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A Warkworth thundercat team has topped the national points table after winning four of the seven races in the Demon Energy Summer Thunder Competition held last month.
Driver Steven Robertson, 30, and co-pilot Josiah Diprose, 24, now hope to represent New Zealand in an Australian series on the Gold Coast later this year.
“We were first in four races and second in two, but then didn’t finish in the seventh race because we ran out of fuel,” Josiah says. “We were in front and only two kilometres from the finish line when the fuel ran out, so were pretty gutted.
“You try to make the boat as light as possible, which means putting in only enough fuel to finish the race, but we underestimated how much extra fuel the boat would use in the rough conditions.”
The seven races were held in various locations over five days and are designed to test the crews’ skills and endurance. They vary in length from five minutes to around three hours.
This is the third year the Warkworth team has entered the competition, racing in We Raise, a tunnel hulled inflatable boat.
Thundercat boats weigh around 150kg-180kg and are powered by two-stroke, 50hp outboard motors.
The driver steers the boat, while the co-pilot uses his or her body weight to stabilise the craft for optimum speed.
Josiah says whether or not the team can race in Australia will depend on securing further sponsorship. Current sponsors are We Raise and OXS.
We Raise will be in action at Omaha Beach on Saturday, February 9, with racing starting at 11am. Anyone interested in sponsoring the team can contact Josiah on 0204 027 4829.
