Four rounds into the 2025 to 2026 season, the New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Association headed to Poverty Bay, Gisborne, for the fourth round of the campaign on 14 February. The series had already taken in Gulf Harbour, Taupō, and Napier before the fleet gathered on the East Coast.
Crews arrived to find the course carrying debris from unsettled early conditions. Officials cleared the track promptly, and a safe, competitive course was ready well before the first start. Both heats ran to schedule, race one getting away at 11am and race two at midday.
Consistency was the quality that mattered most across the day. Several crews swept both heats to bank maximum points.
In Superboat 600, Rainbow Haulage, driven by Colin Dunn and Darren Butterworth, set the benchmark with back-to-back race wins and 950 points. Langslow Engineering, helmed by Paul Greenfield with Jason Way on throttles, answered with two second-place finishes to bank 750 points.
Sports 200 produced an equally commanding showing. GEN2, piloted by Mikey Smith and Shane Rumens, swept both races for a perfect 950-point result. Triple Trouble, with Alex Smith and Mark Taiatini at the wheel, took second on 750 points, and Supersonic, crewed by Ryan Archer and Joe Den-Hertog, completed the podium on 600 points.
Sports 80mph brought another flawless double. Fury II, under Owen Mackay, matched the maximum with 950 points. Cougar, driven by Grant Smith with Matt Hopkins alongside, also claimed first on 950 points.
Sport 140 belonged to Gold Ship, with Tom and Phillip Haycock collecting two wins and 950 points. Coranto followed in second overall, posting reliable results across both heats.
Family Class had just one entry on the day. Purple Rain finished unchallenged as the sole competitor.
The 60 Mile Overall standings offered a cross-class measure of the day. Fury II led the way on 950 points, with GEN2 second on 750 and Triple Trouble third on 600. Supersonic, Cougar, Gold Ship, and Coranto filled the remaining positions, reflecting strong competition across the classes.
One round remains in the 2025 to 2026 season, and the Gisborne results reinforced the defining pattern of the campaign. The crews delivering clean, consistent finishes across both heats are the ones building the platforms from which championships are won.
