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June News 2007 Copies
of Current and past New Zealand Hydroplane Drivers Club Newsletters can
be found at the bottom of this page. The Major News from Each News Letter
will be Posted here as well as any relevant News Story you care to Submit
to Denise
Moughan
for posting on the Site.
Check for past News Stories on our News Archive pages using the Links at the bottom of the Page. This Weekend
saw Selwyn & Heather Coker celebrate their 30th Wedding Anniversary Faster than
a speeding Aussie, Wotton's a whiz at water power
 Rotorua's Malcolm Wotton broke the long-standing Australasian 4.5cc hydroplane powerboat speed record at Lake Karapiro. What does a bounty hunter cleaning up the American criminal underbelly have to do with a 20-foot (6m) powerboat in Rotorua? Well, for local man, Malcolm Wotton, the answer is a lot. That's because his 740kg pride and joy is named after the popular 90s television show Renegade - a show that follows the fortunes of good cop-turned-bounty hunter, Reno Raines. While he doesn't profess to being an outlaw rounding up the bad guys, Wotton is a bounty hunter of sorts, working tirelessly to break the 6-year-old Australasian 4.5cc hydroplane powerboat speed record at Lake Karapiro, late last month. It's a record that his eluded him for several years now. After
a unsuccessful first attempt, his second stab saw this speed enthusiast
reach a commanding 127.49 miles an hour (205 km/h) - a fraction faster
than the standing record set of 126.99 mph (204 km/h) set by a fellow
Kiwi in 2001. But alas, regulations stood in the way, with rules stipulating
that a 1 per cent increase in speed was needed for the new record to
be counted. Proving
the third time's the charm, Wotton persevered and eventually reached
a gut-wrenching 132.75 mph (214 km/h), finally enabling him to etch
his name in the record books. Adorned with an American Indian motif
on its side, Renegade boasts a 500 horse power engine and has become
a $30,000 labour of love for Wotton - a racing veteran of more than
30 years. "The hull was built locally. I built my own trailer, all of
the running gear in the boat, as well as all of the mechanical gear.
"It has a great explosion of speed because you are so close to the water.
Having an open cockpit, you get more of a sense of speed than what you
do in a car," Wotton said. Despite reveling in the massive adrenaline
rush he gets from racing Renegade, Wotton is quick to acknowledge the
dangers of his chosen sport: "Any motorsport has its dangerous side
and I am aware of that every time I am competing. It's part of what
we do. You have to have that in your mind that there's always that very
small chance that something may happen." When the Daily Post met with
Wotton, he hinted it may time to hand in his badge and retire Renegade
from the circuit, with no immediate plans to tackle any other powerboat
records in the pipeline."I am 59 years old now. I am not sure how much
longer I should keep going. It may be time to sell her," he said with
a glint in his eye. It's anyone's guess how long this Renegade can stay
down.
By Katarina Williams
Almost all the News Stories and Pictures are to be found somewhere in the Archives Just try and remember when the event occurred and pick the page that matches those Dates |
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© New Zealand Grand Prix Hydroplane Drivers Club 1984 - 2009 All
pictures in these Gallery's are either the Property of the New Zealand
Grand Prix Hydroplane Drivers Club or have been Loaned to the New Zealand
Grand Prix Hydroplane Drivers Club for use in the Gallery and for Promotions.
Any Image or Text can not be reproduced for commercial use without the
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