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NZ Race News (Archives) |
February 1st, 2004 - Lake Karapiro, CambridgeCircuit Racing with NZGP HydroplanesOnce again Thundercat Racing Association was invited to take part in the annual U.I.M 2000 World GP Hydroplane Championship organised by the NZ Grand Prix Hydroplane Drivers Club Inc. After a big day at Muriwai Beach for the 3rd Round of the NZ Champs the day before, there were some bleary eyed race crews that arrived for drivers briefing at 9am. Today was ‘Cleaver Day’ as we set our own box course of approx 500 metres x 300 metres. Our first race was at 11am in front of a steadily growing crowd. Nine Thundercats lined up on the back of the course and waited for the starter boat to come around for a rolling start. The starter boat picks up speed with our boats keeping pace. Once the starter is happy we are lined up relatively straight, the white flag is dropped and we accelerate away……………except on the first race we were all at full throttle just trying to keep up with the starter boat!! I think they forget we are mere 50hp motors as opposed to their 200hp! A brisk northerly wind down the back straight helped lift the boats out of the water which made it important for crews to use their weight to handle the corners! You can quite easily find a boat drifting towards you as they fight to get the hulls to bite into the water and make the turn.
'Waikato Finance' had a good day once Paul managed to sort out the porpoising problems experienced in the first race. Waz & Flash in 'Hydraulink Racing' thrilled the crowd by spinning out on one corner and completing a 360 degree turn………neither fell out and they carried on to finish the race. 3 boats had female crew members for
the day. All managed to hold on and not offer one word of advice on
how to drive……….except in 'FoxxyChicks' where Dave was threatened to
be relegated to the passengers seat to show him how it’s really done! The last race of the day saw our pack broken into 3 lines, the slower boats running surf props in front with the faster 3 boats behind and the sole Modified boat made to line up wayyyyyyyyy back to give us all a good head start. Despite the handicap ‘Aquarius’ drove well to come from behind and finish with the race leaders. On our way back to the boat ramp we took the opportunity to pop a few wheelies for the crowd, which judging from the applause was well received. Thank you to our officials who stepped in at the last moment to help out - Ric and Gail Dunn, Amanda Fisher and Wayne Powell. Thundercats competing for the day were;
(It’s been a while since Aquarius, Mason Lowes & Uniden have been in the water and they all had the same story to tell - had to cut the long grass at home to find where the boats were parked! ) Rod
Klaassen |
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