The 2025/26 Lucas Oil Hydro Thunder NZ Series got underway on Lake Maraetai at Mangakino this weekend in ideal conditions, with glassy water and clear skies greeting competitors and spectators alike. Cars filled the carpark and spilled onto the roadside well before racing began, a sure sign that Hydro Thunder's loyal following from around the country remains as strong as ever.
Grand Prix Hydroplanes may carry the marquee billing, but the weekend's programme stretched well beyond the headline class. Modified Hydros, Clubman boats, Formula 3, Series 3000, and the Junior categories all featured throughout the two days, giving competitors of every age and experience level a chance to race. Families claimed their spots along the banks with gazebos and camp chairs, young drivers got their first competitive starts, and engines thundered to life at the ramp in a constant rhythm that carried across the water.
There was as much to enjoy away from the results sheets as on them. Watching drivers of all ages push hard while clearly having the time of their lives, with families lending a hand at every turn, is a reminder that participation and passion sit at the heart of this sport just as much as any trophy.
Among those out on the water was the de Mey family, of Nic de Mey Yachts, who arrived with a new Junior-class hydroplane freshly shipped up from the South Island. Word circulating through the pits hints that racing may not be the end of the de Meys' ambitions, with a move into design and boatbuilding talked about as a possibility further down the track. It's a corner of the sport worth keeping an eye on.
Series ambassador Denise Preece described the turnout as an encouraging way to open the new season, adding that crowds are expected to grow as the calendar progresses, with Lake Karapiro shaping up as the standout event of the year.
In the pits between runs the scene is all business. Crews are buried in engine bays, tools laid out across tarps, boats hosed down and refuelled, engines fired on the bank with that deep, unmistakable V8 note. It's part racing, part engineering problem, and entirely driven by commitment.
Friday was given over entirely to testing, with teams dialling in engine tunes and propeller configurations ahead of Saturday's qualifying. When the times were posted, Jack Lupton had set the pace convincingly, recording 29.91 seconds to claim pole position. Ken Lupton slotted in second at 30.75 seconds, with David Alexander third at 31.81 seconds.
Jack carried that qualifying pace straight into Heat 1, taking the win from Ken Lupton and Scott Coker. Heat 2 went the other way, Ken crossing first with Jack second, Coker third, and Alexander fourth. The early running suggests the sibling rivalry that has long defined this class has lost none of its intensity.
Jack's performance was all the more notable given what he had dealt with in the lead-up. His Canadian-built GP33 sustained damage during transport from Waverley to Mangakino, forcing a switch to his other boat, a New Zealand-designed and built GP Hydroplane. The replacement hull is a 26-foot Henderson/Auld-built design combining a lightweight carbon-composite structure with the proven three-point layout used throughout the Lupton family's fleet. The boat, which his father Warwick Lupton had been due to campaign this season, is powered by a supercharged 468 cu in HRL-spec V8 producing around 1,300 horsepower. Racing under his own banner, Jack has made no secret of his goal to reclaim the Masport Cup before the summer is out.
For anyone new to the sport, it helps to understand what separates a hydroplane from other powerboats. Rather than pushing through the water, a hydroplane rides on top of it. At full racing speed, only the propeller tips and the rear edges of the two front sponsons remain in contact with the surface. Air trapped beneath the hull generates lift and strips away drag, enabling these boats to exceed 250 kph. They rank among the quickest circuit boats anywhere in the world, and the Kiwi teams running them have them tuned to a high degree of precision.
Defending both the series title and the world championship, Ken Lupton arrived at Mangakino with his self-built GP577 Lucas Oil, a 26-foot hull inspired by the Henderson/Auld design that he constructed himself in Waverley. Carbon fibre and lightweight composite laminates give the boat high stiffness and precise handling, built around the classic three-point hydroplane configuration where twin front sponsons and a central pod leave only three small contact patches on the water at speed.
Ken has two engine options at his disposal. The first is a 510 cu in Big Chief V8 running on methanol with a supercharger capable of producing around 2,000 horsepower. The second is a 468 cu in HRL-spec unit built to Hydro Thunder series regulations. Both are hand-tuned by Phil Crawford, who has worked alongside Ken for years developing engines that can withstand the savage acceleration and sustained G-forces these boats generate lap after lap.
Reflecting on the first day's running in an interview with Shot360 Photography, Ken said he was satisfied with how things were progressing.
"Every run we're just making little changes and getting the engine closer to right on the money," he said. "We're not rushing it — the boat was starting to go pretty good by the end of the day."
Ken designed and built the boat himself, giving him an understanding of its behaviour that few rivals can replicate, and his results reflect it. A second-place qualifying time, a runner-up finish in Heat 1, and victory in Heat 2 leave him well placed heading into Sunday's North Island Title race.
While New Zealand's season opened at Mangakino, the same weekend marked the debut of the Lucas Oil Australia Hydroplane National Drivers Championship at Glenmaggie in Victoria, continuing Lucas Oil's long-established commitment to hydroplane racing across both sides of the Tasman.
Saturday at Mangakino delivered exactly what Hydro Thunder fans come for: close racing, serious horsepower, and families working together on and off the water. Sunday holds the promise of more of the same, with the North Island Title still to be decided and Ken and Jack Lupton both in contention for a fast, family-driven season of Kiwi hydroplane racing.
