Final qualifying at NZJSA Round 2 in Whanganui sharpened the field across every class, with late pace proving the deciding factor in several tight contests. Shifting conditions rewarded those who kept their runs clean and punished anyone who stumbled early, leaving the grid shaped largely by what happened in the closing sessions.
Group A produced the clearest separation at the front. Matt Hareb and Hayden George set the class benchmark with a 46.146, building through every run to deliver their quickest lap precisely when it mattered most. Ollie Silverton and Amanda Kittow applied consistent pressure throughout, finishing second just 0.052 seconds short of the top spot. The gap back to third was more pronounced, with Kris Rasmussen and Holly Sutherland ending qualifying 1.074 seconds off the lead. Further down the order, the standout drive came from Sam Gray and Vanessa Gray, who turned a difficult opening run into a strong finish, cutting more than 18 seconds from their time across the session to lock in their place in the field.
Group A – Qualifying results
- Matt Hareb / Hayden George - Ollie Silverton / Amanda Kittow - Kris Rasmussen / Holly Sutherland - Ross Travers / Jackie Hawker - Bryce Baron / Charlize - Sam Gray / Vanessa Gray - Dug Twist / Harry Kibblewhite - Caleb Baron / Neo Broomhall - Bayden Stephens / Trina Buckley - Scott Andrews / Andrew Baike - Michael Stephens / Jayne McDonald
The MTW LS class shaped up as one of the most compressed categories of the day, with fewer than a second covering the top five crews. Paddy Haden and Jay Haden led the class after a measured build through their runs, crossing the line as quickest qualifiers. Connor Nairn and James Tuckey followed in second, steadily gaining ground throughout the session to finish 0.652 seconds back. John Verry and Grace Alder rounded out the top three, a further 0.195 seconds adrift. A number of crews found improvement in the final runs, but the class stayed tight from top to bottom, leaving almost no margin heading into racing.
MTW LS Class – Qualifying results
- Paddy Haden / Jay Haden - Connor Nairn / James Tuckey - John Verry / Grace Alder - Tim Edhouse / Debbie Edhouse - Sam Tweedle / Shevron Willis - Dave Hopkins / Oliver MacFarquhar - Jackson Hopkins / Dana Doyle - Matt Nairn / Tayla May Sutherland - D'Arcy Redstone / Emma Redstone - David McDiarmid / Carolyn McDiarmid - Pete Connor / Ben Connor - Marc Wendelken / Sean Perrett - David Thomas / Anna Hareb
MTW Group B produced a clear front pair, with Hamish Clarke and Lisa Seator qualifying fastest after posting steady improvement across all four runs. Gemma Johnson and Richard Currie whittled down the deficit with every session but could not quite bridge the gap, finishing 0.459 seconds adrift. Andrew Craig and Scott Gorman recovered from a sluggish opener to claim third, though the time conceded early left them sitting nearly two seconds off the lead. For others in the class, early difficulties proved hard to fully overcome, with consistency separating those who held their ground from those who fell back.
MTW Group B – Qualifying results
- Hamish Clarke / Lisa Seator - Gemma Johnson / Richard Currie - Andrew Craig / Scott Gorman - Andy Darling / Kane Hatchard - Greg Wilson / Katie Wilson
In the Southern Jet Superboats, Sam Newdick and Shama Putaranui ran the session on their own terms, establishing themselves at the top of the order from the outset and holding that position through to the final run. Their 0.643 second margin over second place reflected a comfortable command of the class. Reuben Hoeksema and Suzi Katavich claimed the runner-up spot, with Rob Coley and Ange Coley rounding out the top three through a measured and consistent display. Crews in the middle of the field made gains as qualifying wore on, but the front order remained largely settled throughout.
Southern Jet Superboats – Qualifying results
- Sam Newdick / Shama Putaranui - Reuben Hoeksema / Suzi Katavich - Rob Coley / Ange Coley - Mike Hessell / Shaun White - David Simmons / Pip Thompson - Luke Walters / Andy Giles
With qualifying complete, the grids are locked in across all classes. Some categories are set up for clear head-to-head battles at the front, while others remain so tightly bunched that a single mistake could reshuffle the order entirely. Execution, more than raw speed, will decide the elimination rounds.
