‘Tis the season to be racing and that’s exactly what happened at the third and final round of QPWC’s Queensland Title series. The stakes were high with racers trying to gain the last points of the series, however with the white caps setting in by early morning, combined with the relentless wind and rain, the racers had their work cut out for them. Our regular Race Director, Ross Moore was back ready to keep everyone in check after directing at the King’s Cup.
All eyes were on WaveRunner Performance Centre’s brand new 2016 Yamaha FZR with none other than Mitch Wyatt aboard, receiving it only days prior to the race. Mitch in his true form managed to come out in first place for Stock class and third in Open on the same ski. Open class was once again dominated by “The Hulk,” that is Brendan Boyd’s yet-to-be-beaten number 23 Sea-Doo. Rob White from Liquid Industries claimed second place on the shop’s number 44 Sea-Doo in front of Mitch Wyatt’s Stock class Yamaha.
The stand-ups had another great turnout with seven skis enduring the harsh conditions the course had to offer. Jordie O’Keeffe from Shoreline Yamaha took top spot on the podium once again, closely followed by Justin Windsor from the club’s sponsor – Liquid Industries.
The Vintage class with their now committed and dedicated crew, bunny hopped their way to the checkered flag. This race was a sight with starts proving a mission just to stay on the already unstable skis – many riders spending more time swimming than actually racing. A stand out in this class was first-timer Max Moran who was sporting a Superjet 650 – he did a tremendous job battling with the conditions and with the support of his long time jet ski racing family. I would predict he will be one to watch in the very near future.
The Sport/Spark class suffered a severe case of the “no shows” with only two Sparks and beginner Brett Whittaker aboard a Yamaha VX racing in the class. Joshua Berry on the number 14 and Wade Clucas on the JetSkiShop #216 Spark, battled all day with some tight racing between the two. With the scores tied coming into the third and final moto, it was a rouge wave and lengthy swim for Joshua Berry that saw Wade take first place for the day with Joshua very close in second.
This year has been a great one for racing here in Queensland with both the Tropical Heat Series running from March to May and then the Queensland Titles wrapping up the year nicely. The passion and commitment to the sport is only getting stronger, both through our dedicated committee members and racers, new and old. We can only look forward to another great year of racing in 2016 and as always welcome newcomers to next year’s events.
