Cromie claims early jet boat lead
Canterbury driver Nigel Cromie won the opening criterium stage of the World Jet Boat Marathon championships near Christchurch – before a tragedy cast a pall over the event.
Racing was suspended on Sunday after a fatality on the Waimakariri River on the morning stage of the second day of the week-long championships.
Event organisers cancelled the Sunday afternoon championships leg while police investigated the death. Cromie, in a Kwik Kiwi boat, won Saturday’s prechampionship criterium on the Waimakariri by 11 seconds from NZ1’s John Derry (Marlborough), the title favourite. Southland’s Roger Preston in Weedmaster, was third fastest, followed by Regan Williamson from Queenstown in his brand new Talley’s race boat.
The 50km circuit race criterium provided seeding order for the world championships.
Tauranga’s Ben Quin suffered a suspected blown piston in his A class entry Coastline Marine and was searching for a replacement engine. Former CX class world champion Jason Young also missed the criterium with engine dramas in Kiwi Thunder Racing.
America’s Ryan Ringer was ruled out on Friday after a minor crash in testing. He offered his gas turbine boat to Canada’s Dale Whiteside, an experienced boat racer on Kiwi rivers. With no preboating (checking the rivers), Whiteside teamed up with crewman Gord Humphrey to quickly familiarise themselves with the Waimak ahead of the criterium. Fellow Canadian Rick Holingworth and wife Jodie sprang into action as a lastminute entry, piloting the second of four-time former world champion Mark Cromie’s Kwik Kiwi turbines. Both Canadians finished the criterium without incident.
NZ3 driver Greg Simpson, in his FX Hard to Handle Racing entry, had to withdraw with suspected engine issues only to later discover a loose spark plug wire. ost of the 45 entrants are from New Zealand, but Mexican
brothers Diego and Gil Garcia are competing in a locally leased CX jet boat.
The field is divided into four classes: Unlimited – unrestricted turbo charged big block V8s and turbine engines,A Class – open choice of engine up to 470 cubic inches, CX Class – formula engine class using a sealed 25hp Chev V8, FX Class – entry level formula class using a smaller Chev V8.
Competitors will also race on the Waiau, Rakaia, Waitaki, Clutha, Matukituki and Dart rivers, with the final day, a mass start in Queenstown Bay.