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View Full Version : Winton brothers hoping Southland Twin Rivers Jetboat Race success will prepare them for World Marath



Serious News
08-18-2016, 09:33 AM
Winton brothers Ben Baxter and Michael King are hoping a return to the victory dais at the Southland Twin River Jetboat Race will hold them in good stead.

Baxter who drives the boat and navigator King won the event two years ago, although Queenstown's Regan Williamson claimed the title in 2015 in his jet turbine engine.

King missed the race last year because of the birth of his daughter and the pair are hoping to push Williamson this year.

"He races a jet turbine engine which is something a bit unique in the sport, not your conventional V8 like most of them," King said.

"We've got the gear and the machine to do it, so we hope to push well and push the guy that won it last year anyway."

The dynamic duo are using the local event to prepare for October's New Zealand Jetboat Marathon and next year's Jetboat World Marathon Championship events, which both run on the same 1000km course from Christchurch to Queenstown.

They finished third when the world event was last held in the South Island in 2013 and were the second Kiwi boat home in the week long race.

The brothers are running a twin turbo Nissan V8 on Saturday, with some competitors expected to reach speeds of more than 200km per hour when they hit the Mataura River.

Participants leave at one minute intervals, providing plenty of incentive for fast paced action.

"You are going so quick that you don't have time to think too much," King said.

"You are sort of looking from corner to corner and sort of picking your way up the river."

"The boats leave at minute intervals so you are trying to catch the boat that is a minute ahead of you and stay ahead of the boat that is a minute behind you."

The race will see participants travel more than 300km over two days.

They tackle the Mataura River on Saturday at Monaghan's Beach and race to Ardlussa twice, with a return leg in the middle.

On Sunday the action hits the Oreti River at Thomsons Crossing at 9am, with contenders racing to Dipton return-twice during the day.

At a glance

Southland Twin River Jetboat Race

Saturday racing starts at 9:30am at the Mataura River from Monaghan's Beach to Ardlussa.

​Sunday racing starts at 9am at the Oreti River from Thomsons Crossing to Dipton.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/83301011/winton-brothers-hoping-southland-twin-river-jetboat-race-success-will-prepare-them-for-world-marathon

Serious News
08-19-2016, 09:18 AM
From 2014


https://youtu.be/FP8LGBP3t54