Gulf Harbour opens the 2026/2027 series on 17 October. Marsden Cove and Wellington join the calendar, and six classes cover everything from 140hp production boats to the series' quickest machines.
The NZ offshore powerboat season is back, and it starts close to home for Auckland boaties. Gulf Harbour hosts the opening round on Saturday 17 October, off the Whangaparāoa Peninsula.
From there the 2026/2027 Offshore Powerboat Racing Series heads north to Marsden Cove, east to Napier, south to Wellington and finishes at Whitianga in March. Five rounds, two of them at venues that were not on last season's calendar.
Five rounds of the NZ offshore powerboat season
| Round | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saturday 17 October 2026 | Gulf Harbour, Auckland |
| 2 | Saturday 14 November 2026 | Marsden Cove, Whangārei |
| 3 | Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 January 2027 | Napier |
| 4 | Saturday 27 February 2027 | Wellington |
| 5 | Saturday 13 March 2027 | Whitianga |
Each round can run more than one race. The calendar comes from the New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Association (NZOPA). Event details for later rounds are released closer to each date.
What has changed
Gulf Harbour, Napier and Whitianga all return from last season. Marsden Cove and Wellington are the new names.
Last season ran Gulf Harbour, Taupō, Napier, Gisborne and Whitianga. Marsden Cove takes the November slot that Taupō held. Wellington takes the February slot that Gisborne held. NZOPA has not said why the venues changed.
Wellington gives the series a round at the bottom of the North Island. Marsden Cove, just inside the entrance to Whangārei Harbour, takes it into Northland.
Six classes, one course
Offshore races put several classes on the same course at once. Each class keeps its own results.
140HP and 200HP are production boat classes, named for engine power. Each boat runs a single factory standard engine, rated at no more than 140hp or 200hp. Boats must be at least 16 feet long in 140HP and 17 feet in 200HP. They must seat four and race with at least two crew.
Sports 70mph and Sports 80mph have no horsepower limit. Speed caps apply instead. In Sports 80mph, every mph recorded over 80 costs a 30 second penalty. Go past 85mph and the boat is disqualified. Sports 70mph works to a 70mph cap.
Supercat Lite carries the series' fastest boats. Last season, Rainbow Haulage and Langslow Engineering raced as Superboat 600.
Family Class is different again. It is a nominated speed class. Crews declare a target speed before racing and aim to finish as close to it as possible. The rules allow nominated speeds from 40 to 160 km/h. Boats from the other classes can cross enter the nominated speed contest too.
Last season's champions
Boats from five classes will be defending something this season, at least in name.
| 2025/2026 class | Champion | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Superboat 600 | Rainbow Haulage | 4,450 |
| Sports 200 | GEN2 | 4,350 |
| Sports 140 | Gold Ship | 3,200 |
| Sports 70 | Cougar | 4,750 |
| Sports 80mph | Fury II | 2,525 |
GEN2 also took the 60 Mile Overall title on 3,713 points, ahead of Cougar on 2,952. Triple Trouble finished third overall and second in Sports 200.
Entries for the new season have not been published, so it is not yet clear which of these boats will line up at Gulf Harbour.
Getting into the NZ offshore powerboat season
You do not need a purpose-built raceboat to take part. A Family Class or nominated speed day entry costs $100 per day. Casual entry in a 60 mile class costs $250 per day, and in a 100 mile class $1,000 per day, for up to four races.
Day entries race without scoring championship points. To score points, a boat must be registered for the championship, carry a permanent race number and pay the season fee by the deadline.
| Season championship cost | Fee |
|---|---|
| Driver or co-driver licence and membership, each | $25 |
| Sports and Sports Classic classes | $1,350 |
| Superboat classes | $3,600 |
| GPS transponder, required for every boat | $225 |
All fees include GST. Crane fees are extra. Existing race numbers are only guaranteed for entries received by 9 October.
Day licence drivers must be at least 18. Co-drivers can be 15 with written parental consent.
To qualify for final championship points, a boat or driver must start at least three championship rounds. All five rounds count equally.
Race packs, entry forms and the 2027 rulebook are on the NZOPA website, nzoffshore.co.nz. The Gulf Harbour race pack will set out the programme, course and spectator areas for the opener.
