GOLDRIDGE HOTEL 2005 World Marathon

NZJBRRA Presidents Introduction

A warm welcome to everyone to the Gold Ridge Hotel 2005 World Jet Boat Marathon to be held in New Zealand’s South Island.

Thanks to the work of the organising committee we are very fortunate to have on board some fantastic sponsors for this event. Our overall sponsor is Gold Ridge Hotel and our class sponsors are Hamilton Marine for Unlimited, JetBoat.com for A class, Hirequip for B class, Christchurch Helicopters for C & D classes and Eagle Marine for the Sport Jet class.

This is going to be a very competitive circuit including tricky braided rivers and wide open straight runs to show your true speed. The course has evolved over the past few months but we are sure that this will be a very testing circuit with something for everyone.

It all starts with the tech inspection and boat show at the main sponsors hotel in Frankton. This is a great chance to meet the other competitors, check out their boats, make new friends and catch up with old ones. The next day is a seeding race that will give both our sponsors and the public an opportunity to see what this sport is all about. It is a 40km run down and up the Kawarau river.

Then it’s off to race up and down the Clutha – a very fast river with some large pressure waves and long straights. Next day we go to the Waitaki River. This is a challenging river both up and down with trees, pressure waves and straights.

Back to race up the Clutha and then over to the Matukituki. This is a challenge at the best of times – a braided river where the gravel can be the same colour as the water. Even experienced boaters can have trouble with this one.

We then get a day off from racing but there is a boat drop and a gymkhana just for fun and to ease the race tension. Day 6 is up and down the Dart River – twice. It will be interesting to see how much we learn from our first runs and how much quicker the times are second time around.

We then go to the Oreti River. This is a good river but don’t underestimate the beast. It contains some braids and choices to be made. The afternoon race is on the Mataura. A great river with some very tight corners and coal seams running across it.

The last day’s racing is up the Oreti and then back to Queenstown to race from Queenstown harbour onto the Kawarau and Shotover rivers. This race takes you across the lake, and through braids and gorges. The final leg is a return run back to Queenstown.

By then we will have had a great weeks racing and one racer will be taking home the title of World Champion and the respect of everyone else involved. The final event will be to award the prizes, relax and celebrate the finish of another world marathon.

I hope that you all have a safe and enjoyable marathon and I look forward to seeing you at the finish line.

Ian Armstrong

President NZJBRRA Inc.