Smoke on the water

If you like the idea of sun, sea, sand and thrills, you ought to try Supercat racing, writes ROBIN BAILEY.

Do you need a little more aquatic excitement in your life? Then head for Mt Maunganui beach this weekend.

There you can watch the latest round in what is being touted as the world's fastest-growing and most affordable marine motorsport, Supercats.

The format is simple. Inflatable boats race through the surf and around a series of buoys at up to 80km/h before screaming back to the shore, where one of the crew leaps on to the sand and sprints up the beach to the finish.

Supercat racing began in South Africa 15 years ago, spread to Australia and Europe in the early 90s and hit our shores just five years ago. Seven boats contested the first New Zealand event and the word spread quickly that an exciting and affordable form of powerboat racing had arrived.

As the fields grew TV came on board and corporate sponsorship followed.

A New Zealand team contested the first transtasman series in 1998 and this year holds the title.

New Zealand teams also take part in the tri-nation (Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) series. South Africa holds the title but the Kiwi racers are confident of winning next time round.

Inflatable boats are raced throughout the world and there are already plans to stage a world championship series in New Zealand.

Several different inflatable hull designs are raced, with the boats used here, the South African Gemini hulls, by far the most popular. With more than 40 Geminis regularly contesting our Supercat series, New Zealand can now boast the biggest field of boats racing in a single event.

Supercat racing places tight restrictions on the hulls and power units. Only Gemini 4.2m inflatable tunnel hulls are allowed and the only power option is a Yamaha 50hp tiller-steer outboard.

Engines are sealed before the start of the season and, apart from engine height and propeller choice, no alterations are allowed.

There are also strict safety rules. Fuel bladders, propeller guards, helmets and righting ropes are all compulsory.

At around $17,000 for a brand new rig (boat, motor and trailer) Supercat racing provides budget excitement. It attracts enthusiasts aged from 16 to 60-plus and all compete equally. Rookies begin in B-grade for six events and can then move to the A grade, having honed their skill levels to handle the more intense competition.

The sport's most experienced pairing - Kelvin Kay and Kendall Atwood - won the just-completed Supercat National Championship, driving ETA Ripples. The B-grade title went to a pair of youngsters, Travis and Carl Thompson in N4B Com. Not only are they in their first season, but at 16 and 17 years old they are by far the youngest competitors on the circuit.

The New Zealand Inflatable Racing Club's summer series, held through January and February at Pauanui, Whitianga, Waihi and Mt Maunganui, drew an average of 40 boats at each meeting and crowds of more than 10,000.

Today's programme at the Mount starts at 10.30 am and continues throughout the day.

* To find out more about Supercat racing, e-mail inflatableracing@xtra.co.nz