Jetsprint: Thompson Pips partner Simmons in sprints

David Simmons and John Verry keep Blue Flame on track. Photo / Duncan Brown

Hawke's Bay's Pip Thompson had partner bragging rights as the post-prizegiving celebrations revved up after yesterday's round of the New Zealand Jetsprint Championship at Crownthorpe.

Thompson and her navigator, Megan Brodie of Canterbury, who raced The Bitches Box, finished fifth in their 10-crew Group B class while her partner David Simmons and navigator John Verry raced Blue Flame to seventh in the 15-strong Superboat class.

"While you always want to get on the podium we're fairly happy with the day. We were .02 of a second off fourth and half a second off the podium," Thompson said. "Driving the hairpin is the key to success out here and we didn't do it quite so well."

She wasn't rubbing in her success as much as she could have around Simmons.

"At least we didn't wreck the boat," Simmons remarked.

"While it was a good day for us the other boys light it up and we couldn't catch them. We were one second off the top five," Simmons said.

Before the round, the fourth of six, Simmons and Verry said improving their traction on corners was a priority and they were happy with progress made.

"The motor is running fine ... it's just the traction still."

Hawke's Bay's Graeme Hill and navigator Amanda Kittow, who raced Liquid Gold, in the same class made the top five.

Former world champion Peter Caughey of Canterbury, who had Shama Putaranui as his navigator, in Enzed/Trojan/Total Oil won the Superboats class from Wanganui's Richard Murray and Jo Rathbone in Meaner Machine.

Thompson's class was taken out by Ross and Shane Travers of Wanganui in Radioactive, from Te Awamutu's Patrick and Jay Haden in Skitzo.

Waikato's Sam Newdick and Glenn Mason, who always seem to thrive at Crownthorpe, won the Group A class in PSP, from Gisborne's Blake Briant and Kate Hoogerbrug in Harvest Transport.

Event organiser Pete Connor, was thrilled: "We had a really good crowd and while there were crews who came off the course there were no major mishaps or injuries."