Buffalo Beach at Whitianga will host the decisive final round of the 2025/2026 New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Association Championship on 21 March, drawing the curtain on a season shaped by four demanding events at Gulf Harbour, Taupō, Napier, and Gisborne. Several classes are still far from settled, making this closer to a shootout than a coronation.
The Superboat 600 contest is the exception. Rainbow Haulage, steered by Colin Dunn and Darren Butterworth, has accumulated 3900 points and carries a 975-point advantage over Paul Greenfield and Jason Way in Langslow Engineering, who sit on 2925. That margin looks difficult to claw back in a single outing.
Sports 200 tells a broadly similar story, with GEN 2, piloted by Mikey Smith and Shane Rumens, out front on 3800 points, 856 clear of Triple Trouble and its crew of Alex Smith and Mark Taiatini on 2944. Ryan Archer and Joe Den-Hertog steer Supersonic into third place on 2350.
The 60 Mile Overall class is another matter entirely. GEN 2, again with Smith and Rumens aboard, leads that contest on 3163 points, but Grant Smith and Matt Hopkins in Cougar are breathing down their necks just 586 points behind on 2577. Owen Mackay's Fury II sits a further 202 points adrift in third on 2375, which means the podium order across all three positions remains genuinely unsettled. Triple Trouble, carrying Alex Smith and Mark Taiatini on 2246, and Supersonic with Archer and Den-Hertog on 2032 are both well within reach of a result that could shake up the final standings.
Elsewhere in the championship, Tom and Phillip Haycock have built a commanding lead in Sports 140, with Gold Ship on 2650 points. Grant Smith and Matt Hopkins in Cougar have dominated Sports 70, banking 4200 points across the season, while Mackay's Fury II fronts the Sports 80mph class on 2375, having gathered strong momentum through the later rounds.
The confirmed entry list for Whitianga includes Gold Ship, Nakita with Grant Henry and Jessica Morley, Coranto, GEN 2, Triple Trouble, Supersonic, Cougar, Fury II, Captain Caveman with Keith Riddell and Rodger Puttick, Rainbow Haulage, and Langslow Engineering. Several of these teams are returning after DNS results at earlier rounds, a factor that adds another layer of complexity to the final points calculations.
Beyond the championship itself, the weekend will feature nominated speed racing, a format that trades brute power for precision and judgement. Any vessel capable of reaching 40 km/h is eligible, opening the field to everything from compact RIBs to larger sports cruisers. Previous events in this discipline have attracted an eclectic mix, from modest fishing boats through to full-bore offshore machines. The entry requirements are straightforward: lifejackets, helmets, and a $50 entry fee, with prizes waiting for those who best match their nominated speed.
The weekend begins on Friday evening with a public meet and greet at the Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club, where competitors and spectators alike can mingle before racing begins. Saturday brings two races, starting at 11am and 12pm respectively, with prizegiving and celebrations scheduled to follow at the Whitianga Hotel.
With title fights still alive across multiple classes and a side event designed to welcome newcomers into the sport, Whitianga shapes up as a fitting conclusion to the offshore season.
