The thunderous crack of V8 engines, walls of white spray, and the distinctive shriek of hydroplanes at full noise will once again define a New Zealand summer, with the New Zealand Powerboat Association (NZPBA) confirming its 2025/26 racing calendar. Spanning both islands and running from November through to April, the season serves up a compelling mix of elite competition and grassroots club racing across some of the country's most celebrated waterways.
The Lucas Oil Hydro Thunder series anchors the programme, running across five rounds and drawing the headline crowds. Alongside it, the TradeZone NZ Nationals and a string of regional regattas flesh out a schedule that takes in everything from small hydroplanes and jet boats through to the raw power of F1 rigs.
The curtain rises at Lake Maraetai in Mangakino on 1–2 November with Lucas Oil Hydro Thunder R1, before the action moves south to Lake Hood, Ashburton for the New Brighton Regatta on 22–23 November. Note that the New Brighton Powerboat Regatta has since been rescheduled and will now run on March 21–22, 2026, rather than its originally published date. Hydro Thunder returns to Mangakino for Round 2 in early December, rounding out a strong opening block of racing.
January is the calendar's busiest stretch, packing four major fixtures into a single month. Lucas Oil Hydro Thunder R3 runs from 9–11 January at Lake Ruataniwha in Twizel, overlapping with the Wanganui Regatta on 10–11 January, a long-standing fixture held on the Whanganui River. The month continues with the Wairarapa Regatta on 24–25 January on the Ruamahanga River, then closes out with the Southland Regatta on 31 January–1 February at the Oreti River in Invercargill, taking the sport to southern audiences.
February builds toward the season's centrepiece. The month opens at Lake Karapiro in Cambridge from 6–8 February, where the Masport Cup, the Matt Morrison Memorial, and the NZF1 Powerboat Tour converge for a high-quality weekend of racing. The Manawatu Regatta follows on 14–15 February at Foxton. Then, on 28 February–1 March, Lake Rotoiti in Nelson hosts the TradeZone NZ Nationals, incorporating Hydro Thunder R5 and the NZF1 Powerboat Tour. Few weekends on the calendar will match it for intensity or prestige.
March gives the sport's regional dimension its moment. Lake Arapuni plays host to the Cambridge–Waikato Regatta on 14–15 March, while the following weekend, 21–22 March, sees Porirua Harbour come alive for the Wellington Regatta. Both venues have a reputation for tight, committed racing backed by loyal local followings.
The season draws to a close at Lake Kaniere in Hokitika on 4–5 April. The West Coast setting, with its dramatic scenery and demanding conditions, makes for a fitting finale to another summer spent chasing speed on the water.
The breadth of the schedule reflects what the NZPBA is working to achieve: sustained growth at the elite end through the Hydro Thunder series, a pinnacle event in the Nationals, and a network of regional regattas that keeps grassroots racing healthy from Northland to Southland. As one veteran driver put it, "The sound, the spray, the sheer speed — nothing compares to powerboat racing in New Zealand. This season looks massive."
From the first blast of spray at Mangakino in November to the West Coast finale at Hokitika in April, the NZPBA 2025/26 season shapes up as one of the more complete programmes the code has put together in recent years.
