Points are tight across all four senior classes as the 2025–2026 New Zealand Jet Sprint Championship moves to Whanganui, where a single costly run could shake up the standings considerably.
Round 1 at Featherston rewarded precision and consistency, and the results have set up a genuine contest heading into Round 2 at Shelter View on 27 December. The early standings are meaningful, but with margins this slender, nothing is decided.
Southern Jet Superboats: nothing between the leaders
Sam Newdick and Shama Putaranui converted their Featherston pace into a Round 1 victory, leaving for Whanganui at the top of the Southern Jet Superboats standings with 30 points. The lead is real, but barely so.
Reuben Hoeksema and Suzi Katavich are one point behind on 29, with Rob Coley and Toby Edmonds a further point back on 28. David Simmons and Pip Thompson occupy fourth on 26 points, and Mike Hessell and Shaun White round out the top five on 25. Across the entire Superboats field, just eight points separate the leading group, meaning Whanganui could completely rearrange the hierarchy if conditions shift or execution wavers.
Group A: early pressure for the champions
Nowhere is the championship tighter than in Group A, where Matt Hareb and Hayden George hold the top spot on 30 points but can take little comfort from the results sheet below them.
Defending champions Ollie Silverton and Amanda Kittow are one point adrift on 29, with Kris Rasmussen and Holly Sutherland third on 28. Bryce and Kylie Baron sit fourth on 26 points, and Ross Travers and Jackie Hawker complete the top five on 25. Only six points cover first through to sixth, leaving Group A as wide open as any class in the championship ahead of Round 2.
MTW LS Class: depth already telling
John Verry and Grace Alder head the MTW LS Class on 30 points, but the depth behind them makes their position far from secure. Tim and Debbie Edhouse are just one point back on 29, and Jackson Hopkins and Dana Doyle hold third on 28.
Connor Nairn and James Tuckey follow on 26 points, with Matt Nairn and Tayla May Sutherland on 25 and Patrick and Jay Haden sixth on 24. The most telling statistic in this class is that fewer than 16 points separate first from fourteenth across the full field, showing how quickly one strong or costly run can shuffle the order.
MTW Group B: momentum up for grabs
Hamish Clarke and Lisa Seator head out of Featherston leading MTW Group B on 30 points after a commanding opening round. Gemma Johnson and Richard Currie are close behind on 29, and Greg and Katie Wilson sit third on 28 points.
Andrew Craig and Scott Gouman are fourth on 26, while Andy Darling and Kane Hatchard complete the top five on 25. Five points covering the leading group keeps this class finely poised, and there is every reason to expect the picture to shift at Shelter View.
With the points board already shaping the season, Whanganui's Shelter View Jetsprint Track will demand accuracy every bit as much as outright speed. Featherston may have established an early order, but Round 2 on 27 December has every chance of rewriting it.
