The 2025-26 New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Association Championship has wrapped up after five rounds across Gulf Harbour, Taupō, Napier, Gisborne and Whitianga, with GEN2 and Rainbow Haulage the standout champions of a competitive season. Season sponsor Mackay Boats backed a championship that returned to Auckland for the first time in over a decade and delivered consistent fields throughout.
The final round at Buffalo Beach, Whitianga on Saturday, March 21, 2026, brought a 16-boat fleet to the Coromandel coast and closed the season with a dramatic early incident, a full day of racing and a prizegiving that evening at the Whitianga Hotel.
Fury II incident opens the day
The most serious moment of the Whitianga round came at the start. Fury II, skippered by Owen Mackay, nose-dived on the opening lap and went under with all three crew on board. Safety teams were on scene within seconds – medics, patrol boats and divers all responded immediately. All three crew members were recovered from the water and later released from hospital with minor injuries. Racing continued after the incident was dealt with.
Superboat 600 and 100 Mile
Rainbow Haulage, driven by Colin Dunn and Darren Butterworth, dominated the top class from start to finish. Clean results at every round built an advantage that was never seriously challenged, and the pair closed the season on 4450 points – 1375 clear of second-placed Langslow Engineering, helmed by Paul Greenfield with Jason Way on throttles.
| Pos | Boat | Driver / Co-Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rainbow Haulage | Colin Dunn / Darren Butterworth | 4450 |
| 2 | Langslow Engineering | Paul Greenfield / Jason Way | 3075 |
Sports 200
GEN2, piloted by Mikey Smith and Shane Rumens, were untouchable in Sports 200. Their consistency across all five events was the defining factor – they were the only crew to post competitive scores at every round, and their 4350-point total left the rest of the field well behind. Triple Trouble, driven by Alex Smith and Mark Taiatini, finished second on 3394. Supersonic, with Ryan Archer and Joe Den-Hertog, took third on 2500.
| Pos | Boat | Driver / Co-Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GEN2 | Mikey Smith / Shane Rumens | 4350 |
| 2 | Triple Trouble | Alex Smith / Mark Taiatini | 3394 |
| 3 | Supersonic | Ryan Archer / Joe Den-Hertog | 2500 |
| 4 | The Blue Pill (Mark Helms Marine) | Mike Knight / Bryce Helms | 919 |
Sports 140
Gold Ship, with Tom Haycock and Phillip Haycock, was the class of the Sports 140 field. Their 3200-point total was built on steady finishes across the season, with Taupō in particular proving costly for several rivals. Nakita, crewed by Grant Henry and Jessica Morley, finished second on 1925. Coranto rounded out the podium on 1800.
| Pos | Boat | Driver / Co-Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gold Ship | Tom Haycock / Phillip Haycock | 3200 |
| 2 | Nakita | Grant Henry / Jessica Morley | 1925 |
| 3 | Coranto | Michael Wingate | 1800 |
| 4 | Mad Max | Kane Huggins | 300 |
Sports 70
Cougar, raced by Grant Smith and Matt Hopkins, controlled Sports 70 throughout the season. Their near-perfect run delivered 4750 points – a total that was never threatened. Chindit was a distant second on 525 points.
| Pos | Boat | Driver / Co-Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cougar | Grant Smith / Matt Hopkins | 4750 |
| 2 | Chindit | 525 |
Sports 80mph
Fury II, skippered by Owen Mackay, claimed the Sports 80mph title on 2525 points despite the Whitianga incident ending his day early. Captain Caveman, helmed by Keith Riddell and Rodger Puttick – who rebuilt mid-season following earlier setbacks – finished second on 300.
| Pos | Boat | Driver / Co-Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fury II | Owen Mackay | 2525 |
| 2 | Captain Caveman | Keith Riddell / Rodger Puttick | 300 |
60 Mile Overall
The 60 Mile Overall title, contested across classes, went to GEN2 on 3713 points. Cougar finished second on 2952, with Triple Trouble third on 2696 and Fury II fourth on 2525. Supersonic’s 2182 points kept pressure on the leading boats through the middle rounds.
| Pos | Boat | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GEN2 | 3713 |
| 2 | Cougar | 2952 |
| 3 | Triple Trouble | 2696 |
| 4 | Fury II | 2525 |
| 5 | Supersonic | 2182 |
| 6 | Gold Ship | 1273 |
| 7 | Coranto | 908 |
| 8 | Nakita | 849 |
| 9 | Captain Caveman | 525 |
| 10 | Chindit | 393 |
| 11 | Mad Max | 300 |
Season themes
The championship rewarded consistency above all else. DNFs at Taupō, where short steep chop produced a high attrition rate, proved decisive in several classes. Crews that managed conditions and kept boats intact across all five rounds rose to the top; those who couldn’t complete rounds found themselves unable to recover ground in later events. With Auckland back on the calendar and strong fleet numbers at most meets, the 2025-26 season points towards a healthy platform for the year ahead.
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John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.
His involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.
He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.
In September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.