Powerboating: NZ racer leads Australian powerboat champs

Young New Zealand offshore powerboat racer, Travis Thompson, has shot to the lead in the Australian Superboat Lite Championship.

The 25-year-old from Whangaparaoa is leading the 1025hp class after the first three rounds, despite not being able to compete in the opening race because his boat was still on its way back from New Zealand.

However, by scoring a first and three seconds in the following two rounds at McKay and Townsville, he and his Team3 team lead the class by a healthy 100 points. Team3 team is fourth overall in the competition.

As is the case with most boats at this level, Travis and fellow crewman Steve Nugent share the responsibility for getting Team3 around the course. Thompson has control of the throttles, while Nugent handles steering duties.

It is the first time the two have raced together although Travis competed in last year's Australian championship, throttling the MTI boat, Global Racing.

While in New Zealand, Team3, a 10m Victory cat powered by twin MerCruiser 525s, proved to be very competitive. With another New Zealander, Craig Archer, on the throttles, it placed second overall in the fiercely-contested 2010 Rayglass New Zealand Offshore Series.

Thompson says Team3 is a very different boat to drive than the one in which he raced last season.

"Last weekend's races in McKay were something like a really bad day on Lake Taupo," he says. "However, when the conditions are right, we certainly have the speed to do the job."

The team next competes at Redcliffes in Queensland on August 19.