The New Zealand Boat Marathon Commission's 2025 series arrived at Timaru on 5 July, bringing its second-half campaign to the coastal waters of Caroline Bay. After the biting cold and mirror-smooth conditions of Lake Tekapo had tested competitors at the previous round, Timaru offered something altogether different. Milder winter temperatures, tighter course geometry, and a premium on consistency over raw speed made for a compelling day of racing with championship implications stretching into the final round.
That final round, at Lake Waihola on 26 July, carries double points. The leaderboards across every class remain unsettled, and nothing from the Caroline Bay results did much to simplify matters.
Competition played out across two distinct formats, as it does at every NZBMC round. The Nominated Speed event rewards drivers for hitting a pre-declared lap time as precisely as possible, penalising deviation rather than celebrating outright velocity. The Marathon race proper then followed, with class-by-class battles determining points and pride.
The Nominated Speed event produced a worthy winner in Sam Martin, who steered The Reverend to the top of the order with an error score of 56.07. Jem Mosdell kept Rogue in contention throughout, finishing second on 66.82 points, while Jordan Lilley rounded out the top three in On The Gas with a score of 67.99. All three appeared in the marathon results later in the day, confirming that the most adaptable competitors continue to set the pace across both disciplines.
When the marathon got underway, Caroline Bay offered no shortage of drama across the classes.
In Class AT, Man's Ruin was unable to finish, leaving Billy McEwan to steer Outlaw to an uncontested but convincing class victory, averaging 75.81 km/h across the race distance.
Class AV belonged to Jordan Lilley, who backed up his nominated speed podium with a marathon win in On The Gas. Lilley averaged 81.07 km/h over a time of 1:09:52, completing a strong double on the day and underlining the boat's competitive range across both formats.
The Class B result was shaped as much by attrition as ability. Three of the four entries failed to reach the finish, but Nick Hoskin kept Red Blooded running throughout to claim the class win. His average speed of 84.33 km/h was the highest recorded by any competitor across the entire Caroline Bay programme.
Class C delivered the afternoon's most gripping racing. Jordan Henderson in Conflict and Jem Mosdell in Rogue were inseparable across the best part of 55 minutes, eventually crossing the line within two seconds of one another. Their respective averages of 83.90 and 83.85 km/h told the story of how evenly matched these two boats had been throughout. Further back, The Reverend and Dreamweaver conducted their own private battle, arriving at the finish just six seconds apart after a similarly hard-fought run.
Lily Weir produced one of the standout individual performances of the round in Class E, guiding Stealth to a class win with a 66.29 km/h average across 53 minutes and 24 seconds. It was her second consecutive class victory, and her times across the day placed her among the quicker competitors in the overall field, well beyond the boundaries of her own class.
With the series now heading to Lake Waihola for its 26 July finale, competitors face one final reckoning. Shallow, tidal water presents a fresh set of demands, double points amplify every decision, and rivalries that have built across seven rounds will reach their conclusion. Entries for the final round are open at nzbmc.co.nz.
