Jetboats: Bay pair delight in high speed success

No prizes for guessing who the happiest sporting couple in Hawke's Bay were yesterday.

Patoka jetsprinters David Simmons and Pip Thompson comfortably. The pair are first season competitors in the Jetpro national series as a driver-navigator combo.

Before yesterday's fourth round at Crownthorpe they were seventh in their 400s class. They went into the round eyeing a top five finish and came third, their best result in the six-round series to date.

"It was one of those days where everything went right for us. We qualified second for the top eight and third for the top five ... we were right up there," Thompson said.

She pointed out there was no damage to their boat Close Shave or mechanical issues to deal with before the March 30 round in Wanganui.

"We can just turn up and go hard," she added before setting up camp with their four children, aged 7 to 11. The family aspect of jetsprinting - they camp at all the meetings they go to - is one of the drawcards for the family.

Owhango's Tim and Debbie Edhouse won their class and Wanganui's Gerry Linklater and Hayden Wilson were second.

Like Simmons and Thompson, experienced Hawke's Bay navigator Tanya Iremonger of Waipukurau, who is in her fifth year with Auckland driver Baden Gray, picked up a third placing in the PSP Group A class. The class was won by Hamilton's Sam Newdick, who has Gisborne's Glen Mason as his navigator.

Newdick and Mason have won all four rounds to date. Bevin and Kathy Muir of Thames were second.

Canterbury's Peter Caughey and navigator Karen Marshall maintained their lead in the Suzuki Superboat class with a second victory.