Waverley racer Ken Lupton will throw himself in at the deep end when he debuts his new hydroplane at the Acceleration On Water - Festival of Speed event in Wanganui next month.
The Wanganui leg on December 8-9 coincides with the annual Aon Billy Web Rowing Challenge and is the second round of the New Zealand Grand Prix Hydroplane Championships.
Lupton has sold his Annihilator 3 hydroplane and has bought a new, lighter, faster and more agile machine built by Ron Jones, a top American boat builder, and aptly named "Cheetah".
However, Lupton's new machine does not arrive in the country until November 30, so he will miss the first round of the NZ Grand Prix on Lake Dunstan in Cromwell on November 24-25.
Festival of Speed Tour organiser Denise Moughan said Lupton would have only the best part of a week to get accustomed to his new machine before its debut in the Downtown Wanganui leg.