Round Two of the Lucas Oil Hydro Thunder Series returned to Lake Maraetai, where Jack Lupton dominated both days of competition with decisive results and some drama along the way.
Teams had used Friday's testing session to sharpen their setups before racing began in earnest. For Ken Lupton, the practice day was as much about gathering information as turning quick laps. "We tried a few things and learnt what not to chase. Everything stayed in one piece, which was good."
Saturday's hot lap session quickly established the order of pace. Jack Lupton set the benchmark with a 31.57, David Alexander followed at 31.85, Ken Lupton recorded a 32.32, and Scott Coker rounded out the group at 34.50.
The opening heat went Jack Lupton's way, with Ken, Alexander, and Coker following him across the line. Heat Two produced the same winner at the front, though the positions behind shifted after officials acted. Ken Lupton received a penalty for buoy contact and David Alexander was penalised for jumping the start, promoting Steve Preece to second and Scott Coker to third. Day One closed with Jack unbeaten across hot laps and both heats.
The support programme added considerable depth to the weekend's schedule, with the Hydroplane Invitational Series drawing particular interest. Series organiser Steve Trott outlined the philosophy behind the class: "So basically it's come about from a collective of smaller hydroplane drivers… what we endeavoured to create was a field of very similar sized boats, very similar powered boats. We're going to clock starts so we just want to try and level everything up as much as we can to provide the most entertaining racing we can."
Sunday brought more of the same from the front-runner, though the day was not without complications for others in the field. Jack took Heat Three, with Ken in second and Coker in third. Steve Preece lost a prop while running well, and David Alexander was hampered by a front wing problem.
Jack spoke about what the water actually demands once the fleet is circulating. "It looks flat before you go out, but once four or five boats are circulating it roughens up. You've got to get the boat up out of that rough stuff." He also noted the punishing heat inside the cockpit and the precise balance the conditions required.
The Grand Final, held later in the afternoon, went to Jack Lupton, with Ken Lupton in second and David Alexander in third. The result completed a clean sweep across the two days, with the fastest hot lap, three heat victories, and the final all going to Jack.
Elsewhere in the paddock, Andrea Robinson's weekend was a mixed picture. Saturday had been productive, though an electrical fault cut her day short in the final race. Her crew identified and resolved the problem overnight and she was back racing on Sunday. Other support categories ran throughout the two-day Lakeland Powerboat Club programme, filling out a full schedule on Lake Maraetai.
The championship context gives Jack's performance added weight. Heading into Round Two, he already held 121 points from a strong Round One. Coker and Ken had been closely matched coming in, on 90 and 88 points respectively, and both added to their tallies through the weekend.
Round Three heads to Lake Ruataniwha at Twizel. Several South Island boats, mentioned by Jack in his post-race interview, are expected to join the series there, which could reshape the competitive picture as the season develops.
