboat racing celebrates 2025 season in style
The New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Racing community came together last weekend for its annual prizegiving, capping off a fast and furious 2025 season ...

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New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Association launches 2025/2026 race season calendar
NZOPA’s 2025/26 season brings offshore powerboat racing back to Auckland, adds new classes, and promises tighter competition with races across both si...

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50 years of service to the marine industry
Family Boats’ Tony Singe is marking
50 years in the marine industry.

The Blue Pill makes a comeback in Taupō for the NZ 2025 Offshore Powerboat Series
After the first round of the 2025 New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Championships was called off on the second day due to high attrition rates and challe...

2025 New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Championships: Day 1 sees high attrition rates during the racing...
But Day 1 proved to be as much a test of endurance as of speed, with only five boats managing to finish across both the 100-Mile and 60-Mile champions...

An impressive 60 years on. What does NZ Offshore Powerboating look like today?
Boating New Zealand will be following this weekend's racing offshore at Napier. Join us throughout the weekend for developing results, and the latest ...

High-Speed thrills in Hawke’s Bay: The 2025 NZ Offshore Powerboat Championship begin
The anticipation is palpable as Napier gears up to host the inaugural round of the 2025 New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Championship.

Maintenance is key
Keeping a racing boat together, on the water and competitive takes a great deal of ongoing maintenance. Every racer has their own set of guidelines to...

Hull design and balance, Part II
There are many different hull designs and shapes, derived and refined largely as a result of trial and error in modifications and testing. Today, tech...

Power On : Gear ratio
Outboard manufacturers make engine/gearbox configurations for the ‘most common’ applications, but these seldom give racing craft optimum performance. ...

Balance and weight
Getting the balance of a boat right is perhaps the most critical element in improving real race performance.
Safety first
Crashing a boat at high speed is not something anyone wants to experience, but it is a very real possibility when racing given the unpredictability of...
Ballast balance
At face value ballast is the most counter-intuitive system when it comes to going fast.
Power-on: Trim tabs for safety and speed
Trim tabs come in all shapes and sizes and can be fitted in a variety of ways.
Engine height
Engine height is critical for getting the most from any given boat setup – social, pleasure or race. Put simply, the higher the engine the lower the d...

Power On : Steering the way
Probably one of the most hotly-discussed topics within the powerboat racing community is steering types – what’s good and what should be avoided.
Power-On: Ski-boat racers
Before going racing, taking the hull to a boatbuilder for a once-over is a smart way to ensure the transom and hull survive the punishment that offsho...
Let’s go powerboat racing
New Zealand is home to two major series for long course power boat racing: The New Zealand Offshore (NZOPA) series and the New Zealand Boat Marathon C...














